Checking in with Absent Students

Administrator
Aug 3, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jun 19

Keywords: absent student, absent, checking, check in, missed you in class, come back, SMS, Dialpad, texting, absence, gifs, catch up, recap, practice, template, re-enrollment, reactivation, personalize message

Goal:

Increase re-enrollments to 70%+ every season (currently ~45% over all time post-pandemic. Measured 7/31/2024)

Purpose:

This re-enrollment increase = 40% profit increase. HUGE impact. Achieving this will give us stronger reason to run paid ads, which could lead to incredible growth.

Hypothesis:

“Reactivation” is a known topic in gyms and other service businesses because it’s crucial for success, and reactivation strategies can have a positive impact. Students want to feel seen and cared for. Personalized messages may help a lot.

Action:

Log in students profile any dates students tell us they’ll be missing class. Instructors should also inform admin when students share this info.
Text absent students.

First absence 😢: “Missed you in class yesterday! Everything okay?" [include a "come back" gif like the one below, send right after the missed you message]
Second absence 😭: “Shoot we missed you again. Anything we can do to support you?”

Boundaries:

Text only up to twice per person, per program (the first two times they’re absent). Some students are in multiple programs per season, just adjust the text as needed.

Example: "Missed you in salsa 101 class! Everything okay?" or "Missed you in bachata 101 class! Everything okay?"

Don’t text for planned absences (if we already know they’re gone for travel or something else). Where to check:
- Check CRM notes
- Check Dialpad and Telnyx message history
- Check Masterlist notes
- Check student attendance channel (for student support only)
Adjust text as needed for context
When they respond, after acknowledging their message, consider encouraging Friday practice and watching recap videos to help them catch up. Possibly mention private lesson as well.

Scenario: She replied saying she missed class because she's feeling unwell

Good response: "Sorry to hear that! Feel better soon 🙏 Don't worry, most students miss 1-3 classes per season. The recap videos in the app and Friday practices are two ways to help you keep up with the material. Alternatively, private lessons are an option if you feel like you need extra help :)"

Note: Check in messages and responses should all be added in the students CRM profile and attendance tracker