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-   -   New Provider with a Fee Question (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45611)

Unregistered 05-10-2012 11:07 AM

New Provider with a Fee Question
 
Hi there, I had a question about fee and payment agreements. Just wanted to get some input from someone else in the business.

I originally quoted a parent at a low monthly rate for an infant. She later said she could not afford that but that she could split it in 2 payments and pay me bi weekly instead. So that is what we have been doing. She pays me every other week. Next week will be her on week, meaning she owes me that week. Anyway she asked me if I wanted my payment next week or the week after. Since there are 5 weeks this month. Not sure if you are able to follow this or not. Anyway my understanding is that if you pay me every other week, why would that stop just because there is an extra week this month? Why not just continue what we have been doing?

In our initial meeting, I had written a quote of my monthly rate on the front page, nothing legal, just a note. Just so that she can take it home and think about it and what not. So when she decided she was going to go ahead and go with me, she wrote out on my fee agreement that she would be paying "$$$ bi-weekly." I was ok with that. So now I expect payment every other week not matter what day it falls on. That is what we both signed on.

MAY (what I was expecting this month)
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$

MAY (what she is expecting this month)
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$
No Pay
No pay

Does this make sense to anyone, what would you do if you were me?

dEHmom 05-10-2012 11:14 AM

Welcome,

She is probably confused and thinking a monthly rate of *** is for a calendar month.

I would simply explain it is biweekly rate, *** for 10 days of care. Regardless of stats, illness etc, unless you take personal time off.


She needs to pay you for the next 2 weeks or else don't watch the children.


Good Luck.


eta: many of us have given breaks to families when they first started. because we felt bad for them for some reason or another. You will quickly learn, that even the best of parents will try get a better deal (nothing wrong with that!), but you need to stand firm. You have limited spaces, and you shouldn't have to take a pay cut because someone else can't "afford" it, or would rather spend the money on shoes, eating out, movies, etc.

Heidi 05-10-2012 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by dEHmom:
Welcome,

She is probably confused and thinking a monthly rate of *** is for a calendar month.

I would simply explain it is biweekly rate, *** for 10 days of care. Regardless of stats, illness etc, unless you take personal time off.


She needs to pay you for the next 2 weeks or else don't watch the children.


Good Luck.


eta: many of us have given breaks to families when they first started. because we felt bad for them for some reason or another. You will quickly learn, that even the best of parents will try get a better deal (nothing wrong with that!), but you need to stand firm. You have limited spaces, and you shouldn't have to take a pay cut because someone else can't "afford" it, or would rather spend the money on shoes, eating out, movies, etc.



That doesn't make you dumb, either. It's just who "we" are as a group. We may have BEEN bankers or salesmen or executives or assassins once, but now that we are DCP's we all have soffffft heartslovethis.

I learned long ago that you get payment IN ADVANCE, you get a deposit that covers at least one week at contract signing, and you spell out everything exactly in your contract. Even knowing all this, I gave someone a break when I restarted last year, and it's now biting me in the tooshie. :mad: oh well...live and learn AGAIN! :D

daycare 05-10-2012 03:41 PM

this post if from last year

Unregistered 05-13-2012 09:05 PM

Sorry for the confusion. No this post is from a couple of days ago. Thursday, May 10th. She ended up picking up her child shortly after I posted this and "didnt understand." She does pay in advance, I think that is something we providers learn right off the bat when we get someone who refuses to pay for one reason or another. So that is one thing I make sure of when signing a new parent up. Anyway so she just kept saying things like "why would I agree to pay something I cant afford?" She later told me she doesnt get help and that she would figure something out. She basically had an emotional breakdown and left with an attitude. The next morning she dropped off her child late. I woke up at 5am for nothing. Later when she picked her child up she apologized and said she sent me an email. So I read it when she left and it basically says things like, "you quoted me a certain amount after reducing your rate for me" "I dont get help from anyone" "work and school are taking a toll on me." "I will look elsewhere if we cannot come to an agreement."

I didnt respond, because I feel like it's not really my fault she didnt know what bi weekly meant. She is a smart, educated woman. And to say she cant afford it is frustrating when she arrives in a nice truck where as I borrow my dad's extra old beater cars he just had sitting in his driveway, she arrives in nice fancy clothes, where as I wear the same thing everyday because I cannot afford new clothes, she bragged about her nice, expensive stroller at one point with a matching carseat. She lives in a really nice neighborhood and shares housing expenses with her sister.

Anyway I had given each mom a special mothers day gift and gave it to them on friday. She was in a hurry so she didnt say much and then left.

And today she had flowers delivered to my house for me for mothers day.

I honestly dont know what to do. The money isnt all that great for what I do for her very fussy baby. But at the same time it IS a little extra money that I didnt have before.

Ugh... Anyway I dont know what to do. This whole situation just stresses me out.

SunshineMama 05-14-2012 11:07 AM

I get what you are asking- she needs to still pay every 2 weeks.

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Hi there, I had a question about fee and payment agreements. Just wanted to get some input from someone else in the business.

I originally quoted a parent at a low monthly rate for an infant. She later said she could not afford that but that she could split it in 2 payments and pay me bi weekly instead. So that is what we have been doing. She pays me every other week. Next week will be her on week, meaning she owes me that week. Anyway she asked me if I wanted my payment next week or the week after. Since there are 5 weeks this month. Not sure if you are able to follow this or not. Anyway my understanding is that if you pay me every other week, why would that stop just because there is an extra week this month? Why not just continue what we have been doing?

In our initial meeting, I had written a quote of my monthly rate on the front page, nothing legal, just a note. Just so that she can take it home and think about it and what not. So when she decided she was going to go ahead and go with me, she wrote out on my fee agreement that she would be paying "$$$ bi-weekly." I was ok with that. So now I expect payment every other week not matter what day it falls on. That is what we both signed on.

MAY (what I was expecting this month)
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$

MAY (what she is expecting this month)
Pay $$$
No Pay
Pay $$$
No Pay
No pay

Does this make sense to anyone, what would you do if you were me?


snbauser 05-14-2012 11:28 AM

You need to go back and look at what you wrote down as her rate. If you quoted her an amount every 2 weeks, then that is what it is and she owes you. If you quoted her a monthly rate and just divided it in half to be paid twice a month/every 2 weeks. then she doesn't owe. To me it sounds like you should start looking for a replacement. If you make a deal with a client and lower a rate for them, there should be not "threats" by them of "well, if you can't lower it more then I will find someone else". You are already doing her a favor.

Unregistered 05-14-2012 11:30 AM

Thanks for the reply. Do you have any advice on what I can tell her in a not so abrasive kind of way? I don't want to sound rude, but at the same time I want her to know that what my contract says, goes regardless of her misunderstanding.

Unregistered 05-14-2012 11:49 AM

Well I literally wrote down a note. Nothing signed. But what is signed, is a the fee agreement that we had. She crossed out weekly and filled in "bi-weekly" with her own handwriting.

That one is signed and dated by the both of us.

I am looking for a replacement, I just havent gotten any responses. This can be so stressful sometimes...

I know she's been expecting some kind of answer from me since Friday. I will see her Wednesday, but I honestly have no idea what to even say to her. I don't think she is taking this "bill" as serious as she would her phone bill. And although, like I said it's not much...I'm concerned because I"m going on a paid vacation in a month. I have a feeling she will say somkething like "I wasnt aware I had to pay you to go on vacation!" even though that was something I talk to every parent about in our initial meet up. And that is also something she signed off on.

BTW, Im so happy to have found a forum like this. No one knows how hard our job is, unless you've done it yourself.


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