Existing client recommendation/referral

Lestratcaster

FreddieVanHalen said:

Lestratcaster said:

And just to make it more funny, I asked what guitar her daughter has, acoustic or electric, she replied "a normal one..."

Maybe she thought you asked what kind of daughter she had?

Haha I asked does it plug into an amp or not and she still didn't know.

Chalky

You are way way overthinking this. "Your friend gets the low rate for 4 years loyalty" is all you have to say, then move on to the lessons booking process. If she won't let it go, let her go somewhere else.

To get this worried about ONE customer is a schoolboy error in business.  You are going to lose lots of customers over the years so get used to the idea and deal with it accordingly.

57Deluxe

Lestratcaster said:

I do private guitar lessons as some of you may know. I had a call about an hour ago from a parent who got my number from one of my existing clients wanting lessons. We've booked a trial lesson for Saturday morning which is great.

However, as they said its a recommendation they've asked if I can give them some kind of discount rate (i.e, pay the same fee as the person who referred them). The existing customer has been with me for 4 years and my fees have gone up considerably so I can't justify doing it for that price now. They normally pay in blocks of 10.

How should I play this? Offer the first batch of 10 lessons for the same rate as the existing customer as an introductory gesture? I've also changed my charging system to monthly blocks of 4 instead of lesson-by-lesson, and my 10 lesson rate has also gone up.

I'm getting early signs the parent is highly irritating as well (wouldn't let me get a word in at times, had to stop her to say "can I speak, please?" and they're looking for a cheap bargain. Next year will be my 10th year in doing tuition and I firmly believe my value has gone up since as well as running costs.

Advice please gents?

ask for payment in Bitcoin...

Lestratcaster

*UPDATE*

So, said trial lesson commenced earlier today. They turn up late and both parents are present. They drive a big ass 4x4 and don't look short on money. I make the parents wait in the car as they think they can waltz in and out of the room as and when they please. I tell them they either sit in the room and stay there or stay in the car.
I do the trial lesson and it exposes a severe lack of knowledge on the student's part. But that's another matter. So we get to the crunch point about the fees... Parent says they want to pay in blocks of 10 but I say at the new rate. No argument from them, they surprisingly just accepted it. We will be starting the acoustic grades from next Saturday. They only ask if I'm DBS checked (which I am) though not many parents are bothered about it

So as Chalky said, I was overthinking it in fear of a bad rep.

I do think I'll need to increase rates from 2018 however, leading to more possible situations like this though, say if this parent tells her mates about me.

And I feel I owe a score to my existing client for passing on my details?

roundthebend

Good stuff.
When I was a driving instructor I had similar worries. When I decided to raise my prices I wrote a short letter explaining the price rise and date it would begin. I then handed to each student at least 2 weeks in advance and explained verbally what it was about.

Better to make many small increases rather than save it up for a big one when you really feel the crunch.

Lestratcaster

Yeah the difficult thing is I've restructured the way I charge so if anyone comes via a referral from an old client past last year they'll think they will be charged the same as them. I think I only have 2 students that still pay cash single lesson-by-lesson. Everyone else is in either blocks of 4, 5 or 10.

shrinkwrap

You don't owe any dosh to the other client really - just a nice thank you is plenty.
Does a plumber give a present to anyone who recommends him?!

Lestratcaster

shrinkwrap said:

You don't owe any dosh to the other client really - just a nice thank you is plenty.
Does a plumber give a present to anyone who recommends him?!

There's an argument a plumber gets more volume of work of bigger jobs regularly than a guitar tutor lol

blueskunk

Offer some cheaper introductory lessons , say 5, at the same time explain the price will go up to normal prices. 

Lestratcaster

As they said they'd book 10 I said I'd include the trial lesson as part of that before the next batch of 10 as normal. I do the same with my monthly lessons of 4.

Lestratcaster

*another update*

I receive a text really late last night informing me the child is not willing to take lessons, their first lesson of 10 was meant to be in an hour, I should have known they were going to be timewasters. Looks like a tiger mum as well seeing how “they want them to do the grades...” after all that malarkey they quit before they even begun! 

Lesson learnt for the future though, no special discounts of same rates for new clients as old ones.

Fretwired

Tell them they can have a discount after four years worth of lessons. Call it the valued customer discount.

p90fool

The child probably had a Christmas present which made them lose interest in learning the guitar. 

Lestratcaster

I asked why they didn’t want to do it, apparently they didn’t enjoy the trial lesson and I was “too straightforward....” whatever that means.

Either they didn’t want to be there or didn’t get on with me. I’ve not many complaints (if at all) so I think it’s one in a million.

FreddieVanHalen

Lestratcaster said:

and I was “too straightforward....” whatever that means.

I think it probably means you weren't prepared to lick the shit off their shoes for the "honour" of them paying you 50% of a fair rate :-)

Lestratcaster

Haha probably.

But the only constructive feedback I've got from a trial lesson was that I wasn't practical enough (didn't make them try to play something, instead just talked throughout..." which I've now rectified.

In fact (and I'm not blowing smoke up my arse) I've been praised by many for my simple and effective approach to getting results. Not everyone who takes lessons will understand the concepts as easily as I did. If I can get them to where they need to be via the quickest and easiest route why wouldn't I be straightforward?

They're probably still seething I didn't give them the "special rate" hence why the remarks...

Legionreturns

I know with most tutors there's a cancellation notice of 48 hours. A scant few allow 24 hours for existing customers. I'd be expecting to be paid for that one, or did they expect you to do the prep for the lessons they've booked for nothing?

Lestratcaster

Mine is 24 hours, they offered to pay a block of 10 as I don't charge by the hour its more in blocks. I gave them an agreement to sign last week but obviously they've cancelled and there's written agreement in place, its hard to get anything. There's nothing to stop them not paying either as I have nothing signed unfortunately.

Chalky

Lestratcaster said:

I asked why they didn’t want to do it, apparently they didn’t enjoy the trial lesson and I was “too straightforward....” whatever that means.

Either they didn’t want to be there or didn’t get on with me. I’ve not many complaints (if at all) so I think it’s one in a million.

Let it go now. Like I said earlier, schoolboy error to worry about losing customers, and you will lose more. Target your effort into keeping the nice ones who pay easily. You will end up with a steady and less stressful business.