Refund Policy
Found in: Claiming Territory, Studio Policies
Mary R., Michigan
I’ve been teaching about 5 years and have just had my first request for a refund. In the past people have always stopped lessons at a natural break (month end or summer) or have quietly dropped an email or phone message explaining the need to quit and never asking for $ back.
I started an elderly woman in October on a special new student discount rate. She wouldn’t watch SHM or follow many instructions, and I was a bit surprised when she gave me a check for November but then she called before the second lesson and said she needed to quit due to a very serious personal situation in her life. (I suspect falling behind her learning partner who WAS following instructions and watching SHM may have contributed). She made no request for refund at the time, but has now called asking for balance of month’s tuition back.
Check has been cashed and bills paid. Not sure how to handle this. I’m wondering what the refund policies are in your studios.
Cindy B., Illinois
In cases such as the one you describe, I consider giving the refund – mostly because I don’t depend on lesson income to pay my bills. I’m considering including language in my umbrella studio policy statement, though, that would cover such a contingency, such as “Each month’s payment is expected on such a such a date and reserves your lesson time for you in the coming month. This is a nonrefundable monthly payment.” Then you’d be able to remind a retiring student of your policy if you choose to.
Irene S., Canada
In my practice of teaching music, I have always assured my students that “serious illness” and “moving” will always be good enough reasons for a refund. I know how frustrating it is to have to “refund” after the money is spent. But you have said she is an “elderly” woman. She will have a very old school of thought about refunds, and she has also said “a very serious personal situation”. This could be physical or emotional. In either case, she feels strongly enough about it, to ask for a refund. I would mail it to her, and move on. If you handle this in a positive way, she will be surprised and happy. She may return after the “serious situation” has ended, or at the very least, said a positive thing to someone about you, who may become a student of yours.
Susan J., California
First, let me say that I am sorry that you lost your student, but she was not trying to “get with the program” for whatever reasons. Maybe she was getting very forgetful or had other mental processing issues due to advancing age or Alzheimer’s, or just could not keep up with her partner, and was embarrassed to admit it. Did you ever try to offer her private lessons? I know that partner or group lessons is the ideal way to learn SM, but I think we have to evaluate each student and their learning styles, and try to accommodate those matters when we can.
As for the refund, I have the issue clearly stated in my policy letters that each student signs BEFORE enrolling and starting lessons, that if there is a problem with taking lessons, and we have discussed the issues thoroughly, and they still want to discontinue lessons, they are still obligated to give me one month’s WRITTEN notice, and pay for that month, so that I can fill their lesson time in my schedule! I explain that because I have made a commitment to them to always be there to teach their lessons, and my schedule is almost completely filled up for the hours that I am able to teach SM, and my budget is set for the month to pay my bills, like rent, utilities, etc, in my new studio location, so that I can offer this excellent piano method to them, and have plenty of space in my studio, more parking than I had in my home studio, that I HAVE to know what my student numbers will be every month!
I also have them sign the student piano policy, and even the children sign it, after I and their parents have explained it to them at their level of understanding. I want each student to understand that they are making a serious commitment to learn to play the piano, even though it will be a lot of FUN, but also hard work and self discipline, and that I am also promising to be the best piano teacher that I can be for them! And I continue to remind them of that paragraph in my studio policy if I sense that they may be thinking of “dropping out” and try to discuss with them some options of practice, scheduling etc. if I think those are the issues which concern them.
I have only one or two, who have quit lessons, without notice and not paid for the subsequent month, and that was due to extenuating personal circumstances which I later discovered, and did not have the heart to ask them to pay up! So, if you have only had this one lady to ask for a refund, I think you are indeed very fortunate, and if it is not clearly stated in your policy letter, then you may want to consider just a partial refund for the lessons that you knew she was going to miss, after informing you she was quitting! That way she will perhaps tell others only positive things about her piano lessons with you! We all know that a disgruntled student can do much harm to our reputations in the community, even if they were the one who did not adhere to our teachings and our policies! I want to keep the experience a positive one for each student, so that they may one day want to return to my studio or at least to continue to make music at the piano a happy and positive and life-long pursuit!