both my girlfriend and I were trying to think of a fair and reasonable cancellation policy for private lessons, which also protected our financial interests.
she is Taiwanese, and an experienced EFL teacher, and looking to get back into private tutoring after trying out a different career for a while. she is very very kindhearted and so I think in the past she didn’t really protect herself as far as students cancelling lessons. of course, being super-cute and Taiwanese is to her advantage in that light, as she gets along so wonderfully with all the parents…
however, after her latest job working insane hours for shit pay, she is finally waking-up a bit and being more pragmatic and self-interested about these things…
I’m a foreigner, not as experienced at privates, but looking to supplement my day job, and also wondering what kind of cancellation policy would work in Taiwanese culture.
I suppose this goes hand-in-hand with payment policy.
any advice or examples of what has worked for you are much appreciated. thanks!
I understand payment in advance is a fairly common policy. Student pays for a block of lessons (10 lessons, one month, etc…), giving a discount for buying a block of lessons is a good way to make this more appealing.
That way if students dont rock up or cancel, it doesn’t matter.
If the student is not willing to pay for a block in advance, they are probably going to be flaky and not a customer you would want.
I tend to prefer a lousy-goosy approach. In a 1:1 class, if a student needs to cancel, fine. And if I need to cancel a class, they need to accept that too. Generally, it’s not an issue. I expect 5~10% of classes to be cancelled, make allowances in the budget for that… when it happens, I always have other work or tasks that need doing. If it becomes an issue, students can be asked to pay in advance: no refunds for missed classes.
If it’s not a 1:1 class, I charge for the time, not by the student. Doesn’t matter how many students show up, I earn the same amount. Let the students can do the math and enforce discipline among themselves.
since it’s illegal activity for both you and your spouse, there is technically no “policy” for you to follow. But you can lay some ground rules. I find that students who pay more are more “flexible” about cancelling, which might be why they pay better. Children almost never cancel because their parents are giving them pressure. Students who pay in advance are also less likely to cancel (and more likely to try to get a discount). But it’s all about balancing your time and resources. If you need that tuition to live, then you need to have reliable students. Give a little discount for paying in advance, require a percentage cancellation fee or make-up classes. If you are tutoring in your spare time for extra money, then you can charge more and take more risk when it comes to cancellations.
It’s not illegal for his wife because she is Taiwanese.
If he has a marriage ARC, then it is also not illegal for him.
You might have to declare some of the income, but the issue of work permit does not exist for Taiwanese nationals or for those with marriage ARCs or APRCs.
It’s not illegal for his wife because she is Taiwanese.
If he has a marriage ARC, then it is also not illegal for him.
You might have to declare some of the income, but the issue of work permit does not exist for Taiwanese nationals or for those with marriage ARCs or APRCs.[/quote]
touch of tutor envie. would be illegal if you did not have marriage APRC.
a notice of cancellation, say 10 hours before the scheduled class with no penalty for the canceled class. and a 20% fee for short notice cancels. ?
The student pays 24 lessons in advance 1.5 hours each.
If he/she comes to my location, there will be a bigger discount.
The unit of 24 lessons have a starting date and a last date. Let’s say every Wednesday and Friday till the 24 lessons are used up. Starting date October 21st the end would be January 11th. Maybe plus one week.
If the student cancels, he/she can arrange for make up classes within that time-period. If he/she doesn’t, the classes end on that date and there won’t be a refund.