Uh, No, I'm not giving away my labor for free

[Dmmetler]

I teach for a relatively low cost community music program. I do my best to keep it affordable, including using mostly studio licensed materials, and give “scholarships” to families who need them, and honestly, I’d probably make almost as much per hour at McDonalds once I pay for my expenses and taxes/social security if I include my prep time. Usually my studio is full or close to it, but over the summer, I allow people to pick four lessons vs doing a weekly time to accommodate camps, VBS, and vacations, so I have more openings. I don’t make much (the materials for a new student eat about half of what they pay), but it spreads out my new student purchases, and usually lets me fill any openings in my schedule. 

I am really getting frustrated with parents who want a trial lesson-for free. I never get such requests in Fall/Spring, but during summer, I’m getting quite a few, and I really wonder how many of them are just looking for free things for their kids to do this summer, with no intention of signing up with anyone. If I were teaching group classes where I could put 1-2 extra kids in without issue it might be one thing, but this is for private lessons. 

[footballmom]

A wise person once told me people don’t value what they don’t pay for.  What about charging a reduced “trial class” and price it so it’s worth it to you to connect with potential new students but no hard feelings if they don’t sign up for a class.  I wouldn’t have a music class be top of mind for free things to fill my kids’ time without true interest but the world is filled with all types! Lol 

[Arcadia]

Here a free trial lesson is common but it is a very short lesson, more like 15 to 20mins, just to see if teacher and student can get along. If the teacher drives over for the trial lesson, a token amount for gasoline is paid. 

[Faith-manor]

I hear you! I closed my studio in 2012 because the number of people who wanted scholarships (most of whom really had no financial reason to ask for them), and the others who flat up thought that I shouldn't charge very much despite a B.A. in piano performance, out weighed the number of parents willing to cheerfully pay. When I first began offering scholarships, the students practiced, and parents were grateful. But over time, this changed and the new scholarship students never practiced, parents were unreliable and acted entitled, and all of my older, advanced students were graduating and one by one going off to college/trade school. The thought of having 32 students most of whom had parents who were not serious and wanted something for free was so discouraging that I stopped renewing scholarships, and having frank discussions with parents about practice and reliability announcing a retirement in two years, and saying that only those students who were making and effort and parents who were paying on time would be given referrals to other teachers. I was able to close it with a clear conscience, and move on. I worked in a quilt store as a master quilter for a while, and became so busy homeschooling my own high schoolers plus the pressures of our STEM 4H club and rocket team, that if worked out okay. I was busy. I recently put feelers out to see if maybe I wanted to hang the shingle again, however, not only is it not a good time economically to break back into it, parents wanted lessons for $5.00 each. I am definitely not in a good area for this.

I am sorry, Dmmelter! I wish I had some good advice. I really don't. Sigh.

Hugs

[kirstenhill]

The large studio where my kids take guitar and drum lessons (I think they have 15+ instructors and at least a couple hundred students) advertises that they offer a free trial lesson to new students.  Given the way the studio is set up, I am assuming the instructor probably still gets paid, and the studio eats the cost of those trial lessons.   We pay the studio monthly for lessons, not the individual instructor.   I'm sure it is good for business for them but I can't imagine asking an individual self-employed instructor to do the same thing!

Edited May 17, 2022 by kirstenhill

[itsheresomewhere]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

Here a free trial lesson is common but it is a very short lesson, more like 15 to 20mins, just to see if teacher and student can get along. If the teacher drives over for the trial lesson, a token amount for gasoline is paid. 

Same here ( individual and studios).  It is a great way to see if the teacher and student will get along ( or for me to see this person doesn’t have the patience needed or understanding of hearing disorders).   Plus, summer is a time around here when parents have kids try new things to see what they want to add activity wise to the fall schedule. 

Edited May 17, 2022 by itsheresomewhere

[bookbard]

A free trial lesson for classes is pretty common here too. I don't know about individual lessons though. I wouldn't take it as people not valuing your work, more as something that's fairly common - do we know what we're signing up for?

[KungFuPanda]

Oh good grief!  I’ve never done free trials for dance classes. If people want to pay for a single drop-in class, instead of a whole session, they can do that. It costs more per class that way, but you can try without a 6-8 week commitment. It’s not in my best interest to accommodate the people who don’t want to pay. They’re always going to be a problem. 

[itsheresomewhere]

3 minutes ago, bookbard said:

A free trial lesson for classes is pretty common here too. I don't know about individual lessons though. I wouldn't take it as people not valuing your work, more as something that's fairly common - do we know what we're signing up for?

Exactly.  Who knows if you are signing up for someone who is great at teaching or the one who while very talented can’t teach beginners ( actually happened to us).  

[teachermom2834]

No experience with music but with dance a free trial group class is pretty standard but I cannot imagine even dreaming of a free private lesson. Maybe a 5 minute evaluation? 
 

My dd went around trying different dance studios last summer and while I was a little surprised that one place did charge me a drop in fee for a trial class I was happy to pay it. I felt like it was a show of good faith on both our parts (I could expect a full lesson) and we were really trying to make an informed decision and I liked being charged because I felt like we could then broach taking even more trial lessons to really make a decision. Because we weren’t putting anyone out and it was a fair business transaction. 
 

I’d hate to completely write these folks off because maybe they just really have come to assume there would be a free trial lesson and they aren’t going to be awful clients. But you don’t need to do it. If you inform them of whatever your rate is for an intro or trial class they can balk or not. They might not be total jerks, just clueless. Once in a while that is the case and people will fall in when corrected. But lots of people are just difficult to deal with, too, no doubt.

[catz]

We never requested a free trial lesson in all the years we've been doing lessons.  The only time we ever got one was when my kid had sample lessons at colleges (and then we still offered and did pay for some).   I consider it nice when a teacher just lets you PAY for a trial lesson instead of requiring you to buy of block or a semester of lessons. 

Do you have a web page?  I might package up an "introductory consultation, 45 minutes for X dollars" or something on a page with a description so you just have somewhere to point these people when they make these silly requests.  

[lewelma]

I don't give trial lessons, but I encourage a parent to come to the first lesson so they know what they are paying for.  I figure if I don't get along with the kid, or the parent doesn't like my style, then I wouldn't charge, but this has never happened. I don't give scholarships, and I charge a base rate for my non-contact time - 3 hours per 10 week term whether your kid comes for 1 or 2 hours per week. It takes time to get everything organized, and I find that people prefer a lower hourly rate even if the overall cost is the same because there are more hours. 

[catz]

3 minutes ago, lewelma said:

I don't give trial lessons, but I encourage a parent to come to the first lesson so they know what they are paying for.  I figure if I don't get along with the kid, or the parent doesn't like my style, then I wouldn't charge, but this has never happened. I don't give scholarships, and I charge a base rate for my non-contact time - 3 hours per 10 week term whether your kid comes for 1 or 2 hours per week. It takes time to get everything organized, and I find that people prefer a lower hourly rate even if the overall cost is the same because there are more hours. 

Oh I think requiing a parent there is good!  I always sat in on initial lessons for sure and I think most of our teachers required it.  I think it's good to set expecations about required materials, practice, events, how things typically go, etc

[Dmmetler]

46 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Same here ( individual and studios).  It is a great way to see if the teacher and student will get along ( or for me to see this person doesn’t have the patience needed or understanding of hearing disorders).   Plus, summer is a time around here when parents make have kids try new things to see what they want to add activity wise to the fall schedule. 

And that is why I offer a 4 lesson option in the summer, when I DO have spots in my schedule. That's enough time to see if it's something worth continuing and for kids to actually start developing skills. And if someone signed up and it was just plain a bad fit, I'd have no trouble requesting that they get a refund. So far, that has never happened. I also encourage parents to sit in lessons. Honestly, I'm going into fall with a pretty close to full schedule after school/evening now. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wishes]

I tutor and have an Occasional request for a free trial lesson. I simply say no. Whether a free trial lesson is common in some areas is irrelevant to me. My time is worthwhile. They can certainly have a trial lesson, but they need to pay for it.

[Clarita]

My kids' music teacher does one paid trial class for her group classes. I think that makes sense like you don't have to commit to the whole session (8 weeks), but it's not free because she has to prep material etc. Pre-pandemic she would do an occasional class at local libraries in between sessions and those would be free, but she's also reaching 100 potential students at a time.

I think looking at piano lessons for my kids. They may do a free chat with me to tell me the methods they use. No free first lesson or anything. 

[fraidycat]

Your time and expertise is valuable. Great job saying No! Maybe you can start a challenge or game to make it fun for you. Everytime someone asks for a free lesson, you get your dragon a new wig, oufit, or accessory or something like that. You can shop around and fill up your wishlist, then only allow yourself to buy an item when freeloaders come calling. 😁

Edited May 17, 2022 by fraidycat

[kiwik]

10 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Here a free trial lesson is common but it is a very short lesson, more like 15 to 20mins, just to see if teacher and student can get along. If the teacher drives over for the trial lesson, a token amount for gasoline is paid. 

We did a trial lesson a few months ago.  We paid the normal rate for a standard 30 minute lesson.

[kiwik]

8 hours ago, catz said:

We never requested a free trial lesson in all the years we've been doing lessons.  The only time we ever got one was when my kid had sample lessons at colleges (and then we still offered and did pay for some).   I consider it nice when a teacher just lets you PAY for a trial lesson instead of requiring you to buy of block or a semester of lessons. 

Do you have a web page?  I might package up an "introductory consultation, 45 minutes for X dollars" or something on a page with a description so you just have somewhere to point these people when they make these silly requests.  

I would be worried if I couldn't have a trial lesson but for musin or tutoring I would expect to pay.  For dance or martial arts it is common to get the first lesson free though for activities with term fees it is really only free if you do your trial the previous term.

[Wheres Toto]

For group activities, it's not uncommon for free trial classes to be available.  I've never heard of a FREE trial class for a private lesson.     I think offering a short session with less commitment and more flexibility is more than enough.  

I teach group science classes to homeschoolers.  We get an occasional request for a trial class and will allow it IF we have space available after a session starts.  We run 8 week sessions so it's not a huge commitment and people are usually willing to just go with that in order to get a place in class.   We have to be fairly strict about our class sizes due to space issues so we won't keep a spot empty or overfill a class even for one week, in order to do a trial.  

[HS Mom in NC]

12 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

I am really getting frustrated with parents who want a trial lesson-for free. I never get such requests in Fall/Spring, but during summer, I’m getting quite a few, and I really wonder how many of them are just looking for free things for their kids to do this summer, with no intention of signing up with anyone. If I were teaching group classes where I could put 1-2 extra kids in without issue it might be one thing, but this is for private lessons. 

A free trail lesson is very common, but I don't think you're under any obligation to provide it if you don't want to. My youngest's Tae Kwon Do school offered a free private trail lesson and loan of a uniform.

[lmrich]

I offer a paid trial tutoring session. I work with the kid and give the parent my opinion, and I decide if I want to take them on. (so not the same thing exactly) But offer a trial lesson for the same price as a regular lesson. But don't give it away. 

[wintermom]

I've never heard of a free trial lesson in anything other than a group class, where they sit and observe rather than actually taking part in the class. This is for music, sport, martial arts, for adults and children. 

OP, it sounds like you have a great studio and a great alternative. Just stick with your current system. Your intuition about the motivation is probably spot on, and it's not worth your time or effort. 

If the number of requests for a free trial is substantial and you want to consider it, perhaps offer one group session for all the summer students. If these new people are really serious, then they can move their schedules around to attend at your convenience.

[Murphy101]

9 hours ago, Wishes said:

I tutor and have an Occasional request for a free trial lesson. I simply say no. Whether a free trial lesson is common in some areas is irrelevant to me. My time is worthwhile. They can certainly have a trial lesson, but they need to pay for it.

And that may be the issue here. Most things here have you sign up for a set period usually roughly 3 or 6 months of lessons.  Parents don’t want to commit to that without some kind of group introduction to the program for their kid.     So most places offer at least a free “open night” group lesson intro. Especially at elementary ages.   Summer is also when most places are doing free or cheaper sessions to get kids interested for fall full enrollments. 

[cbollin]

13 hours ago, Arcadia said:

Here a free trial lesson is common but it is a very short lesson, more like 15 to 20mins, just to see if teacher and student can get along.

My dd's piano teacher does something similar.  A get to know you session and see if it will work out and not full 30 minute lesson either.  I think she tried a one class trial option at low cost with adult students.   That way it was not "free" but not "full month or full year price" either.

Generally speaking though, don't give away service for free.  very true on that.

[Guest]

I have never, ever expected a free trial lesson from independent teachers. My kids had many music instructors over the years and it would never have even entered my mind that we should get a lesson for free. 
 

Extremely OT Tangent: when I was vacationing in France, I went with a small, independent tour guide to the Normandy coast D-Day beaches. Unsurprisingly, the weather was terrible: windy, driving, chilly rain. (I actually thought it added to the reality of what happened there, but I digress.) I was chatting with the tour guide, who had grown up there, and I made a joke about couldn’t she have ordered nicer weather. She said to me, “Actually, you’d be surprised to hear just how often people think they can cancel for bad weather and can just pop in another day for free.” In Normandy? It’s not Disney, people! 

[Dmmetler]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

I have never, ever expected a free trial lesson from independent teachers. My kids had many music instructors over the years and it would never have even entered my mind that we should get a lesson for free. 
 

Extremely OT Tangent: when I was vacationing in France, I went with a small, independent tour guide to the Normandy coast D-Day beaches. Unsurprisingly, the weather was terrible: windy, driving, chilly rain. (I actually thought it added to the reality of what happened there, but I digress.) I was chatting with the tour guide, who had grown up there, and I made a joke about couldn’t she have ordered nicer weather. She said to me, “Actually, you’d be surprised to hear just how often people think they can cancel for bad weather and can just pop in another day for free.” In Normandy? It’s not Disney, people! 

Disney doesn't do that, either! I was honestly shocked when we ended up hiding out in a gift shop during a major storm at Hershey park when one of the employees told us to "make sure you stop by guest services-they'll give you a pass to come back tomorrow"-because I was so used to Florida policies. (Maybe other parks do?)

 

 

[Garga]

2 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

Disney doesn't do that, either! I was honestly shocked when we ended up hiding out in a gift shop during a major storm at Hershey park when one of the employees told us to "make sure you stop by guest services-they'll give you a pass to come back tomorrow"-because I was so used to Florida policies. (Maybe other parks do?)

 

 

I’ve been in Hershey Park during a raging storm as well!  #solidarity 😀

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Garga said:

I’ve been in Hershey Park during a raging storm as well!  #solidarity 😀

Me too but I didn’t come back, lol! I think that was literally the most completely drenched we’ve ever collectively been in my life - trying to leave the park in a monsoon…