Originally Posted by SilverSabre25:
Now I know that I do not have to defend myself or my choices to you but...this is one of the places that you are very cynical I think, and have a hard time ever giving ANYONE the benefit of the doubt. This is NOT a flaky client; I had my doubts when she started (young and single) but she is a fantastic daycare parent. I would NOT have done this for anyone I didn't trust.
I understand that you've been doing this for a long time, nanny, but I really think that along with experience this has given you a heaping helping of cynicism. You rarely (if ever) seem to think that our clients are anything but out to get us, to screw us over, and to get more than their money's worth. Maybe many are, maybe MOST are, but that does not mean all are. Many daycare parents do keep their kids home when sick, pay on time, pay extra when needed, and take a leg up when it's offered.
She did not call me up asking for a concession. She apologized for short notice and offered me money for this week and next if it would help. She is NOT one of the parents you seem most familiar with. I read people well, and I trust my gut. When she finds a better job with more hours and better pay, she'll start paying me more again--I KNOW this. I TRUST this. I TRUST her, and I TRUST my impression of her and my feelings about her.
I've never been a single mom, but I sure have been in positions where I desperately wished there was someone to cut me a break, give me a hand, and help me out of a sucky situation. I'm in one of those situations right now...and I chose to pay it forward by helping someone else out.
Watch the way you say things...it comes off harsh, cynical, and entirely unfair sometimes.
Nah
I've been advising providers for many years and I've seen your exact scenario played out over and over again. A pretty new client (one year is a very new client) who has something.. in this case "single mother" that defends the free.
The discourse begins with simple: The mom gets a new phone... a nicer phone than you have... then they come in with a fresh manicure when you thought they were at work. Then it's a weekend away and you realize that had to be some serious gas money... Then it's the promotion they are SO excited about with narry a word about putting your salary back up to as it was before. Next thing you know you start looking at what they have... what they spend their money on... and before you know it you realize the discount you just gave up is being spent on special.
Happnes over and over. It's not cynicism. It's experience.
You "could" be the one. You "could" be the one to spot the one who can manage the free and do everything they can to protect it and cherish it. You could have the one that will do everything in their power to get you back to square whether you ask for it or not. You "could" have the one who will forego all things special and make sure that any extra goes to you. You "could" have the one who keeps their kid out of child care every possible minute so that you can make as much profit as possible with the new deal.
That "one" would be pretty hard to spot with only a year of experience with them.
The other concern to me is that she is even considering taking your offer. When she gave you notice she had to have had a plan of what to do. Her choice to take your offer instead of doing what she intended to do before she gave you notice is a red flag to me.
I hope I'm wrong. I really do.