Billing question
Found in: Fees Rates & Cost, Studio Policies
Francine V., Australia
Does anyone else have any issues with parents asking to amend bills (after you’ve just spent hours doing them)? I have three parents who are leaving Perth mid-term – one has told me to amend the bill, the other has asked me to amend the bill, and the third has told me she will only pay until June 1st and that’s what she did. These are all new students who have only started with me last term, so they have all just got their policies 10 weeks ago or so saying they will be billed for the whole term.
I seem to be getting a fair bit of this sort of stuff. I don’t want to rip people off by making them pay for a service they don’t receive, but I also don’t want people just paying me what they think they should pay and not what they signed and committed to in the beginning. It’s rework for me, and I really don’t like rework. I’m not sure what to do.
Katie S., California
I find charging parents monthly is an easier pill to swallow since all their other bills are monthly. I have them pay the last lesson of the month for the following month to secure their time slot.
Cheri S., Utah
I do the same as Katie. And the monthly payment stays the same all year. That’s what Neil recommends in the training, and it really does simplify everything for you and for them.
Becc S., Australia
10 weeks at a time can be difficult for some students. It’s how I invoice but I have a stipulation that the invoice can be paid once a term, in week 2, or half at a time in week 2 and week 6. It’s hard to justify monthly when lessons only go for 10 weeks at a time. It’s different in Australia with having the school year separated into four 10-week terms with two weeks in between plus 6 or so weeks off at Christmas. It works well for me and everyone is paid by week 6 or 7. And I only teach the 40 weeks a year since most people don’t want the lessons in the holidays.
Patti P., Hawaii
I tell parents I charge an annual tuition but they are allowed to pay in monthly installments, so the payment is the same every month regardless of the number of lessons. This actually makes it easier on me and them as well. I explain that the tuition includes the many hours outside of lesson time that I spend in training, lesson prep, organizing recitals, etc. I also have them pay before the first of the month for the following month to reserve their slot. And I tell them at the FIS that I require a 30-day advance written notice of them stopping.
Cheri S., Utah
That’s exactly what I do. That’s what the SM training recommends. I didn’t at first–I thought my own way would work better. It didn’t. Once I switched, tuition payments became simple and straightforward for me and my students. It’s easy for them to remember and budget.