How to deal with problems connecting

If you've taught online before, you'll know that there can be issues due to mistakes, software and the internet. Here are some useful tips for dealing with these situations and minimising disruption.

If the connection is slightly poor during a lesson, consider asking the student if they're OK with stopping the video and just using audio. Also, try moving closer to the internet router in your respective properties.

Whilst these things can help, you may need to try switching to another calling tool. Create a backup account with a software tool that enables you to send a link to your student so they can join without having to waste time downloading anything. Google Meet and Whereby.com are good options for this.

If your student is late to a trial, we recommend staying close to your computer for at least 10 minutes in case they turn up or manage to connect. Go to Lessons > past and click Mark no show if they don't turn up. This is important as it'll ensure your trial success rate isn't affected. Unfortunately, no shows for trials do occur around 10% of the time on average with free trial sessions.

For paid lessons, you should wait 15 mins by your laptop in case they show up a bit late. And you should email them after 5-10 minutes, providing your call details in case they're having tech issues. Lessons marked as no shows are paid as normal, but you might be required to show proof that you contacted the student if they complain that they could not connect with you. If a student does not show up for 2 lessons in a row, you should contact us so we can help resolve the situation and ensure you're able to get paid for any further lessons.

If the student's internet is not working and they ask for the lesson to be rescheduled, you might want to consider allowing this request (if it's the first time). The student will appreciate this and it may help maintain a good relationship. As it would be after the lesson has started, instead of cancelling the lesson you would need to click Mark Not Completed in order to allow the student to re-book.

If it’s possible that your internet is causing the problems, mark the session as not completed so the student can rebook. It is better to do this than to assume that it is the student’s fault as this may damage your relationship with the student. If your internet is not working properly, you might want to emphasise to the student that your internet is usually fine, so they give you another chance.

Hope this helps!