EVERY FREAKIN TIME!!

I have a family that went from 3 days a week to full time-5 days a week.

I tell them "Full time rate is now $150" since my daily rate is $35. So not $175/wk like you'd assume.

So today I get a check for a four day week (I was closed yesterday) at what is now $30/day.

THIS IS WHY I DON'T OFFER DISCOUNTS!! Now parents think I'm doing $30/day for them at any time when in fact it's $35/ day unless full week.

My own fault for not spelling it out to a T I know but now I kick myself for even giving a full week rate discount.

IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.

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I ony give a f/t rate if they always pay that. so 4 days is the same

If they want to pay for less days they ALWAYS pay the higher per day p/t rate.

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I guess it's pretty confusing for me--do you not get paid for holidays? If not, and they are usually full-time, I would also expect that I would pay my usual rate - (rate/5).

I don't understand why you would charge like that?

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I charge less for full time, kinda like this:

Buy 5 shirts for $150

Or

Buy 4 or less at full price-$35 each

An incentive to get them to go full time since most kids are 3 day a week for me anyway. Instead of having a bunch of part time kids (which I've had since day one) I tried to make it more worth their while to go full time. It worked for one family (went from 3 days a week at $105/wk to full time of 5 days at $150/wk).

I know if they decide to just come 4 days a week at $35/ day it's $140 and full time is $150/wk (extra $10 so to speak) but none of my kids are more than 3 days week.

This is my way of making it sound a little more sweet to bring them to full time if they want. They go full time and pay an extra $45/wk. Otherwise they stay at $35/day.

Make sense?

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And no I only charge for days they actually come, no paid holidays or time off.

I have all teacher kids too and I don't charge for summer but $25/mo to hold their spot.

The kids have come at least twice a month during summer so I haven't had to utilize the spot fee. They pay normal $35/day when they come.

I offer discount sibling fee too; $55/day for two kids. It's only been a here and there use though by them.

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I would simply attatch a note to their next invoice stating "Oops, it must have been an oversight or a mis-understanding but my rate is: " and explain what they should have paid.

I would add the missing amount to their bill and go from there. If you don't fix it now, you will always have issues and I personally see nothing wrong with pointing out an error. We are all human, it happens. Correct them now and you won't be resentful and won't have to correct them in the future.

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That's what I'm gonna do at pickup. I also have their full time contract ready to go home today as I didn't have it ready at the start for last week. This full time thing was just established so everyone is all confused as to what's going on. My schedule is all wacky this year:

One dck went from 3days to 5 days (which was new and was not informed about till day back)
One dck went from 3days to 2 days (which was new and was not informed about till week back)
One dck went to full preschool
One dck went from 2-3 days/wk to maybe one.

Everyone last year was mon, wed or fri or at least 2-3 days a week. Since that was the case I changed to be mon, wed, fri exclusively this year.

So far I have none of that. I went a whole two years with mon, wed and fri kids without having anyone want full time. NOW I change it and everyone is all OMG SO CONFUSED. I did that to mainly secure the fact I'd only conti use to have them mon, wed and fri as I want to get my own son into extra things like ice skating/hockey and swim soon.

So now it's all kinds of clustered and I'm not too happy. If I can have two full timers I'll drop the ver limited part time kids so I've offered a discount full rate as an incentive.

So far, big bites in my butt all around.

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Yes, you need to address it and make sure they pay the pt rate when they use pt care.
Do you have policies written up that include this type of info?

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