TUTOR PROS - PRIVATE MATH TUTORING

What is a tutor mill?

A tutor mill is a company that employs hundreds of tutors and categorizes them by location, subject, price per hour, qualifications, etc. They act in the same capacity as a middleman between the client and their tutor, and they collect a commission (percentage) of all monies passed between them. This commission is usually quite reasonable, since the tutor mill aggressively advertises their tutors and holds very high position on most search engines. 

If a tutor wanted to be very visible without using a tutor mill, (thus retaining 100% of his or her fee), they would have to spend a lot of time and money to achieve their goal. Internet advertising is a job unto itself and promoting yourself quickly and efficiently on multiple search engines is no easy task. I've been an internet advertiser for sixteen years, and have handled businesses in diverse industries ranging from single location, two-employee start-ups, to nationwide chains with hundreds of employees, so I know whereof I speak.

Creating a business that helps provide jobs for their employees and facilitates clients to find trustworthy tutors is a fabulous concept. However, a business cannot succeed by spending more than it makes. It's hard for me to fathom a company that provides visibility for their tutors by entering them into their database, aggressively advertises them, takes care of all the back office accounting and tax procedures, and only requires a paltry commission from a potential future job in exchange.

Since the number of tutor mills has increased exponentially with the growing popularity and necessity of the Internet, they are now forced to compete for their share of prospective clients. One way to convince parents that the tutors in your company are trustworthy is by stating that all of your tutors have had background checks. People love to hear that their prospective employees have had background checks (especially when it pertains to their child's safety). I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I discovered some troubling information... 

I searched for some of the more popular tutor mills that made a point of saying that they do background checks on all of their tutors. After midnight, I applied to become one of their tutors. (Strictly for research purposes, I used an alias and fake email address.) I filled out the application, signed the "Agree to Pay a Commission" statement, and submitted them. Within minutes, I received emails congratulating me for becoming the newest member of their tutor family.

Then I looked myself up in their directory and, lo and behold, there I was, with a check marked box for "Background Check Verified". I don't know what kind of background check they performed in less than five minutes at 1 AM, but evidently, I passed it. Other companies took a whole day to determine that I met their lofty standards and passed their detailed background checks before welcoming me as a trusted member of their tutor society.

My point is that businesses will do or say practically anything to get your money, including saying that your child's  is first and foremost. Do the background checks yourself, don't take anyone else's word on it. I admit that from a socioeconomic vantage, this is a rather brooding perspective of humanity. However, I am merely pointing out what I consider the questionable posture of these companies and remembering the old adage, "If something doesn't make sense, then it's probably not true." 

--Editor, Tutor Pros

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"I couldn't be happier with the work Tutor Pros did with our two sons. Before we started using them, our sons were both confused with their math classes. Now, thanks to Danny (our designated math tutor), our boys are excelling in their respective classes. I am very grateful to Tutor Pros (especially Danny), and I would recommend them in a heartbeat." - Robert M., Las Vegas