There are many reasons why students might leave the studio or even quit dance. Sometimes it’s completely out of your control such as a student moving away, but it also often has to do with the experience students have during dance classes that determines if and how long they stay a part of your dance family. Many of these issues of simple solutions.
Tuition Cost
A major reason for losing dancers is caused by tuition costs. Dance classes and everything that comes with them can be expensive. Because of this, it’s hard to blame parents who want to shop around for cheaper tuitions. To encourage attendance of dancer’s whose parents might not be quite on board with price (without hurting your budget), approach the discussion as one about the experience rather than finances. What does your studio have to offer that cheaper alternatives don’t? You can also provide incentives that lessen the cost of renewed registration and dancers that register for class each year by a certain deadline.
Friends in Other Studios
Children often want to fun things with their friends, and because dance class is a fun extracurricular that takes up time after school, it is one of many activities they will want to group up for. The problem? Friends may switch studios to be in class together. The solution to this issue can be a bit tricky, but it ultimately comes down to convincing your dancer and their parents that your studio is the best option for both students. You can do this by ensuring they will be in a class together or even incentivizing the move with referral discounts.
Conflict with Parents
A major reason why dancers could potentially leave your studio has little to do with the dancers at all. Conflicts with parents can lead to decisions to switch studios because the parents are dissatisfied customers. Preventing loss from parent conflict ultimately comes down to carefully resolving and avoiding parent problems.
If You Can’t Prevent a Student Leaving…
Sometimes students leave the studio for reasons, like moving away, that are out of your control. When this is the case, it is important to leave a lasting impression on the student and their parents. This leaves the relationship off on a positive note that could encourage the student to return in the future if circumstances allow or to recommend your studio to their friends.
The most important thing to note when dealing with the potential loss of students at your studio is to ensure that every relationship ends on a positive note. Even if that specific student is no longer in your classes, it is better for former students and their parents to share opinions of how good you are than to relay stories about unhappy moments at your studio.