Is this rude or am I being oversensitive after a long week in work.

[navyeyelasH]

warning - sorry long

I have a website, it clearly states my hourly rather and that I operate on a session basis (8am-1pm/1pm-6pm/8am-6pm), lunch is at 11.30-12ish and dinner 4ish.

Had an enquiry last night from someone saying they had seen my website and wanted childcare for 2 days from 9am-4.30pm.

I replied saying we had the vacancy needed from April and that "We run our childminding business slightly differently to others in that we operate sessions; so you would be billed from 8am-6pm, you can drop off as late at 9.15 am and collect as early as 4.45pm."

Got this reply.

"The reason I want to put my son with a childminder is because I am fed up of paying a daily rate at nursery rather that hourly. I am trying to cut down my costs. I would not be happy to pay you for a full day if my son is not with you for a full day.

If you can not take an hourly rate then I will look elsewhere."

The whole tone just sounds really awful to me, am I being over-sensitive?! I think it's the last part that really rankles me! If I let every child do a random set of 7.5 hours each day I'd lose £18,000 a year! Really hate the dogs body mindset some parents have about childminders.

time I think!!

I think you're being a teensy bit oversensitive. I can see both sides, really.

Let them look eleswhere.

I do an hourly rate as the only work around here is bits and pieces here and there.
If I was a parent I would rather pay hourly as well...sorry.

I can see both sides and totally understand why you operate the way you do. I understand why she wants flexibility and to cut costs. Her reasons are fine but her tone is snippy she should have just said "thanks but looking to pay an hourly rate" and left it at that.

I would probably just not respond now.

I am going to let them look elsewhere, mainly on the basis of the tone of the email and I'm a big judgeypants!

I'd certainly expect a reply along the lines of "oh no what I shame, I was really hoping to pay hourly as am trying to cut my childcare bill. Is there any room for negotiation?" and wouldn't find that rude at all.

It's definitely the last part of it, so dismissive!

[drinks wine and calms down pronto!]

As a parent who uses a CM I have to say I would feel same as parent, I just would have put it less harshly! What you offer will suit some parents, but not all. I wanted a CM so I could pay for hours needed rather than a day rate. Also parent wants care until 4.30 but you say collection can be from 4.45pm - she may well want to collect straight after work and so having to kill those 15mins may be a pain. I wouldnt take it personally as I say, I am sure what you offer suits some parents.

I'd say it's factual rather than rude. I expect it is probably just that the parents are skint and only need part-time hours. I don't really blame them for not wanting to pay for 2 1/2 hours childcare per day they don't need.

Bit over sensitive. They at least sent you something back. So they know your position and you know their position. They are not compatible so that's that.

Reply back with a sweet and simple reply. "Sorry I provide childcare sessions, not per-hour billing. If that is not suitable for you, then I wish you every success with your hunt for a childminder."
Something like that.

Yes, its brisk but not rude. Crack open the wine and tell them to Fuck off but not in those words obviously.

I think it's really easy to read 'tone' into text. If you read it not assigning a tone it's very matter of fact.

I relied just saying that we only do sessions due to the problem of fitting other children into the "left over" hours - good luck with the search etc and even gave the number of FIS.

The point is mute now anyway as the space is filled. I completely see their point of view by the way, in their position I would want to pay hourly too.

We do have 18 children on roll who more or less all do 8am-5/6pm anyway so the session system does work where I live.

Yanbu a friend told me she was putting her daughter with a childminder 9am-3.30pm. When I pointed out she may have to pay the full daily rate she was amazed but the cm is loosing the option of a different child for a full day so it seems fair enough to me.

We have a wine emoticon?!?!?! How did I miss this!!

Loverly!

You're not being oversensitive, btw. Hardly a good tone to start off a childminding relationship! Tell her to indeed look elsewhere!

Annie, I like you; you agree with me - brilliant!!

Let me buy you a drink

Why thank you Navy! Most people on MN disagree with me a lot, so this is a good thing! Have a right back!

I'm off on a mum's pub night out tonight, so shall have a real one later!

Oh, but the Pombear has gone.

great, I hadn't spotted it!
Run it the way you want to run it, she can look elsewhere.

People don't understand that as a CM you can run your business as you wish and it's not for them to question. If she doesn't like the way you run your business then she doesn't have to buy in your services - but she shoulldn't start complaining about it.

I would ignore it as well and I certain,y wouldn't change for her (I'm not s CM but upi do run my own business - I woukdn't want her as a client anyway).

Oh, Annie got in there before me but I was going to say that I actually DID think that was rude and I can understand why you were upset by it. But tbh, I'd be thinking 'thank god I never had a meeting with them and they brought this up!'. It's the 'tone' that did it for me too!! Oh and as for bitty hours. A local CM does the same as you and I totally see why. I charge per hour but charge a higher rate for less than 8 hours booking plus I won't just take any old hours as I don't want to have to keep being in for different pick ups (been there done that, not fair on all the other kiddies).

Now I just HAVE TO use the emoticon!!! When did we get that? Really fancy one myself but can't as overnighter here! boo hoo

I've deliberated quite a bit about posting this, but I hope that you take it in the spirit that it is meant (helpfulness) rather than how it might seem (arsey!)

It is very difficult to convey tone and intent in words but I did notice your statement about "you can drop off as late as 9.15am and collect as early as 4.45pm." I can see what you are trying to say here but my immediate thought was that I'd bloody hope so! I think because it follows your statement about sessions it made me bristle a little, as like many people, I'd assume that a CM would charge an hourly rate.

That said, if you can fill your sessions then it makes perfect business sense to operate in sessions rather than hours. It might be worth re-thinking how you explain it; perhaps this enquirer read it in the same way as I did?

I would let her go elsewhere, she is likely to quibble over other things like illness.
If you state what you do, politely, she can take it or leave it. There is no need for you to change, unless you can't get any children.

But I'm guessing that bit meant that she's in the house until 9.15 and maybe they are not back until 4.45pm? But I guess if someone doesn't use a childminder, they may not realise that's what she meant?