cm's - is it always like this??

[ladyoflincoln]

just when i thought everything was sorted out..

just had a call from the mum of 6mth old who was meant to be starting full time in april. she has decided she cannot bear to go back to work full time and leave her lo. i can understand how she feels tbh, but during the last couple of weeks i have turned down a f/t enquirey and a couple of p/t enquiries (have passed them all onto cm's i know) so now i have a vacancy again..

i also took two weeks fees as a deposit for the place and I know the mum is hoping i will refund it. i do feel sorry for her, but the whole point of the deposit is so that i can confidently turn other business away as i know the place is definately filled.

do you think i am in the right? we have signed contracts etc. and i have given a receipt for the cheque and then banked it..

Would depend on the contract, but would not have expected a deposit to keep a place open to be refundable, as she was paying you to reserve the place. Perhaps deposits should not be called deposits, but a Retainer Fee, or Holding Your Place fee or whatever!

I would follow up on those enquiries you did have, just to see if they did meet the CM's you passed them on to, and what they thought. If they haven't yet signed contracts, then tell them you have a vacancy if they would like to discuss it with you. Follow ups are very important, even if you do establish that they are happily settled with a childminder, they will remember you, due to you following up, should they change their childcare requirement and if they are asked about childminders by another parent.

poor you
no its not always like this but it can happen
nannynick is right phone the inqurys back up the other cm may not have been able to help
good luck

thanks for your suggestions. i know the two p/t enquiries are now sorted with other cm's, but i will follow up f/t one definately..

what do you think about the deposit though? i asked for two weeks fees to reserve the place, which would have been refundable against the first month of childminding fees. i have said it is not refundable if the place is then not taken up, because i am out of pocket having turned other business away..

do you think i am being mean? or should i stick to my guns..

Hi there i don't know if you are a NCMA member but in the members handbook it says {i quote} a deposit is usually a one-off amount paid by the parents to show their intention to take up a place. It may be refunded by being deducted from the fees once childminding agreement begins. A deposit is not usually returned to the parents if they decide not to take up the place. But if you cannot offer the place as agreed you should return the deposit.
Hope this helps ,

You're not being mean. You've lost out financially and the deposit only partially recompenses your losses from turning away prospective customers, and you don't know how long your vacancy(ies) will take to fill.

If no-one else had been turned away and somebody else had paid a deposit (taking the place of the mindie who never started)then I would advise refunding.

well, now i am mad with myself for being soft as i didn't really want to do it but i have agreed to refund half of the 'non-refundable' deposit..

i am sure i am not cut out to run my own business, i think i need some assertiveness training

oh, well - at least i don't have to worry about getting a triple buggy!

xx

Perhaps a better way would have been to say to them, if I do manage to fill the vacancy without being out of pocket then i'll happily refund the deposit. Hindsight's a wonderful thing of course, I probably wouldn't have thought of it at the time!