Being in the operations sector means picking up calls and answering text messages from confused or frustrated parents.
Like it or not, it is our job to answer each question and resolve each issue that is presented to us.
Over time, we noticed some common questions that parents, including you, have for us.
Today we will answer these questions and hopefully clear the air on some issues you may face!
Why Do I Have To Pay X Amount If The Lesson Was Cancelled?
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The most common questions we receive are about payment. After all, money rules the world!
We have a unique payment system that ensures that every cent you pay is fair and equal to all parties.
For cancellations, we have a policy that requires you to give a 1-day notice before cancelling a lesson or assignment.
Failure to do so would require you to pay 50% of the fee for the lesson to us and 50% to the tutor.
If you cancel an assignment with 1 or more lessons conducted, you will have to pay for all lessons conducted.
If you cancel an assignment with 0 lessons conducted, don’t worry, there would be no charges!
What Kind Of Information Will You Share With Tutors?
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When our friendly coordinators contact you to finalise your tutor request, you may wonder what kind of information we will put on the public assignment listing.
For starters, sensitive information like your contact number, email address and unit number will not be available to tutors until you have selected a tutor.
Information such as whether the student has disabilities or the house contains a pet will be shown on the listing in order to properly inform the tutors.
Specific requests such as budget and preferred tutor race will only be listed in our internal comments due to their sensitive nature.
Can You Find A Tutor Who Is Patient and Experienced?
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Here at SmileTutor, we pride ourselves in providing the best tutors with the relevant qualifications to back it up.
Our tutors are verified through a meticulous process called Quality Score which grades them based on their track record and feedback from former clients.
If a client has had a bad experience with a tutor, it will be recorded in their profile’s internal comments and they will not be recommended for as many jobs.
During the recommending process, we will select a few qualified profiles that we deem best suited for your request and present them to you.
From there, you may read through their resumes and confirm a tutor that you like.
Should you decide that the tutor is unsuitable for your needs after 1 lesson, we will source for a new tutor for you, free of charge!
What Is The Difference Between The Tutor Categories?
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We offer 3 categories of tutors: Part Time, Full Time and Ex/Current Moe Tutors.
While all 3 categories are qualified, the MOE tutors have the most experience in teaching as they are NIE trained, thus they command the highest rates.
Our full-time tutors have a decent amount of experience too as they have been tutoring for a long time as a profession.
Our part-timers are typically undergrads or working adults who tutor as a side hustle, so they have the least experience out of the 3. However, they have the lowest rates.
You can be rest assured to know that we will find a suitably experienced tutor based on your budget and needs!
Do I Make Payment To The Tutor Or The Agency?
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Our payment policy is different for short- and long-term assignments.
For short-term assignments (<8 weeks), we generally collect 25% of the total tuition fees (or 25% of each lesson), and the tutor receives 75% of the total fees.
If let’s say you are having 5 lessons only, $80 per lesson, we will collect $100 in total.
This sum can be split into the full fees for the first lesson ($80) and $20 from the second lesson (tutor gets $60 from you). Thereafter, you may pay the tutor directly for the full fees.
For long-term assignments (>8 weeks), tutors will not be paid for the first 2 weeks of lessons as our commission for long-term assignments is 50% of the first month.
So if an assignment is 1x a week for $80 each lesson, we would collect $160 for the first 2 lessons. Thereafter, from lesson 3 onwards, you may pay the tutor directly for the full fees.
Do note that you shouldn’t transfer the agency’s commission to the tutor in order to prevent discrepancies.
Conclusion
I hope that this article answers any questions you have for us!
If you have any more questions, do drop us a call at +65 6266 4475 or WhatsApp us at +65 9450 4390.
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