Emergency Call Protocol for Dance Studios

In a dance studio, most “emergencies” are time-sensitive schedule and performance problems—not plumbing leaks or power outages. Your goal is to protect safety first, then protect show-day outcomes (recital/competition), then protect revenue (new student placements and private lessons). True emergencies (respond immediately): injuries that need medical attention; a child missing/left behind; a building safety issue (smoke, gas smell, break-in); a dancer stuck outside without pickup; a serious conflict that could escalate (custody dispute at pickup). Also urgent: same-day cancellation of a studio-run event that affects many families (weather closure, power outage during classes). “Studio emergencies” (respond fast, within 15–60 minutes): competition schedule changes within 24 hours; costume failure that threatens a performance (missing costume, wrong size, zipper broken) within 48 hours; music file missing/corrupted right before rehearsal; a judge/competition needs immediate confirmation; a parent needs to know which routine their dancer is in for call time. Not emergencies (respond within 1 business day): ‘What time is my class next week?’; ‘Can we do a trial class?’; refund requests; ‘What shoes do I buy?’; missed class makeups; general recital ticket questions when it’s weeks away. A simple rule: if waiting could cause injury, a missing child, or a dancer missing the stage because of a deadline in the next 24–48 hours, treat it as urgent. Everything else goes into your normal reply flow.

Use this decision tree exactly as written so whoever answers (you, front desk, or an AI receptionist) makes the same call every time. A) Is anyone in immediate danger? (injury, missing child, fire/smoke, break-in, custody conflict) - YES → Call 911 first (or building security), then call the parent/guardian, then notify studio owner/manager. - NO → Go to B. B) Is this about today’s classes in the next 3 hours? (closure, instructor late, room change, weather, power outage) - YES → Send a broadcast text/email to affected classes, update voicemail/phone greeting, post to Instagram story. - NO → Go to C. C) Is this about recital/competition in the next 48 hours? (costume missing, schedule change, music file, call time confusion) - YES → Mark URGENT. Reply within 15–60 minutes with a clear next step and deadline. - NO → Go to D. D) Is this a new student trying to start quickly? (trial class today/this week, private lesson availability) - YES → Mark SALES-URGENT. Reply within 1–2 hours during peak seasons (Back-to-School, New Year, pre-recital). Offer 2 class options and a clear price: Drop-in $15–$30, Private $60–$150. - NO → Standard response within 1 business day. If you can’t answer while demonstrating, your system should collect: dancer name, age, class/team, event date, deadline, and best callback number. SkipCalls can do this 24/7 and tag calls as “Safety,” “Recital/Competition,” or “New Enrollment” so you only stop teaching when it truly matters.

After hours is when you lose families to competitors—especially parents trying to place a child this week. You need a clear policy that still protects your personal time. Set your after-hours coverage windows: - Standard: 6pm–8am (no live response except safety). - Peak weeks (1–2 weeks before recital, competition travel days): allow urgent recital/competition texts from 7pm–9pm. Create an “Emergency-Only” contact path for show deadlines: - One phone number or email labeled “Recital/Competition Urgent.” - Only for deadlines within 48 hours (costume, music, call time, schedule change). - Everything else goes to the normal inbox. Use a two-message rule after hours: 1) Acknowledge: “Got it—checking now.” 2) Action: give a specific next step and time: “I’ll confirm call time by 8:15pm.” For new student after-hours calls: you don’t need to personally answer at 9pm. You do need to capture the lead and offer the next available class. An AI receptionist like SkipCalls can quote your real options, collect the child’s age/experience, and book a trial or private lesson automatically so the parent doesn’t call another studio.

You can’t pause a combo mid-count to take a call. Dispatch means: the right person takes the right action without pulling you off the floor. Assign roles (even if you’re small): - Instructor on floor: keeps teaching unless it’s safety. - “Runner” (assistant, front desk, or lead teen): checks voicemail/transcripts between classes and handles quick info. - Studio manager/owner: handles money issues, refunds, escalations, and competition/recital decisions. Create three urgency buckets with clear actions: 1) SAFETY NOW: Call 911 → contact guardian → document incident. 2) URGENT SHOW: open the “Recital/Competition Binder” (digital or printed): schedule, call times, costume list, music folder links, emergency contacts. Reply with facts, not guesses. 3) SALES-URGENT: offer two choices and book immediately: - “You can do a $15–$30 drop-in Tuesday 5pm or Thursday 6pm.” - “Or a private lesson is $60–$150—earliest slot is Saturday 10am.” What your runner should ask on every urgent call: - Dancer name + age - Class/team (e.g., Mini Jazz, Junior Hip Hop, Competition Team) - Event date (recital/competition) and deadline time - What’s missing (costume piece, tights color, shoes, music file) - Best call-back number Keep a one-page cheat sheet at the front desk with these questions and your top 10 answers (shoe color, tights, hair, makeup, arrival times, where to buy replacement items).

Dance parents will stay calm if you give a clear next step and a time. They get frustrated when they feel ignored—especially in loud studios where they know you’re “busy.” Use these exact scripts: General callback script (during class): - “I’m teaching right now and can’t talk, but I have your message. I’ll call you back between classes at __:__.” Recital/competition urgent script: - “I’m on it. I’ll confirm your dancer’s call time and costume notes and text you within 30 minutes.” Costume issue script (missing piece): - “To keep your dancer stage-ready, I can help two ways: (1) Borrow from the studio spare bin today, or (2) I’ll send a same-day replacement list (Amazon/discount dance store) within 1 hour.” New student placement script: - “We can get your child started fast. I can book a trial drop-in for $15–$30 this week, or a private lesson for $60–$150. Which is better?” Refund/complaint script (not emergency): - “I saw your message. This isn’t an urgent item, but it matters. I’ll respond by tomorrow at 5pm with a clear answer.” If you use call transcription (from your phone system or SkipCalls), paste the message into a template response so you reply in under 60 seconds between classes.

Most dance studio “emergencies” are last-minute help requests: extra privates before competition, rush costume fixes, or same-day schedule changes. If you don’t define pricing, you’ll either undercharge and burn out—or overcharge and upset families. Use simple add-on fees tied to your real services: - Same-day private lesson (within 24 hours): base private $60–$150 + $15 rush fee. - Competition-week private add-on: base rate + $10–$25 (covers planning, music edits, cleaning). - Costume support package (optional): $10–$20 per dancer per season for access to the “spare bin” and emergency sewing help at dress rehearsal. What NOT to charge for: - Safety issues. - Studio-caused schedule errors. - Basic call-time clarification if your schedule wasn’t clear. How to communicate pricing without drama: - “Because this is a same-day request, there’s a $15 rush fee on top of the $___ private lesson. I can book it at __:__ or __:__.” Post your rush fees in your recital packet, competition team handbook, and on your website FAQ so families see it before the stressful moment.

Documentation protects you and saves time. It also stops the same parent from calling three times because “no one answered.” For every urgent call, log these five items in a shared note (Google Doc, CRM, or studio software): - Date/time and who called - Dancer name + class/team - What happened (one paragraph) - What you promised (call back by 7:30pm, send schedule, borrow costume) - Outcome (resolved, pending, escalated) Safety incidents need a separate incident report: - Location in studio (Studio A corner, lobby, parking lot) - Witnesses (staff, parents) - Action taken (ice, called guardian, 911) - Parent pickup time and who picked up For recital/competition emergencies, save proof: - Screenshots of the schedule change - Photo of costume issue - Link to the music file used If you use an answering service with transcripts, paste the transcript into the log so you don’t misremember details later and so any staff member can step in.

Most “emergencies” happen because families can’t find information fast. Your job is to make the answers easier to find than your phone number. Build a “Stop Calling Me” info stack: - A pinned Instagram post/story highlight: “Recital Info” and “Competition Team.” - A one-page PDF: shoes, tights, hair, makeup, arrival time, parking, and where to buy replacements. - A shared Google Drive folder: music, costume photos, routine list, and call times. Use keywords parents actually say and search: - “What time do we arrive?” - “What color tights?” - “Do we need stage makeup?” - “Where do I buy jazz shoes?” - “My child is on competition team—what’s the schedule?” Create an ‘urgent’ gate: - “Urgent means your dancer performs within 48 hours and you’re missing a required item. If not, we reply within 1 business day.” Finally, fix the top repeat offenders: - If you get 20 calls about recital tickets, your ticket info is buried. - If you get 10 calls about tights color, put it in bold on page 1 of the recital packet. A 24/7 receptionist (human or AI) also prevents false emergencies by answering the simple questions immediately—so parents don’t keep calling during your busiest class blocks.