Have Prospective Clients Lied to You?!

[wdmmom]

I had a few interviews last week.

Family #1 sounded very prospective on the phone so I invited them to interview with me. 3 days later when she came, not only did she show up 19 minutes late but never bothered telling me she was a school teacher and only needs care 9.5 months out of the year!

I was also puzzled when DCM told me she worked school hours and DCD works 2nd shift. So why would this family need full time care?! Because DCD likes "his" time to himself and likes relaxing before work! Are you kidding me?! This is a kid that should really only need 2-4 hours max of daycare per day and DCD doesn't want to take care of his own kid?! I already work for one school teacher so the thought of working for another and losing 40% of my income over the summer is not entising.

Family #2 was amazing! Have a 2nd interview scheduled tomorrow! Hope they decide to sign on!

Family 1 called me Friday afternoon and asked if their child could start on Monday!? It amazes me at how some people really can't figure it out! I told DCM at the first interview that I require at minimum 2 in-person interviews before starting! She asked if she could come by Friday after work! NO! I told her that if Family 2 doesn't enroll tomorrow that I would let her know. Lets hope family 2 signs up and gives me the security deposit.

[Blackcat31]

I can see how this would be frustrating but I guess I am wondering how this dcm actually lied to you? Did she just not mention her profession or was it that she said she "needed" full time care when in actuality she really doesn't? I'm confused about that part.

I have two teachers I provide care for and each one of them pays me tuition throughout the entire year, even when they aren't using services because they want to keep the space for the fall. One child attends all summer because mom is very active in other areas in the community and is also working on her Master's degree so she used this last summer as her study time. The other child doesn't really come at all during the summer but mom wants the comfort of knowing the space is hers no matter what come fall so she pays all year.

I am selling a service so whatever a parents chooses to do during the day while I am providing that service doesn't matter much to me. They bought and paid for it so it is theirs to do whatever they wish with it.

Why not just have tuition based on 12 months or 52 weeks or whatever and let the fact that she is only working 9.5 months a year be her problem? Is it part of your policies that you don't provide care unless a family is actually working? If that is the case, then I completely see where you are coming from and hope family #2 does sign on with you.

[wdmmom]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I can see how this would be frustrating but I guess I am wondering how this dcm actually lied to you? Did she just not mention her profession or was it that she said she "needed" full time care when in actuality she really doesn't? I'm confused about that part.

I have two teachers I provide care for and each one of them pays me tuition throughout the entire year, even when they aren't using services because they want to keep the space for the fall. One child attends all summer because mom is very active in other areas in the community and is also working on her Master's degree so she used this last summer as her study time. The other child doesn't really come at all during the summer but mom wants the comfort of knowing the space is hers no matter what come fall so she pays all year.

I am selling a service so whatever a parents chooses to do during the day while I am providing that service doesn't matter much to me. They bought and paid for it so it is theirs to do whatever they wish with it.

Why not just have tuition based on 12 months or 52 weeks or whatever and let the fact that she is only working 9.5 months a year be her problem? Is it part of your policies that you don't provide care unless a family is actually working? If that is the case, then I completely see where you are coming from and hope family #2 does sign on with you.

Yes, this family said they needed full time care. To me, full time care is 30+ hours a week for all 52 weeks. And, she told me on the phone that DCD worked day shift. But mentioned during the interview that he works 2nd shift. I don't know about you but this rubs me the wrong way. I just see it being problematic in the future. Example: DCD doesn't want to watch DCB when he is well, what happens when he is sick or he has to go home ill?! This same DCM tried bargaining my price. That makes me think she wants something for nothing. AND, she belittled her current provider which makes me believe that she would do the same about me. I offered her to drop down to part time status during the summer but that didn't seem like the answer she was looking for. I also close at 3pm on Fridays. At first, this wasn't a problem but during the interview she admitted it could pose a problem as she wouldn't be able to get here until 330pm.

Family 2 is definitely the winner here!

[nannyde]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Why not just have tuition based on 12 months or 52 weeks or whatever and let the fact that she is only working 9.5 months a year be her problem?

It's very hard here to find teachers willing to pay for the summer and the breaks. What most teachers are looking for is child care where they only pay for the time they actually need care. Providers who try to build in the school year months pay the cost of the summer have a higher daily rate. The teachers are looking for a regular rate so building it in doesn't work.

What WDM is dealing with IS what happens with teachers here.

If you agree to do care with the understanding they will pay for the summer you will end up doing nine months of care and having them just quit in June. It's just really risky to believe someone will pay you for 52 weeks when they only need about 39.

Your experience of having teachers willing to keep the kid during the summer is much more common then paying full rate for the summer and not bringing the kid. I think that would be EXTREMELY rare here. Maybe because you are a teacher you can draw those clients. A regular home child care would have a very hard time finding teachers who wanted the slot so bad in the fall that they would pay for the summer. There's THOUSANDS of home child care providers here with many thousands of slots empty.

This parent WILL find a newbie or desperate provider who will take an eight month deal. She will find one to do it cheap. She just has to work a little harder to find someone who is willing to do it.

[PolkaTots]

I have had parents lie to me about pick-up and drop off times A family I ended up letting go last summer told me they needed care from 8-5pm, and on his first day was here until 8pm! They assumed it was ok because I cared for my friends child 2nd shift. They apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, but never once arrived before 5:30 (I close at 5:15). After 2 weeks, I let them go.

About the teachers, I have 4 in my care now. When I took the first 2, I made them pay for 2 days over summer breaks to hold their spot, but now that I have 4, I am going to have to figure out something different, as that is too much of a drop in income for us. (I have tried to take summer only children, but that just isn't as easy to fill as it sounds.)

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by wdmmom

Yes, this family said they needed full time care. To me, full time care is 30+ hours a week for all 52 weeks. And, she told me on the phone that DCD worked day shift. But mentioned during the interview that he works 2nd shift. I don't know about you but this rubs me the wrong way. I just see it being problematic in the future. Example: DCD doesn't want to watch DCB when he is well, what happens when he is sick or he has to go home ill?! This same DCM tried bargaining my price. That makes me think she wants something for nothing. AND, she belittled her current provider which makes me believe that she would do the same about me. I offered her to drop down to part time status during the summer but that didn't seem like the answer she was looking for. I also close at 3pm on Fridays. At first, this wasn't a problem but during the interview she admitted it could pose a problem as she wouldn't be able to get here until 330pm.

Family 2 is definitely the winner here!

Aha! With those additional details, then your vent/post makes alot more sense! I would definitely be angry then that this mom mis-represented herself and I completely get where you are coming from! I also see your point about not being keen on her trying to bargain with you. That makes me feel very disrespected and I would have declined her wish to enroll. I hope family #2 comes through for you.

Originally Posted by nannyde

It's very hard here to find teachers willing to pay for the summer and the breaks. What most teachers are looking for is child care where they only pay for the time they actually need care. Providers who try to build in the school year months pay the cost of the summer have a higher daily rate. The teachers are looking for a regular rate so building it in doesn't work.

What WDM is dealing with IS what happens with teachers here.

If you agree to do care with the understanding they will pay for the summer you will end up doing nine months of care and having them just quit in June. It's just really risky to believe someone will pay you for 52 weeks when they only need about 39.

Your experience of having teachers willing to keep the kid during the summer is much more common then paying full rate for the summer and not bringing the kid. I think that would be EXTREMELY rare here. Maybe because you are a teacher you can draw those clients. A regular home child care would have a very hard time finding teachers who wanted the slot so bad in the fall that they would pay for the summer. There's THOUSANDS of home child care providers here with many thousands of slots empty.

This parent WILL find a newbie or desperate provider who will take an eight month deal. She will find one to do it cheap. She just has to work a little harder to find someone who is willing to do it.

With this additional information, I can completely see why wdmmom's situation would be frustrating. I can't believe how many teachers in your area aren't willing to pay for ONE consistent caregiver for the 5 most important years of a young child's life. As teachers they should be fully aware of the benefits of one constant consistent caregiver. That is really sad.

It is often easy to forget that all the different areas of providers posting on here aren't exactly the same and that the needs of each community are so vastly different. In my area, we have a lot of providers but not so many that space is easy to come by. Teachers in your area would do better to simply hire a nanny and get that individualized care for the months they need it. It seems sad that they as parents, would be willing to re-enroll their child in a new program every fall so their child has to make new friends and bond (if possible) with a new caregiver.

[nannyde]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Aha! With those additional details, then your vent/post makes alot more sense! I would definitely be angry then that this mom mis-represented herself and I completely get where you are coming from! I also see your point about not being keen on her trying to bargain with you. That makes me feel very disrespected and I would have declined her wish to enroll. I hope family #2 comes through for you.



With this additional information, I can completely see why wdmmom's situation would be frustrating. I can't believe how many teachers in your area aren't willing to pay for ONE consistent caregiver for the 5 most important years of a young child's life. As teachers they should be fully aware of the benefits of one constant consistent caregiver. That is really sad.

It is often easy to forget that all the different areas of providers posting on here aren't exactly the same and that the needs of each community are so vastly different. In my area, we have a lot of providers but not so many that space is easy to come by. Teachers in your area would do better to simply hire a nanny and get that individualized care for the months they need it. It seems sad that they as parents, would be willing to re-enroll their child in a new program every fall so their child has to make new friends and bond (if possible) with a new caregiver.

I don't know about the consistent caregiver thing. Most teachers are doing one school year with kids and they move on. I don't know this for sure but I would guess that teachers kids are one of the highest turnover kids on the market here. I think the ones that stay in a stable home day care are the ones that go all year around or the ones who have a provider that does school aged care in the summer to fill slots. I have only heard of a handful of providers that just do teachers and take the summer off with pay.

As far as re=enrolling...... you have to remember that the difference of just paying for your 39 weeks is the difference of 1500-2000+ dollars to a family. Many would also be able to re-enroll to the same provider if the provider had empty slots come school time. Considering how many providers there are now on the market, I'm sure many providers take the kids back because they need the money.

Over the five years kids are in care the difference to a family could be upwards to ten grand per kid. It's a lot of money to pay for consistency.

[countrymom]

hmm, acually you know where I can see it being a problem, the pick up and drop of this child. Think about it, dad wants "his time" in the morning so he is home, so that means dad will let him sometimes feed him, sometimes not, let him sleep in till dad is ready to go and drop him off to care. Then mom would be late at school, or want her time or need to do something after school so this is going to be a problem. As for the teachers, I have 1 that I watch but he comes onces a week, I know this way in advance so this is where you need to budget some money or ask them to bring the child at least once or twice a week (I'm yet to find a parent who wouldn't love to bring their kid to me in summer so they can get stuff done)

[Blackcat31]

That's interesting because I never really broke down the numbers and thought about it from that angle. I see your point but paying for childcare throughout the entire year is just a norm for teachers here. A teacher not willing to pay for it (whether they use it or not) is virtually unheard of in my area.

It is another prime example of different needs in different areas because in my community, we have 1 or 2 providers who only have teachers children or children whose families take the summers off and hire a teenager or family member allowing them to close for the summer months and reopen with the same clientel as they had.

The teachers who do not use those caregivers, never seem to have an issue paying their providers for the summer months. Maybe it is the lower number of providers here or just the general attitude of teachers here who simply figure that is just the way it is and pay because they feel it is the norm. I don't know but it is an interesting topic.

I wonder what, or who sets the standards of what is and isn't okay for child care providers and/or parents. Like the thread about transporting children. Someone asked if everyone did it and I posted that it is rare to have a provider transport children in my area and yet in other areas it is almost a necessity for a provider to compete with other child cares. Same concept with curriculum and teaching. Why do some areas expect a preschool curriculum in their child's family child care but other areas do not focus on that as a service provided by a child care.

LOL! Can you tell I just got through with a childcare training course. The keynote speaker gave a speech about the little differences and the big impacts they make. Including curriculum used, services offered and each person's individual philosophy and approach to childcare.

[DaycareMomma]

I have had clients lie to me. I had a former classmate of mine call for daycare. She need it starting the following Monday. She came over, we went over everything, spent about an hour talking over things. She signed on, Monday came and she never showed up... Now I find out she is opening her own daycare! I called her and asked for all my paperwork back since she isn't going to be coming to my daycare and she said she'd bring it back, but hasn't. So I'm sure she used it to form her own contract and policies.

Major lesson was learned there!

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Why do some areas expect a preschool curriculum in their child's family child care but other areas do not focus on that as a service provided by a child care.

My theory is the "need" for more curriculum and buzz word services increases by the centers proximity to newer McMansion Subdivisions.

Urban sprawl has brought it to my doorstep in the last 5 years..... Stupid new highways and the desire for crisp clean air....

Now, back to our previously scheduled post.

Yes, of course I have been lied to to get more for less..... Is there anyone who has not been?

[wdmmom]

As it turns out, I had an email from Family 1 that said she would need to cancel Tuesday's second interview because the husband freaked out so they enrolled DCB in a center that had an opening.

FREAKED OUT...her words!!!

As if I didn't call that one!



Lets hope family 2 comes through today!

[wdmmom]

AND...Family #2 Came through!!! I had a 2nd interview yesterday afternoon and this morning they called and asked if they could bring by the paperwork and deposit! YAY!!!!

Start date is October 4th...can't wait!

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by wdmmom

AND...Family #2 Came through!!! I had a 2nd interview yesterday afternoon and this morning they called and asked if they could bring by the paperwork and deposit! YAY!!!!

Start date is October 4th...can't wait!

Woo Hoo!!! I am really glad it worked out for you!!

What did you end up telling Family #1?

[wdmmom]

Family 1 emailed me on Sunday evening telling me that DCD freaked out last week because they didn't have any daycare so they enrolled him in a center that had an opening.

I knew there were ample suspicions on why I didn't want this family. Clearly DCD has an issue watching his own son!

[renodeb]

I have had similar things told to me and then the story totally changes once they come. Its annoying and a huge waste of time.
Debbie