Your school's 'No Show' Policy

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cargopusher

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Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

For the second time in two weeks my CFI husband spent time waiting for people who wanted to come in for a plane ride then didn't show up - does your school have a policy in place - these are not students. Does anyone charge a no-show fee?? Thanks in advance-
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

well goin to embry riddle may be a little stict, its $100 for the first, $250 for the second no show, and kicked out of the flight course for the third no show
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

The typical no show policy I've seen at FBO's has been letting it slide the first time, and the second time charging for 1 hour of instructor time and 1 hour of airplane time.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

If it's an intro flight we just let it go...If you tried to charge them, they'd take their business to another FBO. Students usually get a freebie or two then they have to pay.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

Intros are let slide, students are charged for half the time they had scheduled.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

We let it slide several times too. If we start agressively charging them, we lose the business altogether.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

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For the second time in two weeks my CFI husband spent time waiting for people who wanted to come in for a plane ride then didn't show up - does your school have a policy in place - these are not students. Does anyone charge a no-show fee?? Thanks in advance-

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Not sure what the policy is on rides, but if a student fails to show, or cancels after his scheduled time, its up to the instructor whether they get charged a no-show. Hourly instructor rate for as many hours as they scheduled...instructor gets paid just as if the student spent that amount of time with them.

Personally, I'm ruthless...they ALL get no-shows (unless theres some kind of emergency). If they schedule me and don't show up, they're wasting time I could've spent with another student. No reason I shouldn't get paid for that. Last Saturday I billed 4 hours on no-shows fees alone. How hard is it to make a phone call?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Sorry, I know you were asking about rides, and I went off on a tangent about students. I guess rides he'd have to just let slide. There's not much you can to do charge someone who never shows up, unless you make them pay at the time of scheduling.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

Wow UND is lax compared to some of these other guys. Its just $35 for the student not to show up. At least the instructor gets an hour pay if he initiates the no show. I've no showed a few students, usually if they don't bother to call with a decent excuse. If they have a reason i try to save them cash in the end.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

I think all CFIs should be this way. Laywers don't cut their clients any slack. Doctor sure as hell don't so why is it when it comes to flying everyone expects to get off "free." I say charge 'em for the hours they were scheduled ... again this isn't about rides but ...

If you lose their business chances are they'd be the type to stiff you in some other way in the end.

I fully plan on charging ALL no shows on the first time (unless of course they call me ... then it's not as big of a deal unless they call me a 1/2-hour after their lesson was to start ...)
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

Thanks for the input - I will pass that along. He said they do give the students a break the first or second time, but the chronic ones get billed for it. Guess you do just have to put up w/ the ride no-shows (these were call-in's)-- you would like to be treated like a professional though!
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

[ QUOTE ]
I think all CFIs should be this way. Laywers don't cut their clients any slack. Doctor sure as hell don't so why is it when it comes to flying everyone expects to get off "free." I say charge 'em for the hours they were scheduled ... again this isn't about rides but ...


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I'm a lawyer and I sure as hell can't get by charging people my hourly rate for time that I am - not - working for them.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

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I'm a lawyer and I sure as hell can't get by charging people my hourly rate for time that I am - not - working for them.

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(pssttt....these guys are just mad....)

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've never had a doctor charge me for a missed appointment.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

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I've never had a doctor charge me for a missed appointment.


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No? I have.

Maybe I'm an ass, but I tell my students ahead of time that they have 15 min. after their scheduled show time to call and cancel, or they get charged (unless there's extenuating circumstances). If they show up more than 15 min. late without letting me know first, I tack on the appropriate amount of ground time. Its only fair. I have little tolerance for wasted time. I'm paid crappy enough as it is, I don't need to go losing money because of some punk ass who is too hung over from his first college party to call in and cancel his flight. Sorry...I refuse to let people walk all over me.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

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I've never had a doctor charge me for a missed appointment.


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No? I have. Sorry...I refuse to let people walk all over me.

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Hey...I feel you!!!

I've always told my flight instructors that they work for me, and I'm the boss. If I schedule from 3 to 5 o'clock, they're going to geet paid for that time. I see to it. If I decide to roll in there at 4:45, I'll pay them for 2 hours.

That being said, no flight instructor has ever "put me in my place" with regard to that stuff. Put me in place about flying, but not about my coming late. I'll pay your punk a$$...shut up.

I had one instructor named Victoria that tried to go high and to the right when I called her Vickie. "Don't ever let me here you call me that again...it's not my name". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I never called her again at all.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I digress....

I think it's a fine line. If you're over zealous with your no-show policy, you'll push customers away. If you're not zealous enough, you'll be taken advantage of.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

One unfortunate difference between flight instructors and other professionals, like the doctors and lawyers that have been names here, is the income. A flight instructors ability to pay for essentials, like food and rent, might come down to a few hours more of billable flight time per month, whereas, most other professional are either guaranteed so many hours a month, or if they are not guaranteed hours, make a lot more per hour, like a lawyer. It's not necessarily fair to charge no shows, but then again, it's hard to say it's fair when a professional who makes six figures stands up a CFI who's making 10 dollars an hour without the decency of a 10 second phone call.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

I always charged straight up the entire block time they had me scheduled. I think I was tough but fair on the policy. I never lost a student due to it
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

Most doctors offices I've been to charge at least a $25 no show fee. That's for the doctor to usually see me for what? 10 minutes if that? No different for instructors.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

I always charged a 1/2 to 1 hour of instruction if the person was a no call no show. If they called in enough time for me to rebook I let them slide. As far as intro flight the 1st no show was free...If they rebooked it was cash upfront.
 
Re: Your school\'s \'No Show\' Policy

One of our instructors bills for the time that a student is scheduled/is there - period.

This includes time for the pre-flight brief, the time when the student is pre-flighting the aircraft, the flight time, and all time after the flight up to and through the end of the post-flight briefing.

If a student is scheduled for 2 hours and he/she is there 2 hours, they pay for 2 hours of instructor time. If they are there for 1.5 (if the lesson is shorter than planned), they pay for 1.5.

ALL the other instructors there talk poorly about him behind his back, but none are man enough to say anything to him one on one (he's also the Chief Pilot).

Personally, I have a wife and soon-to-be child to support... a mortgage... insurance.... school loan payments.... utilities.... etc. I am seriously contemplating charging in the same manner.

I don't think it's unacceptable to be paid for the time in which you are scheduled to be with a student.

But, that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

R2F
 
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