| name | class-schedule-and-instructor-utilization |
| description | Build and read a fitness class grid: fill rate by slot and class type, the per-class break-even headcount from instructor pay plus room cost, instructor utilization, and the no-show/waitlist mechanics that reclaim held seats. Fill and instructor-pay benchmarks are verify-at-use. |
Class Schedule & Instructor Utilization
Every class hour is a unit of inventory with a fixed cost. Fill is the whole game: a half-empty class burns the same instructor pay and room as a full one.
The per-class unit economics
class break-even headcount = (instructor pay + allocated room cost) / contribution per attendee
class fill rate = attended / capacity
Know the break-even headcount for every slot before you defend it on the grid. A slot that never reaches break-even is a subsidy, not a schedule.
Reading the grid
| Signal | Read | Move |
|---|
| Slot fill < break-even, persistently | Wrong time or wrong class | Cut, merge, or re-time to demand |
| Waitlist forming repeatedly | Under-supplied demand | Add a parallel/adjacent slot |
| High booked, low attended | No-show leak | No-show/late-cancel window + auto-promote waitlist |
| One instructor's classes over-fill | Draw effect | Protect their prime slots; study why |
Instructor pay models
| Model | Risk sits with | Best when |
|---|
| Flat per class | Studio (empty classes still cost full) | Predictable, high-fill grid |
| Per head | Instructor (shares empty-class risk) | Variable fill, growth phase |
| Base + per head | Shared | Most boutique studios — floor + upside |
Match the model to fill economics and contribution margin. All pay/fill norms are [verify-at-use].
Metrics
| Metric | Target logic | Note |
|---|
| Average class fill rate | Above break-even with headroom | The grid's health number |
| Instructor utilization | Paid hours that hit break-even fill | Not just hours taught |
| No-show rate | Low enough that "full" means full | Policy-controllable |
| Sub-coverage reliability | Near-zero cancelled classes | Cancelled class = churn risk |
Anti-patterns
- Defending a slot on history ("it's always been Tuesday 6pm") instead of fill.
- Flat-per-class pay on a variable-fill grid (overpays empties, undersells packed).
- Reporting booked instead of attended.
See also
