Waiting List Dilemma
Found in: Studio Management
Darla H., Kansas
I have been teaching SM for three and a half years now, and have reached the point where my studio is as full as I can handle. (I’ve been full for about a year, but had some that I knew would drop, and was able to fill in with new people.) When I first transitioned, I had quite a high turnover rate at first, but now have students who are all dedicated, long-term students. If I were to try to predict when my next opening will be, I would say, it might be another year! Which is really great–I love that I’ve developed a good relationship with my students and families and that I have a good retention rate. My dilemma is what to do about people who call and want to be on my waiting list. So far, I’ve just told them I don’t have any openings currently, and that I’ll be happy to put them on my waiting list. I have one that’s been on the list since last October already. And I’ve told them all that I would wait until I have an opening to even do an FIS. (I am the only SM teacher in my area, so it’s not an option to refer them to anyone else.)
More about my studio: I need to keep my teaching hours to eight hours a week. I currently have 25 students, seven of them are private and the rest are in groups. The seven private students either have special needs or are at a very different place than anyone else. My groups are of two-four students because of my physical space; I don’t have room for more.
I’m just curious, are there others out there that go without having an opening for more than a year? Do you keep a waiting list going? How often do you check in with people on the list?
Genevieve P., Utah
Last year I had a similar experience. I could only teach two days a week and they were full. I quickly built up a waiting list of 12 families. Within about four months of starting the waiting list I decided to open up another day for teaching. I was very surprised that only a few from the list still wanted lessons.
Coincidentally, I got a lot of new inquiries at the same time – all of them signed on. So from my experience it’s best to get them while they’re hot!
Just a side note, everyone who has ever attended a FIS has enrolled in classes. Most who were on my waiting list were just phone contacts who never attended a FIS so maybe that makes a difference too.
I am in a similar situation now too where I am completely full and everyone is very dedicated. There are also a lot of families with younger children and I anticipate taking them on when they’re a little older. So currently I don’t maintain a waiting list at all but I am referring students almost every week to other teachers in my area.
Vee S., Florida
Did you know there are teachers who teach online. You could refer the students to one of those teachers, if the student and parents will agree to it. I feel for the students who really want lessons and there are no other teachers in the area. Anyway that might be a solution.
Brianna S., Arizona
You could also see if they were interested in Skype lessons, and if so, refer them to another teacher who does do Skype.
Jy G., California
In the past, when a student was moving to a location where there were no Simply Music teachers, I told them to find a teacher they like and then tell them about Simply Music.
They may be able to find/create a Simply Music teacher that way if you can’t take them!
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
I would encourage you to try and recruit another teacher in your area! That’s a more long-term solution, but it sounds like you will need it.