Retainers (again) do you charge one?

[leeloo1]

I'm finding that whilst I'm getting lots of enquiries at the moment, they're mostly for a few months (or longer) in the future. Typically the enquiries for asap have been ones I can't take for some reason or other.

I've been finding that mentioning retainers is really putting people off, but I don't want to be waiting 3 months for them to start and have them cancel on me... and I can't afford to not have an income...

So I wondered what does everyone else do? If you charge a retainer what proportion is it (half, full). I have said full fees, but thought I might compromise and say half???

I did a half fee retainer for someone who went on maternity leave once, but for children who are due to start in the next couple of months, I usually take a month's deposit, which is refunded against their first month's fees. I am probably losing out on some income, but it has worked so far. Any settling in sessions they come to before they start are paid for.

The sensible thing to do would probably be to take a half fee retainer and then top up to full fee if they use the space - but I'm not a very sensible person .

Retainers are generally half fee, explain to the parents that they are becaudse they are wanting to book an existing place for the future. However if you haven't got the space at present but know that you will have in say 3 months time then you take a deposit.

A non-refundable deposit sounds better - non-fundable in the event they change their minds but if they take up the place its used against the first months fee.

If they are willing to pay a deposit you know they are serious re wanting a space.

Nurseries usually charge a deposit to reserve a space but not retainers.

I charge £100 despoit which is non refundable if they don't then come.

I only charge a retainer if another parent "challanges" the first enquiry.

IE. I only have one space on a Monday. Parent A wants a space on a Monday but not till May. They come round agree they like us and I explain I retainer may be payable. They pay the £100 deposit, they get it taken off their first months invoice.

Parent B wants a Monday space ASAP, I go back to parent A and say another parent wants the space. If you want me to keep it for you then you need to pay a retainer (full rate). They either pay the retainer or I pay them back the deposit and take on parent B.

That seems the fairest way to me. As until they space is "challenged" you aren't really losing any money are you?

Also, if you are turning down the parents who need an asap start date, then you cant really justify charging a retainer as you are not losing any income at present.

Mmm, thanks for the input. I thought I'd heard CMs on here talking about full or 3/4 fees as retainers... must have been mistaken? A deposit or half-fee does sound more realistic.

navyeyelasH you're right, until someone does want the space asap its not really an issue, its just that once I fill my spaces I'll stop advertising/interviewing parents etc, so I don't think I'd get the situation of having it 'challenged'.

HMoO I've only been turning down parents who need an asap start date if it'd put me over my numbers - i.e. I had a parent who wanted me to have their 8 month old 4 days a week (weep - my perfect scenario) but I already have a 6 month old on 2 of the days, so couldn't take them.

Oh and 'Nurseries usually charge a deposit to reserve a space but not retainers'

Well, I paid a non-refundable administration deposit (£100) to apply to a nursery for my son, which is usual in this area, but that didn't guarantee him a place - they said that 1-2 months beforehand they'd let me know if they had a space - depending on which children had left/which rooms had spaces etc. Think CM v different to nurseries as I'm talking about an actual vacancy, not a place that someone else is filling that might become vacant in the future.