DCM did NOT pay me for final week!!! NOT SURPRISED!!

[MaritimeMummy]

ARRGH, I should have known! She is SO manipulative! She dropped off and picked up on two of the 3 days DCG was here, and the 3rd day, DCD picked up, but DCM and DCD are not together so have nothing to do with one another. DCM on Thursday told me she left her chequebook at home so could she just send me an email money transfer. Sure, fine, whatever. Cut to last night, 10pm, asking me how much she owes me. I said, for 3 days, $90. Duh.

My policy is that payments for the week must be received by 6pm on Friday, no later, and that I reserve the right to charge $30 per day for every day late.

Today, (Friday) I was gone to my son''s doctor's appointment and to my great-grandmother's funeral. i came home and saw that at 4:30 she sent me an email saying her work internet isn't working and that she can't send me the email money transfer until "sometime early next week" OR she can bring me cash on Monday, *maybe*.

I. Am. LIVID. I have not even been calm enough to draft an email back yet. Thank GOD my daycare agency does money collection for delinquent clients!

[Meyou]

Ugh, I can't stand this DCM!!! I'm so glad you're done with her after you get your money.

I would reply with something like,

Dear DCM,

Per your contract late fees accrue at a rate of $30/day. On Monday, August 6th your bill will be $180.00 including regular and late fees if paid before 6pm. After 6pm I will be forwarding your information and account to my daycare agency for collection.

Thank you,

Provider.

[MaritimeMummy]

Ugh, I can't stand this DCM!!! I'm so glad you're done with her after you get your money.

I would reply with something like,

Dear DCM,

Per your contract late fees accrue at a rate of $30/day. On Monday, August 6th your bill will be $180.00 including regular and late fees if paid before 6pm. After 6pm I will be forwarding your information and account to my daycare agency for collection.

Thank you,

Provider.

I really, really like this. I tried so many times to start a message but my feelings kept getting in the way. She had tried so many times since she started with me to push my policies and get the upper hand. This is her way of getting that final dig of control in before she parted ways, although if I were to call her on it she'd be totally offended and deny it, of course, and become upset that I can't be more accomodating and understanding. That's what I bet she'd do anyway, based on her history. ;-)

I just don't get how she thinks she is above it all. She's in for a rude awakening when her daughter starts at a licensed daycare centre next week. She's not going to be able to pull this crap.

I don't think she remembers, I did not send home her things with DCD when he picked her up. So they will remain here until she pays.

TBH, I don't think she's trying to get out of paying me altogether. It's just "not convenient" for her to do it when I NEED it, so because it's inconvenient for HER, that makes what she's doing "okay" in her head. She even wrote a smiley face at the end of her email as though she wasn't doing anything wrong!

[Meyou]

It's pretty obvious she's teaching you a little lesson since you wouldn't take her child on your scheduled day off and had the nerve to want to attend your grandmother's funeral. I'm sorry for your loss again BTW. I don't think it has anything to do with the money with her either.

Hopefully, a stern email which doesn't leave room for negotiation will make her understand that you're DONE with her.

[Truly Scrumptious]

ARRGH, I should have known! She is SO manipulative! She dropped off and picked up on two of the 3 days DCG was here, and the 3rd day, DCD picked up, but DCM and DCD are not together so have nothing to do with one another. DCM on Thursday told me she left her chequebook at home so could she just send me an email money transfer. Sure, fine, whatever. Cut to last night, 10pm, asking me how much she owes me. I said, for 3 days, $90. Duh.

My policy is that payments for the week must be received by 6pm on Friday, no later, and that I reserve the right to charge $30 per day for every day late.

Today, (Friday) I was gone to my son''s doctor's appointment and to my great-grandmother's funeral. i came home and saw that at 4:30 she sent me an email saying her work internet isn't working and that she can't send me the email money transfer until "sometime early next week" OR she can bring me cash on Monday, *maybe*.

I. Am. LIVID. I have not even been calm enough to draft an email back yet. Thank GOD my daycare agency does money collection for delinquent clients!

This is why I get paid in advance. Even for drop in care. The parents have to either pay each morning as they go along, or pay for the days of care that they think they need that week up front.
And they understand per their contract, that if they set aside 3 days of care and pay for 3 days of care, then there's no going back. If something happens....like their child is sick on one of the 3 days, or grandma calls out of the blue and wants the child on one of the 3 days...money is not refunded for the extra day, nor is it applied to future days.

[saved4always]

I love the suggested email note in one of the previous posts. Doesn't give her a place to exert her own will about it...just tells here what is going to happen now. Try not to let her ruin your weekend and celebrate that you will no longer have to deal with her. happyface

Where I work now, they only take automatic payment withdrawals from a bank account as payment and they are done a week before care is to be given. No way parents can put off paying for thier child's care.

When I did childcare in my home, I required that I be paid for the week on the first day I provided care for that week. I only had a couple parents who ever pushed this and did not pay on time. Most of my parents were like clock work handing me that check or cash on the first morning.

[MaritimeMummy]

All of this has definitely been a learning process. I'm sure a lot of you know by now that her daughter was the first child in my home day care. She came in September of last year and my next child didn't come until January, and that was my cousin's child so I think she always thought it was a very relaxed, casual arrangement and she just never got it through her head that it was otherwise. I have always been kind and wanted to be friendly and give people the benefit of the doubt. It seemed like every week or two, she'd give me a reason to go over my contract and re-work it for the future. By the time january rolled around, I had changed my contract pretty drastically since when she started in September, and she has openly resented me for it. But I dealt with her for the sake of her daughter, who I love.

Out of 4 parents, she would have been the only one to throw a stink over pre-payment for the week. The rest of them would not have a problem with it, and in fact, I was really tight for money one week and they were kind enough to prepay 2 weeks in advance. THOSE are the people I want.

This DCM is starting her own business. I wonder how she'd expect to respond to me if I went in to her store, took armloads of her stuff, and said, "oh, but sorry, I can't pay you this week, not until the start of next week maybe".

(and how close I was to emailing that very same analogy to her! LOL)

[Crazy8]

I love Meyou's letter... please send it to DCM asap!!! You may be surprised how quickly she gets you your $90 when she sees it will be doubled by monday!

I would really encourage you to get payment in advance for all future clients. They pay Friday for the following week. They can "forget" on Friday, accrue smaller late fees thru the weekend but dare show up on Monday with child and no payment and you are turned away at the door. You will never be owed money again!!!!

[daycarediva]

I love Meyou's letter... please send it to DCM asap!!! You may be surprised how quickly she gets you your $90 when she sees it will be doubled by monday!

I would really encourage you to get payment in advance for all future clients. They pay Friday for the following week. They can "forget" on Friday, accrue smaller late fees thru the weekend but dare show up on Monday with child and no payment and you are turned away at the door. You will never be owed money again!!!!

That's how I do it as well, Friday by 6pm for the following week, if you don't have it, it's $20 every day it's late, then I can tell them not to show Monday without it if it's still owed Sunday evening.

[Kaddidle Care]

Ugh, I can't stand this DCM!!! I'm so glad you're done with her after you get your money.

I would reply with something like,

Dear DCM,

Per your contract late fees accrue at a rate of $30/day. On Monday, August 6th your bill will be $180.00 including regular and late fees if paid before 6pm. After 6pm I will be forwarding your information and account to my daycare agency for collection.

Thank you,

Provider.

Ah yes, but don't forget the smiley face!

[My3cents]

All of this has definitely been a learning process. I'm sure a lot of you know by now that her daughter was the first child in my home day care. She came in September of last year and my next child didn't come until January, and that was my cousin's child so I think she always thought it was a very relaxed, casual arrangement and she just never got it through her head that it was otherwise. I have always been kind and wanted to be friendly and give people the benefit of the doubt. It seemed like every week or two, she'd give me a reason to go over my contract and re-work it for the future. By the time january rolled around, I had changed my contract pretty drastically since when she started in September, and she has openly resented me for it. But I dealt with her for the sake of her daughter, who I love.

Out of 4 parents, she would have been the only one to throw a stink over pre-payment for the week. The rest of them would not have a problem with it, and in fact, I was really tight for money one week and they were kind enough to prepay 2 weeks in advance. THOSE are the people I want.

This DCM is starting her own business. I wonder how she'd expect to respond to me if I went in to her store, took armloads of her stuff, and said, "oh, but sorry, I can't pay you this week, not until the start of next week maybe". think this all you want but be above this behavior. The things that go through my head, if the parents only knew, wink wink....but I refuse to lower myself to that level.

(and how close I was to emailing that very same analogy to her! LOL)

no no no....... I am glad that you didn't do this, but I would send her the letter the other poster (forgive can't remember your screen name) wrote up. Perfect, business nothing personal just business. She looked at you more as of a friend then she did as your client of your business. Big learning curve- hang in there.

[My3cents]

Ah yes, but don't forget the smiley face!

as much as you want to put that smiley in- again don't do that. Be professional about your business so that you are taken seriously.

I too want to shove the smiley in there.......but I wouldn't. If you send this letter be ready to follow through too! Best-

[MaritimeMummy]

[/B]

no no no....... I am glad that you didn't do this, but I would send her the letter the other poster (forgive can't remember your screen name) wrote up. Perfect, business nothing personal just business. She looked at you more as of a friend then she did as your client of your business. Big learning curve- hang in there.

I actually did copy/paste the letter suggested. :-) That was Saturday morning. Have yet to hear from her in response. I told her that since today is a holiday here that I am going to be closed and spending the day with my family, so to call before she comes. If I am not home she can either email money transfer it to me or drop it off with my in-laws who live next door. If she drops it off with my in-laws she knows that her daughters' things are there to be exchanged when the pay is received.

[Kaddidle Care]

as much as you want to put that smiley in- again don't do that. Be professional about your business so that you are taken seriously.

I too want to shove the smiley in there.......but I wouldn't. If you send this letter be ready to follow through too! Best-

Oh you're right - I should have put (J/K) instead of the winkie. I was just being cheeky.

[MaritimeMummy]

So shocker of shockers, she has 1 hour left and still no word from her.

As angry as I am with her about this do I really forward this off to my home day care agency? If I do that then I can pretty much guarantee that my daughter and she will never see each other again, and they are such good friends. :-(

I know it's not supposed to be made personal but holy heck, she was my daughter's first real friend...