My public reply to a message I received last week from an ex client

Last week I received what I would call a horrible message from an ex client.

This client had only three lessons with me.

She contacted me in October (end of October) for 4+ Assessment preparation support. I told her that this was far too late. She was preparing for a top boys’ school for the 4+.

I dedicated a lot of my time to her and answered all of her questions with honesty and sincerity.

She booked a package of lessons with me and we did three lessons.

I was raised to be a kind and caring human being and I am proud of the person that I am today. I was also always raised to keep quiet. To not speak up. Well, this time I will speak out.

The purpose of writing this is because this client now seems to think it’s okay to go around saying things about me that are just not true. So this message is for you. You can continue saying what you feel like, this is a free country of course.

Dear client,

My lessons are online. So for you to tell me ‘The zoom thing doesn’t work’ doesn’t make any sense. Let me remind you that you came to me. Nobody forced you to have lessons with me. ‘The zoom thing’ as you so respectfully put it does work and it works exceptionally well. My results speak for themselves. I have never been rude to anyone let alone to a 3 year old child. So perhaps this is a reflection of you rather than of me. To tell me that I was ‘rude’ to your child is completely incorrect. I dedicate my time, love and energy to provide the highest quality service to all of my clients and students.

You were annoyed that sometimes my son would need my attention during our lessons. And you said ‘if you’re working, you’re working’. My son will always come first. And yes, my work is of very high importance to me but if my son needs me, I will 100% be there for him.

To say that I am ‘disengaged’ is highly inaccurate. I am 100% engaged in all of my lessons.

If it was ‘off putting to you’ again that is a reflection of you and nothing to do with me.

You said that I would get to the 20 minute point and I would ask your son what he would like to do and you found this ‘as though I hadn’t planned my lesson.’ I often ask my students to pick an activity to do as it puts the ownership on them and supports them to develop independence and freedom of thought. I plan my lessons thoroughly. In fact, hours of my own personal time goes into planning my lessons.

You said you felt my approach was ‘patronising’ and ‘scaremongering’. Because I said to you to have a ‘word with your child’ before he went to his assessment. You asked ‘Does this go down well with parents?’

Yes, it does. Perhaps you even sat down with your child and told him exactly what to expect in his 4+ Assessment.

You said my Instagram is inappropriate and scaremongering. So please tell me why you spend time engaging with all of my content? If it isn’t for you, please do unfollow.

You said you’ve spoken to other parents who feel the same. That’s interesting as no one has ever spoken to me in this way before.

You said you found every single engagement with me ‘stressful’. Again, this is a reflection of you and not of me.

You say I should know for my future students.

You say ‘I claim to get children into these top schools’ but that I do it in a way that is ‘scaremongering and propaganda’. Absolutely not.

Your child got into your school of choice and ‘clearly the school saw something in him that I didn’t.’ Please remind yourself that I saw your son three times.

You say you’re being honest as a mum and that you don’t want me to take it in the wrong way.

Ok then.

You don’t need to recommend me but thank you for the kind offer to.

I do everything for this business. I care about it. I love it. I love my clients and I love teaching my students. This is the last I will think about this but I wanted to reply publicly because perhaps we should also reflect on how we talk to others.