Is there anything more frustrating than preparing for a class with dedication... and the student doesn't show up? Whether due to forgetfulness, confusion with the schedule or simply disorganization, absences affect both learning and planning and income, whether you are a private teacher or the head of an academy.
In training centers with several teachers, this problem is multiplied: empty classes, wasted schedules and lost time that could have been avoided with a little more foresight.
The good news is that today there are solutions that can help you. With a professional booking system like TuCalendi, you can automate key communications, keep an organized agenda and reinforce student engagement from the very beginning.
Here are 3 simple but very effective tricks to keep your students in class... so you or your team can work with greater peace of mind.
1. Confirm the booking with a clear and useful message
Once a student has booked a lesson, it's not enough to just show them a "booking confirmed" screen. It is essential to immediately send them a personalized confirmation message, by email or even SMS, with all the information they need so they don't forget or get confused.
Always include:
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Exact date and time (with time zone, if online).
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Teacher's name
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Type of class or subject
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Link to the meeting (if online)
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Contact information in case of questions
In TuCalendi this process is done automatically. You set up a single confirmation message and the system takes care of sending it instantly every time a booking is made. And if you have an academy, you can customize these messages by type of class, service or teacher.
If you want to learn more about how to write these messages so that they really work, don't miss this article: How to write effective and professional meeting confirmation emails.
Extra benefit: You also reduce the number of last-minute questions or confusion on the part of the learner. A well-informed learner is a punctual learner.
2. Send automatic reminders before each class
There is nothing worse than having everything ready... and the student doesn't show up. Many times it is not for lack of interest, but because he forgot, confused the schedule or thought it was another day. To avoid this, the most effective way is to send one or more automatic reminders.
With a professional booking system like TuCalendi you can easily set them up to be sent:
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24 hours before the class
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And another one, for example, 1 hour before as a final touch.
You can choose between email or SMS, depending on the plan and integrations you use.
And what to say in these messages? The ideal is to keep a close, friendly and helpful tone. If you need ideas, in this article we explain how to write friendly reminders for your meetings, which you can also adapt to your classes.
The result will be fewer no-shows, more punctuality and a much more professional image for your class or academy.
3. Ask for payment in advance (even if it is a down payment).
One of the most effective ways to reduce absences is to ask for payment in advance. It does not have to be 100% of the amount; a symbolic down payment already generates a real commitment and helps the student to value their attendance more.
When the student has already paid, even a part of the fee, it is much less likely that he/she will be absent without warning. With a system like TuCalendi, you can set up the online payment to confirm the reservation and define your own rules: full payment, partial payment or even differentiated prices depending on the type of class.
In this blog article we explain in detail how to charge for your private lessons in advance and why it is a smart strategy both to get organized and to increase your income.
And if a student has to cancel due to force majeure, you can always offer them a voucher for another class. That way you don't lose the money... and you don't lose the student.
Conclusion
Getting your students to honor their reservations doesn't have to be a constant struggle. With small adjustments and good practices like confirming in writing, sending effective reminders, and requesting early payment, you can significantly reduce absences.
But beyond the tricks, what makes the difference is having a professional booking system like TuCalendi that allows you to automate this entire process and devote your energy to what really matters: teaching.
If you want to see how you can apply these strategies in your specific case, book a personalized demo and we will show you how to do it step by step.