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melissa ann 05:01 PM 05-31-2010
still waiting for their schedule for the week? Hubby says I should turn off the answering machine, cell phone and not answer the door in the morning. I tell them everyweek I need the schedule on Fridays. It's even up on my message board that they always look at. Would it be fair to charge them an "inconvience" fee of getting their schedule Sundays between 8-9pm? Maybe then I will get it on time.
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Former Teacher 05:16 PM 05-31-2010
GGRRRR I am sure I am going to ALOT of flack for this but...here it goes

I see the providers side that yes you want to know the schedule so you can plan meals etc. However IMO the parents ARE paying for this service whether they are there in not. So no I don't think you should charge an inconvenience fee.

However Melissa in your case: I agree with your husband. That fool of an old man has NO respect for you the begin with. I would just "remind" him of your policy and say sweetly " oh I didn't think you needed care since I haven't heard from you "

However back to the post about charging a fee for not showing up: I guess I can't really understand coming from a center. It baffles me when I hear providers who charge a no call no show fee etc. As I said the parents are paying you for a service. It makes me more baffled when I read that providers get upset when a child doesn't show up because the provider doesn't like to be kept waiting. I understand it but it baffles me because again parents are PAYING for this service. I feel they can use this service for as much as little as they want.

I hope I make sense. It's been a long holiday weekend.
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melissa ann 05:22 PM 05-31-2010
Well, the phone call just came in. the kids will be here the rest of the week.
Now, I make milk from powder, I have some left but not enough for all of the kids in the morning. I didn't make fresh stuff because if they were not coming I would have enough for my own kids.
The fee would apply if they give me the schedule after Friday 5pm.
I do not charge extra if they do not call when child is not coming, but they still pay for that day.
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momofboys 05:25 PM 05-31-2010
Originally Posted by Former Teacher:
GGRRRR I am sure I am going to ALOT of flack for this but...here it goes

I see the providers side that yes you want to know the schedule so you can plan meals etc. However IMO the parents ARE paying for this service whether they are there in not. So no I don't think you should charge an inconvenience fee.

However Melissa in your case: I agree with your husband. That fool of an old man has NO respect for you the begin with. I would just "remind" him of your policy and say sweetly " oh I didn't think you needed care since I haven't heard from you "

However back to the post about charging a fee for not showing up: I guess I can't really understand coming from a center. It baffles me when I hear providers who charge a no call no show fee etc. As I said the parents are paying you for a service. It makes me more baffled when I read that providers get upset when a child doesn't show up because the provider doesn't like to be kept waiting. I understand it but it baffles me because again parents are PAYING for this service. I feel they can use this service for as much as little as they want.

I hope I make sense. It's been a long holiday weekend.
Yes, in some cases they are paying for a service but that does not give them the right to be rude & have such a lack of courtesy for the provider. And some home daycares do not charge if they don't provide the care. My parents pay me at the beginning of the week & my pay is the same every week b/c their schedule does not vary. However, if they let me know at the beginning of the week they won't be here on Wed then I don't make them pay for the day so I really would like to know in advance; otherwise it's hard for me to make plans for just me and my child. I only care for one family though so it's more of an inconvenience to me b/c if my family does not come it's just me & my kids & I am more likely to leave the house or make plans with a friend.
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Former Teacher 05:50 PM 05-31-2010
Originally Posted by janarae:
Yes, in some cases they are paying for a service but that does not give them the right to be rude & have such a lack of courtesy for the provider. And some home daycares do not charge if they don't provide the care. My parents pay me at the beginning of the week & my pay is the same every week b/c their schedule does not vary. However, if they let me know at the beginning of the week they won't be here on Wed then I don't make them pay for the day so I really would like to know in advance; otherwise it's hard for me to make plans for just me and my child. I only care for one family though so it's more of an inconvenience to me b/c if my family does not come it's just me & my kids & I am more likely to leave the house or make plans with a friend.
I totally agree that no it does not give them the right to be rude and have no respect. As for your situation, then yes it would courtesy on THEIR part because as you say you can make plans. Also since they wouldn't have to pay it would make more sense to let you know about any days off.

However again to reiterate my point for a provider to charge a parent for a no call no show/inconvenience fee to me is ridiculous.
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fctjc1979 06:09 PM 05-31-2010
If there are parents that continually take advantage of their provider, the provider must be able to do something to keep themselves from being someone's doormat. That being said, I don't think that a kid not showing up is a major problem if they are already paying for the day. If they aren't paying for the day already, having a serious talk with the parent about the inconvenience it causes the provider and the provider's family if there is not enough communication about scheduling is the first step. If that doesn't work, change your contract so that they are paying ahead of time for full time if they don't have their schedule to you by the friday before. That puts the ball in the parent's hands because they have to decide to either communicate better with the provider, pay for days they might not use, or find another provider.
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Pammie 06:42 PM 05-31-2010
I understand your frustration!!

My part-time/fluctuating schedule families only pay for days that they are here. They all know that to **guarantee** space will be available for their children, they have to confirm their schedules by Thursdays at 5pm for the following week....otherwise, they risk me filling their spots for the next week with another family needing drop-in/back-up care....or they could switch to paying me full-time rates for the entire week to guarantee that their children could come anytime that they needed.

I **promise**, all that it took was for one time that they didn't give me a schedule by Thursday at 5 - and I filled their spots for the following week before 8am on Friday morning, so they had no daycare for the next week...that they always made sure to give me their schedules well in advance of the cut-off time.

Now yes, I do risk losing clients over this, but they would be hard-pressed to find another provider in our area willing to do part-time care.
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TGT09 07:26 PM 05-31-2010
I have issues with this as sometimes I don't know my 18 month old is going to be here until the morning. I just think DCM doesn't think it's important as I will "always" be here. I feel like "not" being here one morning but I don't think I would have the guts to pull it off. It does drive me crazy though.
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MarinaVanessa 09:41 PM 05-31-2010
I can see all views of this issue. I guess the question and the answer both lie on the individual provider. We all have our "peeves" just like we all have other things we put our "blinders" on for. It just depends what we are willing to deal with as individuals. I, for example, don't mind that parents don't give me their schedule. I am here regardless of whether or not they choose to come or not. My families all pay in advance for the next week of care and they get no deductions for missing a day or for for coming later in the day. I close at 6pm and they have a max of 10 hours per day. If they come by at 12pm their kid still leaves at 6pm. I get paid for 10 hours even if they are here for 6. These parents with the "open" schedule also pay $20 more for this convenience than other families that are here the same amount of hours. Why do I allow them to do this? Because it doesn't bother me and I get paid regardless.

I can see how this could be a huge inconvenience to other providers however and if it bothers you then you should by all means correct this issue right away. A daycare center has business hours and families pay to use it at their convenience. Centers also usually charge more than a home daycare so aren't families, in essence, paying extra for this convenience? They can choose to pay less at a home-daycare and if all this requires is advance notice of their schedule then it's a small price to pay (to me at least).
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melissa ann 03:04 PM 06-01-2010
I only have this family. The grandpa that has his grandson, and his daughter who has 2 kids. They live together. G-pa's schedule is Mon-Fri but his daughter's schedule varies. So if they don't come, I could make other plans with my own kids.
I think the word inconvience is throwing some people off. I have in my contract that schedules are due Fridays, 5pm for the following week. By them calling me Sundays between 8-9 is quite rude. I'm just trying to come up with a way so I get the schedule on time. I live in a small town. I have to go to the next town to get to a Walmart or any other store. If they call me Sunday at 8pm I am not going to go running to get stuff. Not to mention, g-pa knows that I go to bed by 9pm.
Daughter gets her schedule a month at a time. when they signed up she said she would give it me a month at a time. I said fine and if she needs to make adjustments to it, due to appts or whatever that was fine. I wouldn't charge for those missed days, but that the 3 day min rate would apply. That has never materialized.
If they call me to tell me a child isn't coming. I do not charge for that day, but I do have a 3 day min rate. So if they were scheduled for 4 days but came for 3 they would pay the 3 day rate. But if they do not call and do not show up, then I charge for the day.
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tymaboy 04:08 PM 06-01-2010
I would do as your DH suggested. I bet you do it once & Gpa will be better at getting you his schedule.

I completely understand where you come from, one of my 1st families were really bad at this (on state aide as well) There were times they called the day they wanted care & if I did not answer phone (working in yard or shopping) They would show up when they wanted care & say they tried calling. The last time I took the other DCK & hid in another room when I thought they were heading to my front door. I changed my policy & everything due to that family & they just never got it. I termed them shortly after.
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nannyde 04:27 PM 06-01-2010
Originally Posted by melissa ann:
I only have this family. The grandpa that has his grandson, and his daughter who has 2 kids. They live together. G-pa's schedule is Mon-Fri but his daughter's schedule varies. So if they don't come, I could make other plans with my own kids.
I think the word inconvience is throwing some people off. I have in my contract that schedules are due Fridays, 5pm for the following week. By them calling me Sundays between 8-9 is quite rude. I'm just trying to come up with a way so I get the schedule on time. I live in a small town. I have to go to the next town to get to a Walmart or any other store. If they call me Sunday at 8pm I am not going to go running to get stuff. Not to mention, g-pa knows that I go to bed by 9pm.
Daughter gets her schedule a month at a time. when they signed up she said she would give it me a month at a time. I said fine and if she needs to make adjustments to it, due to appts or whatever that was fine. I wouldn't charge for those missed days, but that the 3 day min rate would apply. That has never materialized.
If they call me to tell me a child isn't coming. I do not charge for that day, but I do have a 3 day min rate. So if they were scheduled for 4 days but came for 3 they would pay the 3 day rate. But if they do not call and do not show up, then I charge for the day.
They know they are your only clients. They have the power here so you need to either allow them to do what they want or be willing to give them up. If you are not willing to give them up then prepare for them every day and if they come they come.. if they don't they don't.

If you are willing to loose them then simply tell them that they are to give you the schedule by Friday evening. If they do not give it by then then they will not be able to bring them and will be required to pay for their three day minimum.

You will not get him to stay and do it your way. You have tried that and it doesn't work at all. He knows he doesn't have to do anything you say and he still gets day care every day he wants it on his terms.

Nan
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missnikki 08:46 AM 06-02-2010
I would simply say to them, "part of our agreement was that you would provide me a schedule a month in advance. If you haven't done that, I need to know what's going on by Friday at 5. Beyond that, I do not accept children. I am sorry, but I will promise never to call you at the last minute to tell you I'm closed, if you will promise never to call me at the last minute to tell me I'm open." with a smile, of course.
Professional first, friendly second- that's how we get respect.
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MarinaVanessa 08:54 AM 06-02-2010
Originally Posted by missnikki:
"I will promise never to call you at the last minute to tell you I'm closed, if you will promise never to call me at the last minute to tell me I'm open."
Love this quote. I'm going to remember it forever. I'm filing it up there with favorite quotes right next to "I am a childcare provider, not a babysitter. If you promise not to call me a babysitter I promise not to sit on your baby"
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missnikki 08:57 AM 06-02-2010
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Love this quote. I'm going to remember it forever. I'm filing it up there with favorite quotes right next to "I am a childcare provider, not a babysitter. If you promise not to call me a babysitter I promise not to sit on your baby"
I am kinda proud of it
I have another one that I heard and I love- "I promise not to believe everything they say about home if you promise never to believe everything they say about daycare."
This needs a new thread!
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Janet 12:25 PM 06-02-2010
I get irritated when I don't get the schedule in advance. I get irritated because I only charge for the days that a child is in my care. I have a family where the dad works retail, so the schedule is always different and thats ok, as long as I know. I used to get myself all worked up because I never knew if he would be getting off the bus at my house or not because nobody called to give me a schedule and if I called and left a message, I would not get a call back. Finally, it dawned on me that getting the schedule to me is their responsibility, not mine. I stopped showing up at the bus stop unless I was told what the schedule was in advance. The first time that the mom had to go get dcb from school because of me not being at the bus stop was the last time it happened and I've been given the schedule regularly ever since. We can't just stop out activities and halt our plans because kid "a" may or may not show up.
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