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Every student has different needs and every parent uses the services of a tutoring company for different reasons. However, there are some constants that parents expect as standard from a tutoring business. This post explores what parents want from private tutoring and how companies can meet those expectations.
Regular Contact
Understandably, parents want to maintain regular contact with their child's tutoring company. Parents like to receive regular updates and progress reports on how their child is progressing. As a tutoring business, you should consider implementing a schedule, where each tutor provides an update to parents at the end or beginning of every month. Having this practice as part of your business's routine will ensure that all parents are kept up to date with how lessons are going and it gives them the opportunity to ask any questions about their child's progress.
Well-Trained Tutors
Parents who use tutoring companies expect the tutors to be suitably qualified, have an up-to-date DBS certificate and to have undergone some form of training. Although most tutors who work for agencies will already have relevant tutoring experience, as a tutoring business, it's important that you continue to invest in your tutors after their initial recruitment. Every tutor can improve some aspect of their teaching and by providing regular training opportunities, you'll ensure that your tutors stay ahead of the game and offer the best possible service to students.
Good Customer Service
This should come as standard but one thing that all parents expect from a tutoring company is good customer service. This means having staff on hand in your office, who can speak with parents and provide useful information. Businesses should also have someone to cover reception duties and handle phone calls and emails. People also expect businesses to be active on social media and to reply to enquiries through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. As a tutoring company, you should try to adopt a holistic approach to customer service and encourage your tutors to adopt the same procedures as your other staff. It's important that your business has a documented customer service policy that can be shared throughout your organisation to maintain a high standard of service.
To see Students Improve
Perhaps the most important point on the list is progress. All parents want to see their child's grades improving as a result of private tutoring. It's important that your company has a thorough process in place to measure students' progress and to feedback accurate information to parents. You should also ensure that your tutors are using the most effective teaching methods and are adapting their approach to suit each student's learning style. A good tutor will be able to identify a student's strengths and weaknesses quickly, and create an effective study programme that will help them achieve their goals.
In your experience, what do parents want the most from tutoring companies? Which of the points above do you see as being the most important? We welcome your thoughts below.
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