How Would You Handle This?

[HappyPennie]

I am looking at changing my rates or how I charge my rates. I started out with daily rates and liked the simplicity but I had families dropping off and showing up without letting me know and it was driving me nuts. Two years ago I switched to hourly rates which I liked for awhile but now I have one family that is here 30.5 hours/week and here 5 days. Due to the hours they are here per day I can't fill another spot to make up for their hours (Either 7:30-3 or 9:30-3). Anything I come up with though for charging differently, increases their rate by $10 or more per week. Maybe I'm just being too picky with things? I know I need to pick a way to charge and stick with it. I don't want to keep switching but I haven't found a system that works for me. How do you charge and what has worked for you? Going on my 7th year and I would like to figure this out and just leave it...

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by HappyPennie

I am looking at changing my rates or how I charge my rates. I started out with daily rates and liked the simplicity but I had families dropping off and showing up without letting me know and it was driving me nuts. Two years ago I switched to hourly rates which I liked for awhile but now I have one family that is here 30.5 hours/week and here 5 days. Due to the hours they are here per day I can't fill another spot to make up for their hours (Either 7:30-3 or 9:30-3). Anything I come up with though for charging differently, increases their rate by $10 or more per week. Maybe I'm just being too picky with things? I know I need to pick a way to charge and stick with it. I don't want to keep switching but I haven't found a system that works for me. How do you charge and what has worked for you? Going on my 7th year and I would like to figure this out and just leave it...

My rates work like this in 2 steps:

Pick 3, 4 or 5 days of attendance.

You are assigned a weekly rate according to how many days per week you choose.

Next pick 3:00, 4:00 or 5:00 as the latest pick up time you will need.

Your rate is then adjusted according to what time you are picking up.

Make sense?

I know exactly what time I am done working every single day this week. I no longer have kids from open to close and I make more money but work less hours. Go figure.

Each family pays their assigned weekly rate 52 weeks a year.

[HappyPennie]

I like that set up. How did you figure your rates for that system then?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by HappyPennie

I like that set up. How did you figure your rates for that system then?

I PMed in response