Help from CM's please!

[Pinner35]

I need some help in a situation with one of my parents. I'll keep it short. She is an experienced user of childminders and her DD was my first mindee. I have her DD three days per week, pre-and post school. She pays from 8am - 9am in the morning, which is fine, but I pick up her DD at 3:15pm and she only pays me from 3:30pm. She should be paying from 3pm and this had gone on for over a year, so I've lost out on quite a bit. Now that I have other mindees (who's parents pay the correct rate!) I feel its time to align her. I have suggested a contract review (which she has ignored...she prob thinks I am going to increase my rates, which I'm not).

Any ideas on how I can bring this up with her......please bear in mind, she is highly likely to take offence.

Thanks

I had this when I first started, unfortunately I had to just leave it as it was and put it down to a learning experience as the parent was very un-approachable and knew I was new to the whole thing.

I know its rubbish, unless you can confront her and say this is what you need to do due to loosing money and risk her giving notice I would chalk it to experience

Well, I don't really want to let it go. I'm not new to CM'ing any more and I feel like she totally took advantage of my inexperience. They make sure they get their money's worth from me, so I do want to bring it up and I will risk her giving notice. Any ideas on how / what I can say?

I would say

'I have been reviewing my contracts and the hours I do for you with x(childs name) I have noticed you do not pay from the correct time due to an error on my part when working out the fees, as of x date the new invoices will account for 3pm - finish instead of 3.30 - finish. I am sorry about my error'

If you try to stress it is your fault and apologise she may not get offended or think your blaming her

Tell her again that a contact review is needed. If she still ignores it, send a letter or email. Say that you haven't found it cost effective to charge for parts of an hour, and in future the charge for part of an hour (10, 15, 30 minutes or whatever)will be the same as for a full hour.

If she does argue, then you can point out that she has in fact been having half an hour's free childcare a day for however long it is, and that this change will bring her fees in line with those the other parents are paying.

If she goes, she goes; she won't find it easy finding a new childminder who will mind her child for free for part of each day.

How did the situation arise?

I had the same thing with one of my first parents and I fully agree that these parents do take advantage of your inexperience. The problem with leaving it is that, as I found, they take more and more liberties until the point you really do have to say something.

The way I resolved it was to introduce annual contract reviews and address the hours situation along the lines of " oh look: your hours have changed so we'll need to update the contract with the new hours or return to the old ones. Which would you like to do?"
She chose to update her hours. Had she not, I would have made it clear that care was only given for the hours on the contract.
You might also like to introduce overtime charges if you haven't already done so and charge for any extra time that way.

I did find that it was very easy and straightforward to sort out. Much easier than I imagined but then, as Lou said, she had all that free time so couldn't really complain.

To be honest, if she does get so touchy that you're reluctant to discuss things with her, she might be doing you a favour by giving notice. Not sure I could work with a parent like that.

Y

sorry just noticed i posted, was on my phone earlier and must have done it by mistake lol

Thanks for all the advice - much appreciated.

I can't remember how the situation arose but then, its likely that she won't either since she tried to pay me when I was on holiday (and I don't charge at all for hols). I think I'll use MaryPoppins words. Wish me luck....it could all go horribly wrong!

Well I did it and she's agreed the changes without any problem. Thanks for all your help.