The mechanism of 'monthly tuition' for piano lessons, and the real reason why we charge a 'paid makeup fee (about 1/3 of the cost per lesson)' even with advance notice.
Hello. Thank you for visiting our lesson page.
Today, I would like to delve into a topic that occasionally comes up regarding private studios (especially home-based lessons): the mechanism of 'monthly tuition and makeup lessons,' and the common misunderstanding that 'if I notify you in advance, I should be able to get a free makeup lesson.'
1. Monthly tuition is the same system as 'university tuition'
A common misunderstanding is that monthly tuition is a 'ticket price for each lesson taken (pay-as-you-go)'.
However, the monthly tuition for these lessons is a system of 'annual installments (split payments)' where you secure a certain number of lesson slots per year in advance.
Think of it exactly the same as university tuition or school fees.
When you miss a university lecture for personal reasons, your tuition is not refunded, nor does the professor provide a free individual make-up session on another day. This is because you are paying for the 'right to be enrolled and attend classes during that period (seat fee).'
2. The misunderstanding that 'it's okay if you tell us in advance'
Even if people understand that same-day cancellations are not allowed, some think, 'If I tell you days in advance, the teacher is free to do what they want during that time, so why can't I have a free makeup lesson on another day?'
However, this is also a major misunderstanding.
・Even if you tell us early, that slot remains 'vacant'
No matter how early you say 'I will be absent on this day,' it is impossible for a private lesson studio to sell that one vacant slot to another new student to fill the gap. In other words, the lesson instructor definitely incurs an 'opportunity cost (loss).'
・Whether it's in advance or on the day, the structure of asking for 'unpaid work' is the same
Even if advance notice means the instructor doesn't have to keep the lesson room open at that time, asking them to 'do it again for free on another day' is the same as telling the instructor to 'give up an additional part of your life (private time or research time) beyond the original contract, for free, without compensation.'
Advance notice is merely 'manners' and is not a right to obtain additional labor from the instructor for free.
It is the same as a cancellation fee being charged according to the terms even if you cancel a hotel or Shinkansen reserved seat one week in advance.
3. That is why makeup lessons for our studio are paid (about 1/3 of the cost per lesson)
If we were to accept the personal indulgence of 'the teacher has free time, so please accommodate me for free,' the fairness of our terms would not be maintained, and the operation of the lessons would become unsustainable.
That said, I also want to be considerate of students who feel, 'I couldn't go because I was unwell, but I really want to take this month's lesson.'
Therefore, at our studio, we accept makeup lessons due to student circumstances after charging a separate fee of [approximately 1/3 of the cost per lesson].
Coordinating schedules on a different day and securing a new lesson slot means the instructor is giving up additional working hours. Paying a fair price (administrative/labor fee) for that is what I consider a healthy and equal rule between a professional and a student (or parent).
Because it is a home-based, friendly studio, we draw a line rather than letting things become lax.
As a result, this leads to providing the highest quality instruction fairly to everyone, from children to adult students.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the students and parents who always correctly understand these terms and attend with a pleasant sense of respect.