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ACK! BO raised rates for my lesson kids

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  • #101
    I remember when my daughter was young and took gymnastic lessons at a local rec center. It was a session deal. She missed a class for some reason or other and I called to inquire about a makeup. The answer was no. Her class was every Tuesday at 3:00. If you miss, you miss. It made me think. I know that weather can foul up alot of riding lessons, but I stopped being so, so flexible about my makeups. If you do, your class will be the thing the parent drops when the schedule gets tight. Then you are the one scrambling (for them) so they don't lose.

    Seahorse, I can't understand the way your barn handles makeups- you have a nice indoor. Why do you have many cancellations? Maybe you could go to them with some ideas on tweaking the policies to be more favorable (and fair) to you. Trust me, the price increase shouldn't be a problem in the long run. Think of it as some winter pruning. Use this down time for marketing. Maybe if you do some marketing for new students and come up with some new policies to increase revenue, your BO would give you a bigger cut. Be proactive and valuable to them!

    We've recently changed our pricing structure on school lessons. We now charge a rate for the month which is for 4 lessons at $45. Makeups can be arranged WITHIN THE MONTH ONLY based upon availability of instructor and horse. My instructor only works 3 days per week. So their makeups are limited to one of those days. That is the extent of her availablity. Any month that contains 5 lesson days is a freebie. We give a little, we take a little. So far so good. It certainly is simple and it really does regulate the income well. She has a nice group of reliable clients. They don't quibble now if they lose out on an occassional lesson because of a scheduling conflict.

    My last assistant used to cancel constantly. The farm lost out on a lot of lessons because of it. She set the tone that riding lessons were a fair weather sport. Now, my lovely Dakotawyatt is very organized and reliable. Good weather, bad weather, inbarn lesson- she's there. We've both found that if you are always there, your students don't tend to cancel on you.
    http://patchworkfarmga.com

    Comment

    • #102
      Originally posted by Jsalem:
      ESG, I think you and I sing from the same hymnal.

      <span class="ev_code_GREEN">Clearly. Similar experience and circumstances tend to engender similar perspectives. </span>

      Also for those less affluent, "where there's a will, there's a way." Unfortunately, as I said earlier, most folks don't want to work. Sure, you can muck stalls, clean tack, scrub toilets. It all has to be done- and I would be glad to pay a budding rider to do it. But when you lay it out for them, most of them run screaming!

      <span class="ev_code_GREEN">Boy, did you ever nail that! I have looked in vain for a working student who wasn't afraid of the "work" part! I swear, they are NOT to be found. Each and every time I've tried to interest a talented but financially challenged rider in working for additional saddle time, they disappear. And we're not talking heavy equipment here either, just normal, day-to-day stuff that comes with running a barn. I guess they all think that being a trainer means you don't have to do all the grunt work that comes with barn ownership/management. EIther that, or they think they can skip the "paying your dues" part of the process, (which also includes a lot of learning!) and jump straight to the "fun stuff". I'd have killed for an opportunity such as I offer when I was a struggling, just-starting-out rider. And these kids p!$$ on it. They're too busy, or have too many other activities, and it's too much trouble. Yet, they "want to be a trainer when I grow up". Good fruitbatting luck. </span>

      Horses are expensive. And I agree that it dosen't make sense to misrepresent the costs in order to pique an interest.
      <span class="ev_code_GREEN">Yep - just makes for more disappointment in the end. Unless, of course, you run across that rare individual who's willing to take on a position as described above; then, you have a REAL find, one worth bending over backwards to help. With the rest, it seems no good deed goes unpunished. </span>
      In loving memory of Laura Jahnke.
      A life lived by example, done too soon.
      www.caringbridge.org/page/laurajahnke/

      Comment

      • #103
        Originally posted by Jsalem:
        I remember when my daughter was young and took gymnastic lessons at a local rec center. It was a session deal. She missed a class for some reason or other and I called to inquire about a makeup. The answer was no. Her class was every Tuesday at 3:00. If you miss, you miss. It made me think. I know that weather can foul up alot of riding lessons, but I stopped being so, so flexible about my makeups. If you do, your class will be the thing the parent drops when the schedule gets tight. Then you are the one scrambling (for them) so they don't lose.
        I never thought of it that way! I guess after having people that actually *do* make lessons up, I thought being flexible was the way to get them to makeup. But it does hurt me in the end; it really is a major pain when they frequently cancel since I am a scheduler and like to stick to my plans. I do have my own horses to ride in addition to lessons!

        But I don't pre-charge either. Some pay in advance to hold their times, but most pay as they go so it doesn't hurt them as much to cancel than me.

        I did start something new in the last year or so: Those that freq. cancel don't get to hold their times in advance. I only allow them to schedule for the next week. So if someone comes along-- that never misses-- and wants their time every week, they get it.

        Comment

        • #104
          You should really try changing your policies. Having them pay ahead is just good business. Make a schedule and keep to it. Perhaps offer set times each week that can used for makeups. That's it. It'll make you saner.
          http://patchworkfarmga.com

          Comment

          • #105
            Offering a small (10%) discount for prepaid lessons is a policy I've had for a long time. If you miss a lesson with less than 24 hours notice, you forfeit that lesson (emergencies excepted, of course). That keeps my "makeup" sessions to a minimum, and ensures that my students keep to the time slot they've signed up for. Of course, weather-related and holiday shifts are taken into consideration. But really, if you pay for a weekly lesson, it shouldn't be that difficult to make up one lesson over the course of 30 days. If it is, you clearly don't want to allocate the time to make it up; your problem, not mine.
            In loving memory of Laura Jahnke.
            A life lived by example, done too soon.
            www.caringbridge.org/page/laurajahnke/

            Comment

            • Original Poster
              #106
              [QUOTE]Originally posted by Jsalem:
              Seahorse, I can't understand the way your barn handles makeups- you have a nice indoor. Why do you have many cancellations? Maybe you could go to them with some ideas on tweaking the policies to be more favorable (and fair) to you. Trust me, the price increase shouldn't be a problem in the long run. Think of it as some winter pruning. Use this down time for marketing. Maybe if you do some marketing for new students and come up with some new policies to increase revenue, your BO would give you a bigger cut. Be proactive and valuable to them!

              Students are cancelling for various reasons: it's too cold outside (but not bad in the indoor), they're in "time out", have a party to attend...the list goes on. Most don't even bother to call, ut just don't show up and then expect a makeup...BO's policy is no call - no makeup. And honestly, I am as much of a team player as I can be for teaching one day a week, but I KNOW that BO will NEVER increase my take...you know how she is. As far as marketing, shouldn't that fall on the BO? She used to run an ad in Stablmates regularly, but no more...now relys on word of mouth. I'm busy marketing myself (in the real world - I was laid off in Dec)!
              As an aside, what is BM going to do when she has to leave her current barn at the end of the month? We have been getting a lot of calls from her students who will no longer have a place to ride when she closes.
              www.savethehorses.org GA Horse Rescue
              http://community.webshots.com/user/seahorsefarm

              Comment

              • #107
                Originally posted by Seahorsefarmtobe:
                [Students are cancelling for various reasons: it's too cold outside (but not bad in the indoor), they're in "time out", have a party to attend...the list goes on.

                <span class="ev_code_GREEN">In the "real world", these are not acceptable reasons for cancelling. Illness, emergency, okay, but a party to go to? Or they're "in time out"?!?! WTF is this, kindergarten? If they're grounded or "in time out", that's their problem, not yours. They reserved your time, paid for that privilege, and now are having to suck it up and not get what they paid for. Again, THEIR problem, not yours, and you're not obligated to kill yourself to make up that lesson. </span>

                Most don't even bother to call, ut just don't show up and then expect a makeup...BO's policy is no call - no makeup.
                <span class="ev_code_GREEN">And I'm with the BO - no call, no makeup. If your students are prepaying and don't have the common courtesy to call and say they're not coming, they forfeit the lesson - period. The BO shouldn't take this out on you, just on them by keeping their money and paying you for the time you would have spent teaching them, since they hadn't the manners to call and cancel. </span>
                In loving memory of Laura Jahnke.
                A life lived by example, done too soon.
                www.caringbridge.org/page/laurajahnke/

                Comment

                • Original Poster
                  #108
                  It's almost not worth my time anymore. Makeup lessons are hard to sched because there are weekday lessons, so the horses are being used already, so Sunday is really my only choice, but IMHO, the school horses deserve that day off (they get Monday off, I believe)...heese shouldn't have to give up their off days to appease some inconsiderate kid/parents. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to try to do "doubles" for those who have the decency to phone in the cancellation.
                  www.savethehorses.org GA Horse Rescue
                  http://community.webshots.com/user/seahorsefarm

                  Comment

                  • #109
                    I'll chime in as a client/lesson mom.

                    My daughter and I both take lessons, and have been at the same barn for 4 years. Our barn charges by the month, and makeups are to be scheduled within the same month. I have no problems paying by the month, and this also guarantees our time slots. And some months you do get 5 lessons vs 4 lessons. We don't cancel unless something major comes up. We respect the trainer and her time. I have seen the parents and kids that show up when they feel like it, you can tell their priorities are elsewhere. And complaining because their kid isn't allowed to show/can't canter/is afraid to pop a x-rail. These people end up eventually dropping out of sight. Your clients need to make a commitment to you, and you need to set strong expectations out and maybe even "weed out" some of them.

                    Good luck with whatever happens!
                    Connemaras Rock!!!

                    http://community.webshots.com/user/lovemyrobin

                    Meet my new horse Piedmont Penelope http://community.webshots.com/album/287402098dfpwFc

                    Comment

                    • #110
                      Well in my barn I only give the begginers private lessons for 30 minutes on the flat I charge $40. For a jumping lesson private or group on my horse it is $45. Private 30 min group is 1 hr. My boarders or on a leased horse is $35 for a group.

                      Comment

                      • Original Poster
                        #111
                        Originally posted by lovemyrobin:
                        And complaining because their kid isn't allowed to show/can't canter/is afraid to pop a x-rail.
                        BINGO! "Little Suzie wants to canter"...well, little Suzie can barely trot and once a month lessons ain't gonna get it! Even had one Dad who wanted his 6 & 7 YO boys to "go faster" than a trot - told him they'd fall and get hurt - he said "that's OK - it'll toughen them up"...yeah, and then he'll try to sue the crap out of me & the BO! Ummmmm...isn't safety supposed to be #1? Luckily, they are the two i lost to soccer practice - also the ones who wanted makeups on Sundays - my only day off.
                        www.savethehorses.org GA Horse Rescue
                        http://community.webshots.com/user/seahorsefarm

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