Originally Posted by
Heston
What I should do is quickly find out what the stranger wants and then politely ask them to come back another time, or whatever is most appropriate, so that I can deal with the issue that the existing student wants to raise. Because they have paid for my loyalty to them.
Except when the student already paid everything up-front in cash.
In that case, I would send the student away politely (he is already "locked"), and deal with the newcomer instead. I would also try to convince very kindly and politely the new guy to pay everything up-front, too!
(This would of course destroy my business in a matter of weeks or months, due to the bad references.)
We have a similar dilemma regarding aircraft booking. In every system, there is a risk that the a/c won't return in time for some reason, and the next guy will have his plans ruined and will heavily protest. Who is going to be punished? (The answer: the guy who flies less and makes less profit for the operators, i.e., doesn't depend on being 1st or 2nd.)