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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Blew Me Off...Now What?
Thetotspot 01:26 PM 07-18-2013
i had a mother speak with me in walmart about how she supposedly waited at my daycare for five hours and i wasnt there. i didnt let it get to me because my phone numbers are on the window and she could have called....and i know she didnt actually wait at my door for five hours. so she tells me about the children and the hours she needs...and i figured lets set an interview up so i can meet children. so i set it up for any time between 7:30am and 10 am on monday...here is a block you can come at...nope...no show. i see her tuesday afternoon and she didnt acknowledge me so i got over it. her boss sees me today and says she will be right over in a few minutes...she needs you to take kids tomorrow. um...we have no paperwork filled out...i have no shot records...i havent met kids...and im not interested in doing drop in business with this woman. so...a couple hours after seeing her boss...she shows....at nap time. i didnt open door but help up three fingers indicating when i would open door. so...she may or may not come back. she works ten feet away from the day care...so we are bound to cross paths regardless. none of this chnges the fact that she blew me off on monday and that i dont feel comfortable caring for children i have never met and that she tells me have special needs...possible adhd and autism. wwyd if she camr back and asked for care tomorrow...no kids in tow...?
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Heidi 01:34 PM 07-18-2013
Ok...wait...

When did she wait for you for 5 hours? Did she have an appointment?
She didn't wait at all if she didn't have an appointment.

Secondly, do you always schedule interviews in vague blocks of time? A 3 hour window? It's not a birthday party or open house. It's a business. You set a specific time and if they don't show and don't call, you don't take on the client. Period.

If she shows up at your door for care, you say tell her she needs to make a NEW appointment for an interview, and based on the interview, you will decide together whether or not your program is a good match.
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craftymissbeth 01:35 PM 07-18-2013
It would be a no-go for me. I dare a parent to show up at my door and demand care when they didn't have the decency to show up to our interview. Not to mention the fact that she says she waited at your daycare for 5 hours . Next!

ETA: I guess I did miss the part where the OP scheduled a block of time rather than a set interview.
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wdmmom 01:46 PM 07-18-2013
A no-call/no-show is enough for me to turn and never look back. It's a complete disrespect for your time. I don't care what the excuse is/was, I wouldn't allow her to waste another minute of your time with her nonsense.
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JenNJ 01:48 PM 07-18-2013
If a potential family is more than five minutes late for an interview, I lock my door or leave. I will not schedule an interview again. My time is valuable to me. I want a client who respects and values my time from day one. If they don't then they are not a good fit for my program.
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Thetotspot 01:50 PM 07-18-2013
to be honest im new...so im still learning ropes. no she didnt have an appointment when she supposedly waited for five hours. the vague block of time was me being an idiot i know that. im terrible when put on the spot and i had my children with me and i was shopping and she wouldnt give me an answer and i let it all get the best of me. the whole thing was odd. i know i should be setting specific times. im still trying to build my back bones as well as my interviewing skills.
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daycare 01:55 PM 07-18-2013
Originally Posted by Thetotspot:
to be honest im new...so im still learning ropes. no she didnt have an appointment when she supposedly waited for five hours. the vague block of time was me being an idiot i know that. im terrible when put on the spot and i had my children with me and i was shopping and she wouldnt give me an answer and i let it all get the best of me. the whole thing was odd. i know i should be setting specific times. im still trying to build my back bones as well as my interviewing skills.
Don't worry and don't beat yourself up. Ive been in the game for 10 years and I still make a lot of rookie mistakes. It's all a learning process and you are in a great place here on this form. I have gotten sooooo much help, support and have gained so much more wisdom from it...
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littlemissmuffet 01:58 PM 07-18-2013
Schedule interviews for specific times. I do not reschedule late shows or no shows.

I also do not care for children whose parents live or work extremely close to me. If the relationship ends badly I don't want to deal with/see that person every day. I also don't want to see that they are home/not at work when they should be

RUN!
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e.j. 02:08 PM 07-18-2013
I would tell her, "I'm sorry; I don't accept kids into my care unless I've had the chance to meet with them and their parent(s). I had hoped to do that on Monday but unfortunately, you didn't show up. I really don't feel that we will be a good fit but I'd like to help you out. Here's a list of area child care providers I printed out for you. You may want to try calling them to see if they have openings. Good luck tomorrow!" (Then I would call any of those providers on the list that I know and warn them! )
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craftymissbeth 02:11 PM 07-18-2013
I'm new to daycare too. I just opened the end of May. Thank goodness I spent LOTS of time here on the forums before I started. I've learned to have a backbone and it's come in handy a few times already.

As far as getting caught off guard at the store... when something like this happens just remember to automatically (even when you think you know your answer) tell them that you'll get back to them.
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KIDZRMYBIZ 07:13 PM 07-18-2013
Speaking of not showing up at a scheduled time for an interview, I had a potential client show up 55 min. early! They said they read somewhere to show up early to catch me off guard, see what state the house was really in, etc. My husband had to answer the door while I was throwing clothes on and brushing my teeth (it was a Sat. morning). Needless to say, I made it a short interview and did not take them. I understand where they were coming from, but good Lord! I still laugh about that one!
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Sugar Magnolia 07:54 PM 07-18-2013
Next!
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Heidi 06:35 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by KMK:
Speaking of not showing up at a scheduled time for an interview, I had a potential client show up 55 min. early! They said they read somewhere to show up early to catch me off guard, see what state the house was really in, etc. My husband had to answer the door while I was throwing clothes on and brushing my teeth (it was a Sat. morning). Needless to say, I made it a short interview and did not take them. I understand where they were coming from, but good Lord! I still laugh about that one!
Seriously?

Obviously "they" (the people who wrote that article) are inconsiderate louts. It's a private home, and it's Saturday. Have some sense, people!
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williams2008 07:14 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia:
Next!

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DaisyMamma 07:15 AM 07-19-2013
The whole 5 hour thing would have led me to say "sorry, I'm full" but even if I had allowed to schedule an interview after that I would have been done after that for sure, I don't do second chances.
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MarinaVanessa 09:13 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by Heidi:
Seriously?

Obviously "they" (the people who wrote that article) are inconsiderate louts. It's a private home, and it's Saturday. Have some sense, people!


The authors I believe should made a distinction about when it is appropriate to do this ... for example, at a center it might be easier to do this but I don't believe that it's appropriate at all for a family child care home. Even then in a center usually they have a particular person who gives the tours, usually an administrator or one of the teachers. The day could possibly be scheduled so that this person is relieved or has the time for this interview for that particular time slot. Arriving early even to a center might sometimes mean that the person giving the tour may be unavailable.

As for Family child care ... these are our own private lives. My family for one is very active. If an interview came 55 minutes earlier than scheduled it could be possible that I wouldn't be home, was in another interview or was busy doing something else around my home ... like enjoying my family time .

In that sense though I also think that an adult should also be able to take these things into consideration before they show up early to an interview even if they read somewhere that it is ok to do so if it's family child care KWIM.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:14 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by wdmmom:
A no-call/no-show is enough for me to turn and never look back. It's a complete disrespect for your time. I don't care what the excuse is/was, I wouldn't allow her to waste another minute of your time with her nonsense.
Absolutely. Clients that I HAVE taken on after a no call/no show in the beginning were absolute nightmares to have.

I highly advise against doing this.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:16 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Schedule interviews for specific times. I do not reschedule late shows or no shows.

I also do not care for children whose parents live or work extremely close to me. If the relationship ends badly I don't want to deal with/see that person every day. I also don't want to see that they are home/not at work when they should be

RUN!
I always let a client know that their interview time is reserved just for them and to please give me x amount of hours notice if they are unable to make it. Late arrivals or a failure to give adequate notice will result in me not rescheduling. It's worded nicer, but I make SURE they know this.
I once had a Grandma come to interview instead of the Mom because the Mom couldn't make it and couldn't give notice in time and she wanted her child to attend here.
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My3cents 11:17 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by Thetotspot:
i had a mother speak with me in walmart about how she supposedly waited at my daycare for five hours and i wasnt there. i didnt let it get to me because my phone numbers are on the window and she could have called....and i know she didnt actually wait at my door for five hours. so she tells me about the children and the hours she needs...and i figured lets set an interview up so i can meet children. so i set it up for any time between 7:30am and 10 am on monday...here is a block you can come at...nope...no show. i see her tuesday afternoon and she didnt acknowledge me so i got over it. her boss sees me today and says she will be right over in a few minutes...she needs you to take kids tomorrow. um...we have no paperwork filled out...i have no shot records...i havent met kids...and im not interested in doing drop in business with this woman. so...a couple hours after seeing her boss...she shows....at nap time. i didnt open door but help up three fingers indicating when i would open door. so...she may or may not come back. she works ten feet away from the day care...so we are bound to cross paths regardless. none of this chnges the fact that she blew me off on monday and that i dont feel comfortable caring for children i have never met and that she tells me have special needs...possible adhd and autism. wwyd if she camr back and asked for care tomorrow...no kids in tow...?
red flags everywhere on this one
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My3cents 11:22 AM 07-19-2013
Originally Posted by Thetotspot:
to be honest im new...so im still learning ropes. no she didnt have an appointment when she supposedly waited for five hours. the vague block of time was me being an idiot i know that. im terrible when put on the spot and i had my children with me and i was shopping and she wouldnt give me an answer and i let it all get the best of me. the whole thing was odd. i know i should be setting specific times. im still trying to build my back bones as well as my interviewing skills.
your in the right place....

start with having a good policy/rule/hand book and contract. Put that together so that you know how you operate.

Always schedule an interview. I feel they work best after hours because then you can devote your time to the client and not be interrupted plus your not bringing just anyone into your home that you don't know around the other children in your care. Never wait more then 15 minutes for a show and then move on if they don't. Things happen but at this point your best advice is to not take on a client that can't value your time

Welcome and good luck...........read these boards a wealth of information at your fingertips.
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