FAQ: Potential Mismatches In 1:2 Lessons

As previously mentioned in our FAQ blog SWIMWAY BOOKING PROCEDURES, we do not offer online bookings for our lessons.  We do have plans to introduce this service for 1:1 lessons in the future. However, our 1:2 lessons are a more complex situation. This requires a lot of guidance from our friendly office team before proceeding with any booking.  Our investigations into potential online booking systems for 1:2 lessons have always led to a higher potential of mismatched lessons. This is something we work extremely hard to avoid.

Online Information

We give as much information as possible online, including the FIND YOUR STAGE questionnaire, to source a suitable 1:2 lesson. You can also read more about this in our previous FAQ blog HOW DO THE AVAILABILITY PAGES WORK. Once you have that information you need to request the booking.  We will take the details you provide and double check that the pairing works before booking you in.  Sometimes we will ask for more information just to be certain.  The care and time that goes into pairing the children is extremely important to us. We hope to see them swimming, growing, developing together for a few terms if possible!

Friends & Siblings

Nevertheless, there can be mismatches that need to be dealt with.  Sometimes a client will contact us with siblings or friends that desperately want to swim together. But the information we receive indicates that there is a potential mismatch.  We want to not only provide the best lessons but also have the children enjoy them and have fun!

If we spot a potential mismatch before booking, we may come back with a warning. Due to the age gap and/or difference in abilities, the children may not be suited to swim together. If the mismatch isn’t too extreme, we may be willing to give it a go. However, the client must understand that the difference may hold the older/more advanced child’s progress back a little. In these cases, the instructor may have to structure the lessons with this in mind. As long as everyone is aware of the situation, sometimes these pairings can grow into wonderful matches! It just takes a little time for one of the children to catch up a bit!

How Mismatches Occur

In some cases, a pairing that looks good during the booking process may not work in practice. When booking, the child’s abilities may have been over/understated by the parent/guardian. Maybe the child is having difficulties feeling comfortable in a new swimming environment.  There are so many factors at play, and we try to be ready to solve any issues that may arise.

Procedures & Communication

If there is a mismatch, the instructor will contact the office to discuss.  One child may be slightly stronger. So for now, the pairing is suitable. However, at the end of a term they will need to be split up. Clients will receive advance warning for any future changes that need to be made.  On other occasions, the mismatch is too great, bringing in a health and safety concern which cannot be ignored.  This is when an immediate change needs to be made. The instructor’s decision will always be the final word.  We can all agree that the instructor will always have the best insight into the class.

The child first booked into a class will always have priority over the space. Nevertheless, we do offer alternatives for both children in case that child is able to move and the other isn’t.  Usually, this solves the problem, and we simply move one of the children into a more appropriate lesson. However, sometimes there simply isn’t any alternative availability. In these cases, we will refund one of the children for the remainder of the term.  On these rare occasions, if possible we offer that client priority booking for the following term. This way we ensure they are able to book with us again.

Conclusion

Mismatches are rare.  We work incredibly hard to avoid them at all costs.  But they do happen, and we work just as hard to try to find a suitable solution for everyone involved.  Should you have experienced a mismatch for any of our lessons, we do hope the outcome was ultimately positive. We can only offer our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

That’s it!  We hope this guide helps you, and the next step is to…

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