CM Club: just a little bit of a rant!

[Numberfour]

One of my families pays me by direct debit each week. Like most CMs I do not charge if I am on leave but family still pays if they are away.

Well, this particular family went on holiday for 3 weeks and they have cancelled their direct debit!!!

Should I text her to ask her to reinstate it? Leave it til she comes back?

I probably should and will leave it - after all she is in credit with me for £16 but even so....... i am really annoyed this being done without even telling me!

Or AIBU??????

No way, they have to stick to the contract. I would phone and politley ask if there is a problem or misunderstanding. Explain that 3 weeks is a long time and this is your income, if they are funny about it. How would they like to go 3 weeks without pay?!

going to text her now......

it often get messy with payment with this family. they don't pay any attention to my invoices, just letting the weekly payment roll (usually!)

But i owe them one day which is "banked" for when she needs it, and one of the 3 weeks when they are away, i am on leave too, so I reckon she thought it would be in order just to cancel the direct debit.

VERY annoying! the mum has told me that these kind of things don't bother her (ie, invoices, if I owe her a day etc), but it bothers me if I owe her or she owes me etc.

I keep on promising myself that if i owe her a day, I must reimburse her immediately just so that there is no confusion at later dates.

apologies for the boring post!!! DH away today so I cannot moan at him!

If they didnt get paid they'd be straight on the phone to payroll so bloody well tell her!

I had this last yr with busybee vouchers combined with bank holidays - upshot was parents didn't authorise (forgot ] and I ended up with £90 in unpaid direct debit fees (direct debits ranged in amounts from £5.95 - £9.95!!!).

Learnt a valuable lesson then and have just charged a parent £10 for late payment because I had to borrow money to 'make the books balance' with my bank. Write it into your policies and procesures and get parents to sign to accept it - it's your business at the end of the day.

MIght go to Morrisons tomorrow and ask if I can pay next week when parents money goes in.........lol...

Oh yes you have to ask, because we all know if you let it pass without comment/or wait til they are back then thats like permission to stop your payment without discussion whenever they like.
Do hope they dont give you notice, but then on the flip side, would they expect to be sacked for askin for their wages, I think not.

I have sent a text, but have not received a reply. i know that she has been popping onto facebook every now and then so will send her a message that way.

it is annoying that some parents don't take your work as seriously as you do.

a bit fed up with CMing at the mo.....

stick with it it is a career to be proud of.
maybe try to find some parents who realise that after keeping a roof over the kids head and food in their belly the next most important bill is the one to the people they they TRUST with those most precious to them (their kids), they do exist , sometimes they just need reminding that yours is a service that is payment dependent.

Withhold care on their return until payment received in cash or cleared in the bank, as they have already broken their contract by not paying you so you are within your right not to provide care until contract is upheld again.
AND write a clause in all contracts stating £10 (minumum) fee per week for each week late payment. so a payment that is two weeks late would earn you £20 and the second week a £10. £30 may be enough to make parents realise IT IS IMPORTANT to pay before or during holiday and not just a quick sorry on their return. It may seem harsh but just as you add a strict sickness policy to your contracts, you stick a strict late payment to each contract and if they choose to use your care, you should also find they choose to pay you on time! HTH