How best & when best to contact prospective CM's?

[superflybaby]

By email or by phone? if phone, at what time of day?

emails don't seem to get responded to & cold phone calls always seem to catch people off guard.

I'm reluctant to call CM's in the evening as I picture them legs up on sofa with well earned glass of grape juice!

I prefer to be contacted by phone as I don't always check my e-mails. As for the time of day I would say try to avoid lunchtime and school/nursery run times so that usually means evenings when a C/M (well me anyway!) won't be distracted by the call/mindees etc. Honestly a lovely childminder won't mind you contacting them in the evening. HTH

From my experience I don't mind when a parent calls me if I need to fill the vacancy I'm glad of the call no matter when, I am often lapse at answering my phone at the weekends as that is my time with my family but even still if a message is left I'll respond as soon as I pick it up, I've had people contact me by phone, by email, by mumsnet and just by knocking on the door, doesn't bother me, phone calls are normally brief anyway as I'd make arrangements to meet face to face so I wouldn't worry about it to much x

Phone/email... I don't mind... the only time I have minded was when one prospective parent called at nearly 10pm once! ;)