Ok need some quick advice. I have a family that sort of pushes the limits on everything. Well I just noticed today that she's 3 weeks behind in payments. She pays via paypal and is part-time so the amount is quite a bit less than my other families so somehow I just didn't notice that her payments weren't posting (my fault I know). So I contacted her today and I got an excuse and she paid a portion of what was due. I asked her to pay the balance by end of business today. Well we are now 30 minutes from end of business and I haven't heard from her. I am supposed to watch her child tomorrow and I just have a feeing that she's going to come up with another excuse and want to pay at drop off tomorrow. What would you tell her if she doesn't pay by end of business? I just really need help with my backbone with this one because mom is very passive aggressive and can be very pushy. Thanks!!

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Just a simple and to the point fact." No services until child care payments are paid in full!" It's amazing how fast they can come up with the money when they are forced to.Simply amazing!
Say nothing else,just keep repeating it.

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But if she brings $ to drop off tomorrow and I watch him, it's her basically getting her way again when I asked it be paid by end of business today. KWIM?

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attach a late fee

Hi Mary,

I am sure it was an oversight on your part, but I only got half of the payment that is due in full today. Please be sure to admit the remaining balance by the 6pm tonight. Failure to make full payment by cut off time tonight will result in a $25.00 late fee that will be due with remaining balance tomorrow at drop off in cash.

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Oh, that's sneaky! You may not have noticed, but she knew she wasn't paid up. That alone would make me angry enough to deny services until fully paid up. Agree with pp, just keep repeating no service until fully paid. I wouldn't feel badly about it or doubt yourself- she is in the wrong!

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I would be so mad that someone did that.

what are your rules on late fees??

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I would be upset about that too! She wasn't going to pay until you said something? 3 weeks late and she acted like nothing! That is term worthy to me. You shouldn't have to say anything, it is their responsibility to pay, not for you to go begging for your money.

I guess it depends on how much you need her business, but I would be quite upset.

If she doesn't pay by today add late fees and no care until she pays in full. What is your policy? I add late fees per day, so if she didn't pay in full for 3 more days, I add 3 days of late fees

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I just sent the reminder Daycare mentioned and she paid the balance through paypal immediately. SMH. It's just frustrating because all my other families are AMAZING and with these guys they are nice but just have no respect for policies and think everything should be catered around their kid and for their kid. And they only come a couple of times a week. I told her that I'm thinking about no longer offering PT after January 1st so I'm guessing they'll drop instead of go FT. Just frustrating when people have no sense of personal responsibility.

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Oh,heck yeah! I didn't realize she wouldn't be picking up today so you wouldn't see her.I would definetely charge ber late fees if not paid by tonight and if she wants to play I would charge ber late fees all the way back three weeks when she stopped paying then.Trying to be sneaky,shame on her!

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some people wont get it until you make the consequence something they just can't ignore.

I have a late fee of
first time 50
2nd 100
150
if you pay late 3 times you are termed.

I don't get people every paying late. and that is per calendar year

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None of my other families would even consider paying late and they don't need reminders either. This family needs a reminder every.single.week. When I put the responsibility on them with no reminders...it went 3 weeks. ;( I also have late fees written into my policy but just have never had the need to apply them because all my families have been very respectful of policies and payments...almost all of them.

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sounds like a PITA family. I would be putting them on probation on my calendar after your final and last reminder about your payment policy.

If they pay late one more time in the next 30 days, term. You should not have to chase your money. Do they have to chase you down for services? Nope, so the respect should go both ways.

I got rid of most of my problem families because they just were not worth my sanity in the end...

yeah I am a little nuts

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Since you are no longer keeping them after January 1st, I'd tell them that effective immediately, payment is due IN ADVANCE of service.

So, first day of the week, they pay or they don't stay.

They may never come back, but that beats the other likely scenario...they are going to stiff you at the end.

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