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wahmof3 10:55 AM 10-10-2011
Have you ever interviewed w/ a client & at 1st thought it was going to be a wonderful business relationship & then just before start after some conversation & sudden changes don't think its a good fit? Whats the shortest length of notice you gave?
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cheerfuldom 12:24 PM 10-10-2011
i reserve the right to back out at any time for any reason. especially true of parents that enroll and then think they can still keep the interview and negotiations and such going long past everything was decided.
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MissAnn 03:37 PM 10-10-2011
Originally Posted by wahmof3:
Have you ever interviewed w/ a client & at 1st thought it was going to be a wonderful business relationship & then just before start after some conversation & sudden changes don't think its a good fit? Whats the shortest length of notice you gave?
Yes....2nd interview and she would not give me the name of her child's former childcare program.....and also revealed her husband's sperm count. She was so gone!
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B Lou 05:02 AM 10-11-2011
Haha. Really she thought it was important to reveal her husbands sperm count. What was the point in that. Future daycare kids? Letting you know she was planned on keeping you in buisness?

Sorry this just made me laugh. What a great way to start off what looked like was going to be a crappy day. Thanks.
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MissAnn 05:54 AM 10-11-2011
I did have a lady come to visit after she saw that I had a sign out. This was before I started a "no potential client visits during childcare hours" rule. She came in and looked at everything.....studied my report card on the wall....studied the firedrill report and even the sign in sheet. She would make comments like....good...good. She said she ran a program in another state. I felt so uncomfortable....I told her that I was uncomfortable and that we needed to reschedule for a time when no kids were present. She never came back. I think she was a spy and wanted ideas to open her own program. I felt sick to my stomach that I allowed her in and it made me really think about allowing "strangers" be around the kids I am responsible for.
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wahmof3 09:35 AM 10-11-2011
I am supposed to start this infant this Monday & I am having some mixed feelings if it going to be a good fit. There have been a lot of red flags already. She 1st contacted me thru email- I dont have her phone number. She met with me b4 dcg was born and stayed roughly an hour & didnt really talk or ask questions. Now all of the sudden she is questioning my fee & policies. Im just not sure. I also have another infant that has started a fussy stage, not sure if I want another infant right now. Im stressing bc I want to make the right choice. Im stressing too bc if I choose not to start her I feel bad for such a short notice.
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daycare 09:47 AM 10-11-2011
I had a family a few years ago that wanted to have their 3 year old start at a home DC becuase he was not doing well at a center. The family came to the interview and they were vvery nice. The child was a little over the top, but i try not to judge the childs behavior infront of the parents. We all know that children act differently around their parents.

after the interview both parents agreed that this is where they wanted to come. They asked when he could start and what they needed to do to enroll. I gave them all that they needed to enroll and sent them on thier way.

Well after they left, the phone calls and emails started. Tons of questions, tons of request to change things. I didnt mind the questions, this is why I gave her my email in the first place, but request to change things I mind.

So finally after 3 days of her asking why I cant do this or why I cant do that, I said, guess what...I cant offer you my services, I think that your family is not going to work well with the program and services that I offer...
Boy was she mad....But hey, you see the flags waving in your face and you ignor them, well then you get what you deserve RIGHT? lol

I say that if you are feeling that doubtful, you should nip it now or you will have more issues (bigger issues) later..
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lil angels 10:18 AM 10-11-2011
I have a 2 week trial in my contract that either party can term without reason and question if either party is not comfortable.
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gelbesonn 10:20 AM 10-11-2011
I had a DCG start and she lasted 4 days. I have a 2 week trial period in my contract. The kid made me hate my job. I was so stressed out after the first 2 days. I termed on a Thursday at pick-up. Told the mom I would watch DCG the next day and gave her back the other half of her 2 week deposit. The mom was mad and stressed that she had to find another DC by Monday. She thought she would get an extra week out of me, but there was no way I could mentally do it.
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cheerfuldom 10:31 AM 10-11-2011
same thing for me....termed one kid within two days. She screamed and was shockingly aggressive with the other kids. She couldn't even walk yet and was crawling over to hit, scratch, pull and scream in other kids faces. she touched no toys, no napping, very little eating. It was all too much. I felt bad about terming but not bad enough to even make it to the end of the trial period. Mom was crying "what am i going to do now?" when she left. I did feel bad but this was seriously not working out.
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wahmof3 09:50 AM 10-12-2011
sent dcm an email, stating that my program isnt going to be a good fit. OH THE WEIGHT OFF MY SHOULDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Unregistered 10:07 AM 10-12-2011
So this woman has thought, since she was pregnant, that when she goes back to work you will watch her baby. So, it's been at least a couple months? And now the baby starts in a matter of days and you're backing out on her? She thought she had things all planned out and all of a sudden she needs to find new care within days! When she is probably already stressed about leaving her baby and returning to work!
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Blackcat31 10:22 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
So this woman has thought, since she was pregnant, that when she goes back to work you will watch her baby. So, it's been at least a couple months? And now the baby starts in a matter of days and you're backing out on her? She thought she had things all planned out and all of a sudden she needs to find new care within days! When she is probably already stressed about leaving her baby and returning to work!
No, the mom apparently changed her ways. It was the actions of the mother that just now came to light that prompted the OP to not want to start this infant.

That says to me that the mom has changed things. I don't fault the OP one bit for not wanting to even start. She thought she had a good thing going and then days before the infant was to start, she had some new info thrown upon her.....those were mom's actions NOT the daycare providers. If mom had all this planned out why is suddenly changing her tune?
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Unregistered 10:27 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
No, the mom apparently changed her ways. It was the actions of the mother that just now came to light that prompted the OP to not want to start this infant.

That says to me that the mom has changed things. I don't fault the OP one bit for not wanting to even start. She thought she had a good thing going and then days before the infant was to start, she had some new info thrown upon her.....those were mom's actions NOT the daycare providers. If mom had all this planned out why is suddenly changing her tune?
There wasn't a lot of info provided like that, just that the mom asked more about policies and fees. Not that the mom was set upon changing things.
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dave4him 10:28 AM 10-12-2011
Havent had any of those moments yet. Frankly im a bit nervous about it when the time comes. I want to make sure the parents know they need to be open and honest with us and consider us family.
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Blackcat31 10:33 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
There wasn't a lot of info provided like that, just that the mom asked more about policies and fees. Not that the mom was set upon changing things.
We may be interpreting what OP is saying, but that is what I took from her posts about this.

I got the feeling she (mom) was trying to change things and is now questioning the policies and rates that the OP thought they already covered (i.e. already agreed on). I guess the way I look at it is the dcm had every opportunity to ask all the questions she wanted during interview. When she chose not to do that, to me that implies agreement to whatever was discussed. Now it seems the mom has questions and is not wanting things she agreed to already to be the way it works.

So for me that means mom is changing the game not the OP.

Whew! That was kind of confusing wasn't it? Hope that made sense.
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Unregistered 10:39 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
We may be interpreting what OP is saying, but that is what I took from her posts about this.

I got the feeling she (mom) was trying to change things and is now questioning the policies and rates that the OP thought they already covered (i.e. already agreed on). I guess the way I look at it is the dcm had every opportunity to ask all the questions she wanted during interview. When she chose not to do that, to me that implies agreement to whatever was discussed. Now it seems the mom has questions and is not wanting things she agreed to already to be the way it works.

So for me that means mom is changing the game not the OP.

Whew! That was kind of confusing wasn't it? Hope that made sense.
that might be what is happening and that would be totally on the mom, but the OP never said that so I chose to not think the absolute worst of the parent who might be stressed out beyond belief at the thought of leaving her baby for the first time with someone she barely knows to go back to a job she hasnt done in months.
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Blackcat31 10:49 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
that might be what is happening and that would be totally on the mom, but the OP never said that so I chose to not think the absolute worst of the parent who might be stressed out beyond belief at the thought of leaving her baby for the first time with someone she barely knows to go back to a job she hasnt done in months.
See, that is why we are understanding things so differently.....my youngest just moved out. I am long past those first time mom stresses....

You brought up a good point though...which is why I love this forum. Different viewpoints.
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wahmof3 11:30 AM 10-12-2011
If I were to post the changes that the dcm just dropped on me last minute, you would be reading a book. lol

The dcm did meet with me in May and stated she needed care for xx hours, I said ok that works for me.

Then within the past week or so she has added more hours (only assuming it worked for me), questioned my rates, questioned policies--- many many red flags.

The dcm needs changed & I couldnt do it.
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wahmof3 11:31 AM 10-12-2011
Originally Posted by dave4him:
Havent had any of those moments yet. Frankly im a bit nervous about it when the time comes. I want to make sure the parents know they need to be open and honest with us and consider us family.


Lesson learned here for me:

During an interview- PRY, PRY, PRY for info. This dcm hours never changed, she just didnt disclose all of them
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Tags:bad fit, interview, notification, notify - new child addition
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