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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Wouldn't Let It Go!!!!
Lucy 06:35 PM 01-06-2014
I live in a small-ish town (15,000 people). My tax guy's wife works at the school where my DC kids go. Dad (the tax guy) called me Friday to say they need care for their 1st grader after school, but wasn't completely sure of the hours. He knows from doing my taxes that I do DC, so he thought of me. I said it might be doable, and he said he'd have Mom call me.
So Mom calls today and I find out that it would be 30 minutes some days, and an hour some days. This was in a message she left while she was on lunch (LOL, I was AT her school dropping off my PM Kindergarteners when she left the message. My cell rang, but I didn't answer it. Come to find out it was her!) She said in the message that she'd call back after school.
In the meantime, I thought about it and realized it wouldn't be worth my time. It would not put me over ratio, as I'm never to capacity, but a fee for that few hours isn't worth the snack I'd have to feed him!!!
So she called back at 5:00, which is a bad time because parents are showing up. She starts in telling me the hours he'd be here, and that she would pick him up within this 30 minute window!!! So some days he'd be here 30 min, some days an hour. But I would never know, because she'd basically come ANYTIME between 30 min and an hour!! Which I HATE. I like to know EXACTLY when they're coming. It drives me nuts!
Now, I had already pretty much decided not to take him, but I even MORESO don't want to now because of the uncertainty of pick-up time!! I don't want to just blow her off, because I have a business relationship with her husband, and my DC kids could be in her class one year!! So I kind of explain that the small amount of hours isn't really worth it for me, and that the high fee I'd have to charge to make it worth my time wouldn't be fair, looking at it from HER side of things, but yet if I charged the same fee that my FT'ers pay (what it breaks down to hourly), it would barely cover his snack. This woman would NOT LET IT GO!! She kept saying she gets it, but then would follow up with, "but what if...." She was trying to come up with ways to get me to change my mind. He could bring a snack (told her no, I don't do that), she could go ahead and leave him later (NO, I don't WANT him later, I'm saying I would just have to CHARGE an amount that would be equal to someone who was here longer hours... please don't think I'm encouraging you to have him stay later!!!)
Anyway, she just kept going on and on and was STILL asking what if this, what if that..... Ugh! She at one point says, "well what do you charge if someone is there till 6 or 7, you know, normal hours?" I kind of laughed and told her I'm done at 5:00!!! I don't work till 6 or 7, lady!!!
OH!!! About this point, I found out -- they only need me through tax season!!! So it would amount to only 3 months of less than 5 hours PER WEEK!! I explained to her that I prefer long-term relationships, and that I have a family who have been with me 9 years, another for 7, and another for 3. AND, they come before AND after school.
Still, I could NOT get this woman off the phone. I know I should have just brushed her off, but again... the business relationship... well, and MY personality (people pleaser, don'tcha know
)... kept me on the phone with her. My husband had to get 2 siblings out the door when their dad came to pick them up! She just wouldn't let it go! A couple times I told her to call our county's referral service, and to look in our local (one day a week!) newspaper. And she still went on with her "what if...."
So now I'm halfway thinking of getting a new tax guy because I just feel uncomfortable now!!! Darn her anyway!!!
So Mom calls today and I find out that it would be 30 minutes some days, and an hour some days. This was in a message she left while she was on lunch (LOL, I was AT her school dropping off my PM Kindergarteners when she left the message. My cell rang, but I didn't answer it. Come to find out it was her!) She said in the message that she'd call back after school.
In the meantime, I thought about it and realized it wouldn't be worth my time. It would not put me over ratio, as I'm never to capacity, but a fee for that few hours isn't worth the snack I'd have to feed him!!!
So she called back at 5:00, which is a bad time because parents are showing up. She starts in telling me the hours he'd be here, and that she would pick him up within this 30 minute window!!! So some days he'd be here 30 min, some days an hour. But I would never know, because she'd basically come ANYTIME between 30 min and an hour!! Which I HATE. I like to know EXACTLY when they're coming. It drives me nuts!
Now, I had already pretty much decided not to take him, but I even MORESO don't want to now because of the uncertainty of pick-up time!! I don't want to just blow her off, because I have a business relationship with her husband, and my DC kids could be in her class one year!! So I kind of explain that the small amount of hours isn't really worth it for me, and that the high fee I'd have to charge to make it worth my time wouldn't be fair, looking at it from HER side of things, but yet if I charged the same fee that my FT'ers pay (what it breaks down to hourly), it would barely cover his snack. This woman would NOT LET IT GO!! She kept saying she gets it, but then would follow up with, "but what if...." She was trying to come up with ways to get me to change my mind. He could bring a snack (told her no, I don't do that), she could go ahead and leave him later (NO, I don't WANT him later, I'm saying I would just have to CHARGE an amount that would be equal to someone who was here longer hours... please don't think I'm encouraging you to have him stay later!!!)
Anyway, she just kept going on and on and was STILL asking what if this, what if that..... Ugh! She at one point says, "well what do you charge if someone is there till 6 or 7, you know, normal hours?" I kind of laughed and told her I'm done at 5:00!!! I don't work till 6 or 7, lady!!!
OH!!! About this point, I found out -- they only need me through tax season!!! So it would amount to only 3 months of less than 5 hours PER WEEK!! I explained to her that I prefer long-term relationships, and that I have a family who have been with me 9 years, another for 7, and another for 3. AND, they come before AND after school.
Still, I could NOT get this woman off the phone. I know I should have just brushed her off, but again... the business relationship... well, and MY personality (people pleaser, don'tcha know
)... kept me on the phone with her. My husband had to get 2 siblings out the door when their dad came to pick them up! She just wouldn't let it go! A couple times I told her to call our county's referral service, and to look in our local (one day a week!) newspaper. And she still went on with her "what if...." So now I'm halfway thinking of getting a new tax guy because I just feel uncomfortable now!!! Darn her anyway!!!
Naptime yet? 07:02 PM 01-06-2014
Ack! You stood your ground, though, good for you! I'm a wussy, I probably would have caved...and then looked for a new tax guy next season...or moved, haha
Mister Sir Husband 07:02 PM 01-06-2014
Welp, the option I was thinking is what my pay rate is. I have a full time rate and a before/after school rate. If someone wanted just an hour or less after school they'd be paying the before/after school amount. I'm not gonna break it down by the hour.
Lucy 07:09 PM 01-06-2014
Originally Posted by Naptime yet?:
Ack! You stood your ground, though, good for you! I'm a wussy, I probably would have caved...and then looked for a new tax guy next season...or moved, haha
LOL!!! That scenario dawned on me during the convo!! Well, not moving lol !! But most of the time, I was thinking, "Oh jeez, now I need to find a new tax guy!" Ha!!!!Ack! You stood your ground, though, good for you! I'm a wussy, I probably would have caved...and then looked for a new tax guy next season...or moved, haha
Originally Posted by Mister Sir Husband:
Welp, the option I was thinking is what my pay rate is. I have a full time rate and a before/after school rate. If someone wanted just an hour or less after school they'd be paying the before/after school amount. I'm not gonna break it down by the hour.
Yes, this. That's why I told her the amount I'd have to charge would be too high when I look at it from her perspective. If it were a stranger calling, I'd have thrown a big amount out there, and if they bit, great! But with the husband being my tax guy and all, I was basically advocating for THEM and saying I'd have to charge too high a fee for this. Welp, the option I was thinking is what my pay rate is. I have a full time rate and a before/after school rate. If someone wanted just an hour or less after school they'd be paying the before/after school amount. I'm not gonna break it down by the hour.
Starburst 07:13 PM 01-06-2014
Never thought of an issue like that popping up. But I think in the future if my tax person would ask, I would probably tell them that I would prefer not to because I wouldn't want any issues that may arise to conflict with our professional/business relationship. Kind of the same as when people say they won't care for the children of family members or friends, sometimes they expect better treatment. But I think this scenario would have been worst because I would never want to mess with someone who manages my taxes (taxes are scary enough!).
Lucy 07:18 PM 01-06-2014
Originally Posted by Starburst:
I would have probably told the tax guy that I would prefer not to because I wouldn't want any issues that may arise to conflict with our business relationship. Kind of the same as when people say they won't care for the children of family members or friends, sometimes they expect better treatment. But I would never want to mess with someone who manages my taxes (taxes are scary enough!).
Yes, you're right. As he was talking I thought of this. After I hung up with him I thought of this. As Mom was talking I thought of this. Did it stop me??? Nope. LOL. Dumb need to not have people think badly about me!!!! Curses!!I would have probably told the tax guy that I would prefer not to because I wouldn't want any issues that may arise to conflict with our business relationship. Kind of the same as when people say they won't care for the children of family members or friends, sometimes they expect better treatment. But I would never want to mess with someone who manages my taxes (taxes are scary enough!).
Cradle2crayons 07:39 PM 01-06-2014
See I'm the opposite. I would think of it as a way to make a little bonus money for just a small amount of work.
First, I'd charge her $50 a week flat fee. Then I'd require she pick up at x time. If she would pay that, I'd give her a trial period for her to understand when I say pick up at x time I mean it.
Then I'd toss that $200 a month x 3 months in our Christmas or vacation fund lol.
First, I'd charge her $50 a week flat fee. Then I'd require she pick up at x time. If she would pay that, I'd give her a trial period for her to understand when I say pick up at x time I mean it.
Then I'd toss that $200 a month x 3 months in our Christmas or vacation fund lol.
Lucy 07:47 PM 01-06-2014
Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons:
See I'm the opposite. I would think of it as a way to make a little bonus money for just a small amount of work.
First, I'd charge her $50 a week flat fee. Then I'd require she pick up at x time. If she would pay that, I'd give her a trial period for her to understand when I say pick up at x time I mean it.
Then I'd toss that $200 a month x 3 months in our Christmas or vacation fund lol.
And yes.... this also went through my mind! But I was REALLY afraid of that pick-up time. I just knew she'd be here at odd times. And I'm not good at being a hard-nose about it, so I knew it would stick in my craw. See I'm the opposite. I would think of it as a way to make a little bonus money for just a small amount of work.
First, I'd charge her $50 a week flat fee. Then I'd require she pick up at x time. If she would pay that, I'd give her a trial period for her to understand when I say pick up at x time I mean it.
Then I'd toss that $200 a month x 3 months in our Christmas or vacation fund lol.
Naptime yet? 07:48 PM 01-06-2014
No wonder I make no money! This forum is awesome for developing kahunas!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
Lucy 07:50 PM 01-06-2014
Originally Posted by Naptime yet?:
No wonder I make no money! This forum is awesome for developing kahunas!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
No wonder I make no money! This forum is awesome for developing kahunas!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
melilley 05:20 AM 01-07-2014
Originally Posted by Naptime yet?:
No wonder I make no money! This forum is awesome for developing kahunas!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
No wonder I make no money! This forum is awesome for developing kahunas!
Lucy, trust your gut! Just say no!
I'll be open a year this month and I have gotten a little (little) more tough due to this forum!
TaylorTots 05:58 AM 01-07-2014
BTDT.
It seems like dcf just really don't get that just because they want care, we may not want to care for them.
It seems like dcf just really don't get that just because they want care, we may not want to care for them.
Lucy 09:39 AM 01-07-2014
Originally Posted by TaylorTots:
BTDT.
It seems like dcf just really don't get that just because they want care, we may not want to care for them.
Exactly. We're nothing more than a 7-11 to some of them. Always there... always open. BTDT.
It seems like dcf just really don't get that just because they want care, we may not want to care for them.