Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2005-12-21 08:43:09 - Graham Ellis
We have a no-cancellation policy. Once your course is booked, we promise that we'll run it even if you are the only person on a public course. Yes, that does mean that we'll occasionally run a loss-making course, and that we sometimes even have to turn profitable business away to run that course.
But let's say you've booked a Python course, a subject on which I'm the only tutor, and I'm taken ill. I've been training for 15 years, and I've had to postpone a course 3 times - that's once every five years - and I don't think it's a bad statistic. And in all three cases, the customers were utterly understanding and both customers and tutor co-operated in re-arranging the (rest of) the course at their mutual convenience.
Last week, I turned down an opportunity to run a two-day private course early in the new year for a major company who were asking that in the event of cancellation or postponement for any reason (including tutor sickness), we pay them the total cost of the course. And they also wanted to evaluate the course after they had taken it, using their own criteria which were not specified, and decide whether to pay us the full charge or to make reductions (of up to 100%) if the product came out below their par. I have never seen anything else remotely like it for a short course! Oh - and it took them a month to send me these terms and conditions and they were looking for signed copies back much much quicker than that!
Were I running 10 full weeks of training for this company through the year, then perhaps I would have looked at it more closely, and attempted to negotiate. For two days, one-off, frankly ridiculous.
The two days that were held are re-allocated to office work, admin and meetings, and I'm really happy about it. Great chance to start the year strong, composed, and providing great courses to all the other people who have booked all our dates up through January.