“I could not come on Tuesday. Can I make up the class on Thursday?”
You want to help. But Thursday is full, the client has a regular Tuesday place, and your colleague does not know whether an extra class has already been promised. A simple request becomes an administrative puzzle.
Explain in advance when a client can make up a class, by what deadline, and how the new place is confirmed. Apply the same checks to each request and record the outcome in one place. That leaves room to be helpful without inventing a new arrangement every time.
Here is how to put that into practice in your yoga, Pilates or reformer studio.
1. Start with what the client booked
Different missed classes may need different responses. First check how the offer is structured.
| The client has… | What to check first |
|---|---|
| A regular weekly place | What was agreed about moving a session? |
| A class pack used for self-booking | Has the original booking been cancelled and the credit handled correctly? |
| A membership with a number of classes per period | Is there allowance left in the period, or is a separate make-up arrangement being agreed? |
| A single class | Which rescheduling arrangement applies to this booking? |
These are administration checks, not general statements about legal entitlements. Start with your offer and the arrangements attached to it.
Suppose a client cancels and the credit is already returned to the class pack. If a colleague also adds an extra make-up session, the client receives two solutions for one missed class. Check what has already happened before adding anything.
2. Make your make-up arrangement specific
“Make-up classes by agreement” sounds friendly but leaves questions open. Must the client attend that week? Can a mat class become a reformer booking? Who confirms the space?
Define five points for your studio:
- When is a make-up class possible? Identify the situations covered by your arrangement.
- Until when? Use a clear end date or a period with a defined starting point.
- Which classes? Explain the eligible formats and levels.
- Subject to what availability? Explain how the client finds a genuinely available place.
- When is the booking final? State which confirmation the client receives.
Four weeks might be a convenient illustration, but it is not a universal standard. Choose an arrangement that fits your offer, existing agreements and actual timetable. Have terms that you intend to impose on clients checked professionally where necessary.
3. Promise only what you can deliver
A make-up option has little value if a suitable place is almost never available within the agreed period.
Imagine a reformer studio with eight machines. If all eight Thursday places are booked, you cannot add a ninth participant. A Friday morning class may be an alternative, but only if the client can attend and the level is appropriate.
Look beyond the total number of classes. Check available places at times your clients can use, as well as supervision and class level. An opening in an advanced class is not automatically suitable for a beginner.
If clients repeatedly cannot use their make-up allowance, review the offer or the arrangement. Adding more credits does not solve a structural shortage of suitable places.
4. Record one outcome
A teacher agrees to a make-up class after a session. The client later sends a message and another colleague creates a booking. Without a shared record, the intended arrangement is unclear.
For each request, record at least:
- The original class involved.
- Whether the booking was cancelled and what happened to its credit.
- The agreed make-up option and its deadline.
- Whether a new class has already been confirmed.
- Who agreed to any exception.
A brief note is enough. For a personal exception, record the agreement; an extensive account of the client’s private circumstances is usually unnecessary.
Decision table: can this client make up the class?
Use these questions at reception or when replying to a message.
| Check | Next step |
|---|---|
| Did the studio cancel? | Follow the separate arrangement for studio cancellations and explain the solution. |
| Did the client miss or cancel the session? | Check the arrangement for this booking. |
| Has a credit already been returned or an alternative promised? | Use the existing solution and avoid a duplicate allowance. |
| Is a make-up class possible under the applicable arrangement? | Find a suitable class within the agreed period. |
| Is an appropriate place available? | Confirm the booking and record the use of the make-up option. |
| Is there no suitable place, or is the situation unclear? | Discuss the request before making promises and record the chosen solution. |
5. Give the client a usable answer
Clients need a clear next step. “You still have a credit” is less useful than a confirmed class or precise booking instructions.
Adapt these messages to your studio’s agreements and availability. Fill in the bracketed details.
A suitable place is available
Hi [name], you can make up your missed class from [date] in [class] on [date and time]. I have confirmed your place and recorded the make-up session. Your regular class remains booked. See you then!
Send this only after confirming the booking. Remove the sentence about the regular class when it does not apply.
The requested class is full
Hi [name], the class on [date and time] is full. There is currently space in [alternative]. Let us know if that works; we will then confirm your booking. Your place is not reserved yet.
An offered space may be booked by someone else meanwhile. If you temporarily hold spaces, state precisely when the offer expires.
The arrangement needs checking
Hi [name], I will check what happened to your booking on [date] and which make-up option applies. You will receive an answer by [time]. That will help avoid a duplicate booking or using a credit unnecessarily.
Frequently asked questions about make-up classes
Is a make-up class the same as a returned credit?
Not necessarily. A returned credit may become available within the original pack. A separate make-up session may be linked to a particular missed booking and expiry date. Ensure the client and team know which applies so the same absence is not compensated twice.
Can a client make up a class in a different format?
Check the offer, agreements and participant’s level. Do not silently replace a missed mat class with a reformer booking. First discuss suitable, available alternatives.
What if someone repeatedly requests make-up classes?
Discuss whether their usual time still works. Another day or a more flexible booking format may be more practical. Agree a workable solution and check which arrangements it requires.
What if the studio cancels the class?
Treat this separately. Check the arrangements for studio cancellations, explain the solution and confirm it to the affected clients. Do not automatically apply the client-absence policy.
Start with your last five requests
You do not need to change your entire offer immediately. Review five recent requests. Could you quickly find the agreement? Was a suitable place available? Did the client receive a clear confirmation?
Improve the step that caused the most uncertainty. This makes your make-up process easier for the team and clearer for clients, one step at a time.
Want to review bookings and member administration together? Explore the options for yoga studios and Pilates studios.
