Originally Posted by jokalima:
DCM gave me 20.00 today for almost 2 full hours of late fees, this not including other days when they picked up late and I never charge them for it , i know my fault. Well I told them that for last week it was going to be 20.00 , it should have been 40.00 but I wanted to be nice. So today she picked up 45 minutes late and gave me 20.00, said it was for all the time she picked her baby late. Really? I told her this week that she had to pay 20..0 for last week and she comes and says that? For today alone she owes me more than 30.00
I now understand when you guys say it does not pay to be nice 
Well besides simply NOT allowing this to happen at all, you can stop this behavior by raising the late fees each time she is late.
The point of a late fee is to discourage the lateness not just be paid for your extra time. If she is simply paying you (not even the right amount) then she could not care less about you, your policies or the fees and is going to continue to do what works for her.
I raise the late fees by doubling them each time a parent is late. After 3 late pick ups I term.
I don't need families that don't respect me, my time or my business.
First late pick up is $1 per minute, second late pick up is $2 per minute and thirs is $3 per minute. Fourth late pick up and they are free to go immediately.
Late is also a few minutes, NOT hours.