Group lesson schedule change notification

[jjane45]

I am curious how this works at different rinks. Suppose a prepaid weekly group class is cancelled on a particular day unexpectedly (e.g. sudden changes to ice time or coach availability), will the students get notified if the cancellation is known 5 days before the class? 2 days? 24 hours? 2 hours?

And how? (phone call? email? bulletin board post? by coach? by rink staff?)

[mamabear]

Funny you should ask this-our rink had some major scheduling snafu and I was called around 3:30 yesterday to tell me that all LTS lessons had been moved to a different time this morning.   When we arrived, we found out that the coaching staff found out around noon yesterday.  I'm guessing that they called their private lesson students and rescheduled since there is a freestyle session right before our usual lesson time and that's when many private lessons take place.   Turns out someone had scheduled the ice surface that is used for skating to be a non-ice surface for bounce houses, etc for a Christian conference today.  Kind of strange and not common. 

[SynchKat]

At my rink we would probably be notified by an email and a notice would be put up on the door.

[hopskipjump]

At my rink we would probably be notified by an email and a notice would be put up on the door.<---same here

[jjane45]

Is the email likely coming from the group coach or someone else like rink staff / skating director?

I am more curious about timing actually...

[hopskipjump]

It would be from the skating school director.

[SynchKat]

Email,would come from the skating coordinator. 

Timing would be whenever they find out.  For instance the rink is closed for some renos in March.  We had an email and a notice was posted a few weeks ago when the work was booked. 

For just a change in coach for the group lesson we are usually informed by the coach the week before or we find t when we show up for the session.  This week Thursdays coach was supposed to be around but had other commitments so we had a sub who we found out about Thursday morning. It was a great class she kept talking about the "magic" of skating.  Such a nice way to think but it but that is for a different thread. 

[hopskipjump]

We are not told who is teaching almost all of the classes until the first class starts - so no notification on coach changes!

[jjane45]

I am not expecting any notice on change in coach, although it's always nice when the coach lets us know that s/he has other commitments and someone else will sub.

My class tomorrow night (Sunday) got cancelled because of hockey. Paper notice went up on the bulletin board Friday noon, but NOTHING is done to notify me. Luckily a kind friend texted me about it - otherwise I totally would not know, but I worry about a fellow skater who comes to this rink only for the class   Wish I have his contact info. I texted the coach today and apparently he received email notification not long ago.

Really, how difficult is it for the rink to email your CUSTOMERS when ice is booked at least 2 days in advance? And this is NOT the first time when class cancels with no notice whatsoever, just the least forgivable. I'll scream if fellow skater drives long way to the rink tomorrow in icy road conditions only to find out the class is cancelled!

[SynchKat]

I think in this day and age a simple email would be expected.  And really how hard is it to make a distribution list of the people who usually take the class and then just send out an email to them all?  Ya I can see why you would be a it miffed.  Not good communication there at all.

[fsk8r]

This actually happened last week due to snow. The notice went up on the rink website saying lessons cancelled due to snow. A similar notice went up about early freestyle being cancelled. The coaches notified their lessons (or at least mine told me). The rink will either organise an extra lesson now or refund part of the fees and will notify people about what they're doing via the website. 

[rachelplotkin]

jjane, this is particularly unforgivable when the same park district as the rink you are talking about will notify me of a cancellation of other classes within their purview.  The notification is always by phone and usually done as soon as they have knowledge of the cancellation.

[PinkLaces]

Lessons have never been cancelled here.  Even in bad weather.  However, we will get an e-mail from the Asst Skating director with rink changes.  Usually any time/rink changes are on the contract.  She will send out a courtesy e-mail reminder a few days to a week before. 

I agree that in this day in age the rink should be sending out an e-mail message as soon as it knows to people who are registered for classes.

[FigureSpins]

Our rink cancelled classes last weekend due to a storm. 

Rink website and Facebook page was updated with a bulletin.
Skating director sent an email to the coaches.
Coaches relayed the message to their private students.

I don't know if the rink sent an email to the enrolled students because it was the second class in the session and lot of people register at the last minute.

At another rink, they used a special phone number to announce changes/closings due to weather because they didn't maintain their website in-house.

Our rink has group classes three days a week, so the students were told to come on another day for their makeup.

[jjane45]

Well, in case of extreme weather I think a note on the website / FB would be sufficient (except we have none of those ), because people are accustomed to call ahead. Although it's still very nice to send out a mass email to current students.

But cancelling a class the way no one would have guessed, then simply puts up a note on the bulletin board 2 days prior... Even if I was still at a much more active skating schedule, I would have missed it due to timing.