cancelling a lesson ( Short notice) whats the policy?

I freelance and have learnt a very hard way to always take payments up front. With very few exceptions of very regular clients, I will never go back to payment-on-the day system. I only sell lessons in monthly packages (if something happens to rider or horse I always allow for re-booking for different day but never cancelling or money back) and for tester lessons I ask for bank transfer up front too.
This also applies to all clinics I do in the UK and abroad - although for those I do have 4 weeks cancellation policy.

To make sure riders know my terms I have simple booking forms for each different training/lessons I provide and by sending it back and transferring payment riders agree to those terms.

It wasn't easy for me to set it up because I have a very "everyone is good and trustworthy" tendencies but a year on I have a good feedback on this system. Riders seem to see it as more professional and respectful so I don't argue!
 
I work in a different profession but there are some similarities. I usually explain when it happens/on the first occurrence that this time I will not charge them but in future that I will have to charge for broken or failed appointments/short notice cancellations at the full rate otherwise my fees would have to go up across the board to accommodate the loss of earnings. I then add that I hope they understand that it is only fair to all my clients that this happens.

If an emergency or something dire happens, of course I don't but that it up to my discretion.
 
I'm my eyes is common decency to pay if you cancel with less than 48 hours and cannot find a replacement , instructors need to earn a living

How would these people feel if there boss rang them at last minute - oh we don't need you today don't come and btw we are not paying you.

I used to organise SJ lessons with a guy that travelled up

The amount of people that thought it ok to not show up on the day for whatever reason be it lost shoe, lame horse etc and not pay

The man had travelled up - he still needs paid.

I'd have to fork out my own pocket to pay him because they have no decency what so ever

Makes my blood boil.
 
Daytona said:
I'm my eyes is common decency to pay if you cancel with less than 48 hours and cannot find a replacement , instructors need to earn a living

How would these people feel if there boss rang them at last minute - oh we don't need you today don't come and btw we are not paying you.

I used to organise SJ lessons with a guy that travelled up

The amount of people that thought it ok to not show up on the day for whatever reason be it lost shoe, lame horse etc and not pay

The man had travelled up - he still needs paid.

I'd have to fork out my own pocket to pay him because they have no decency what so ever

Makes my blood boil.
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I feel your pain.
As I said to one person "who do you expect to pay for your cancelled lesson , me ?
Err yes apparently .
 
I do a lot of teaching. In these months I expect people to cancel and actually give them the option to rearrange if it's raining. If they don't want to ride what's the point of a lesson? Also if the weathers really really poor or something happens my end at least with being flexible I can also rearrange. This seems to work

Having said that I do have a few big yards that will book me got a days work. This is all arranged for me and if the slot can't be refilled the person dropping out has to pay. Normally we are able to shuffle things about so if works.

If you have regulars that cancel either put them in a day it does not matter if you teach them or not or do not teach them any more :-)

Hope your all staying dry and warm in the superb out door conditions at thd moment!!
 
I've had the opposite and had two instructors that have cancelled frequently at the last minute. Coincidentally they have both been jump instructors and often I've already heaved a course of wings and poles out before they text and say they aren't coming. Usually I have arranged my precious time off around the lesson time and booked the school for use so it is equally frustrating in reverse!
 
ann-jen said:
I've had the opposite and had two instructors that have cancelled frequently at the last minute. Coincidentally they have both been jump instructors and often I've already heaved a course of wings and poles out before they text and say they aren't coming. Usually I have arranged my precious time off around the lesson time and booked the school for use so it is equally frustrating in reverse!
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Eek. I would be explaining the above to the cancelling instructors. And hopefully they will give more notice or show up!
 
Following the train of thought what about bad weather cancellation.

I wouldn’t cancel due to rain / wind. But I sometimes don’t mind if instructor suggests cancelling due to bad weather. Some do, some don’t. Sometimes I need to ride / have lesson before a competition etc. Other times weather is horrid and am not bothered. Some of my instructors want to carry on in any weather, others find teaching in torrential, freezing rain makes them cold and sore, and prefer to cancel sometimes.

Our school does sometimes freeze (as do most if rains, then temperature drops overnight in my area). So if frozen arena is a possibility, we discuss a few days beforehand cancelling / rescheduling to later in day when arena may have defrosted. If instructor wanted to cancel in case frozen school, a few days before, that would be fine.

On the day I get to yard early to check arena, and we make a decision. Instructors I have used over the years, have not charged me if the school is unusable, and I warn them before they set off. They tend to be cancelling lots of lessons at this point, as seems to be a local endemic of frozen schools :-(

Most freelance instructors, that are mobile and teaching in outdoor arenas earn less over the winter. Due to frozen arenas / snow / ice / torrential rain.
 
I dont mind teaching in the rain or wind, its an outdoor sport! Similarly I am happy to have a lesson myself in it as the weather may be bad when I compete. I have a arena that doesn't flood or freeze so the rain isn't really an excuse.
TBH, its not so much the loss of income, or though of course that is a factor, its that I plan my whole day, other lessons, schooling and other non horsey jobs around when the lessons are booked on, this week I have had three cancel less than four hours when the lesson is booked on for.
 
If the lesson is with my yard owner, she's normally fine with less than 24 hours notice, as she'd be ware if there was an issue with the horse, and she'd be teaching at the yard so wouldn't be too much of a problem to fill the slot or occupy herself with something else.

If the lesson is with my external trainer, I'm on the hook for the full lesson cost if i cancel within 24 hours, and fair enough as he travels 2+ hours to teach us.
With regards to weather, the last lesson I had with him was torrential sideways rain and howling wind - I couldn't hear the majority of what he said due to the noise of the weather, and the wind was blowing poles down before I jumped then, but there's not a chance in hell he'd have let me cancel because of getting a bit damp :p But to be fair I got to go and change into dry clothes and rug the horse up afterwards and he still had a further three lessons to teach.
 
charlie76 said:
TBH, its not so much the loss of income, or though of course that is a factor, its that I plan my whole day, other lessons, schooling and other non horsey jobs around when the lessons are booked on, this week I have had three cancel less than four hours when the lesson is booked on for.
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Have you told them that? I know it sounds odd but I think sometimes riders/owners who do it as a hobby forget that for instructors and other professionals, this is their job. While the horse industry is different than other industries (even the people I've worked with who do very well at it and operate at a very high end would acknowledge that fact) it is still an industry. Be careful that you are not being so accommodating and "nice" about it that people lose track of the actual consequences of their actions - as the saying goes, people only know what you tell them.
 
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