Unexpected Interesting Text

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

ok, I sent careless mom a text saying that she said she would be paying 100 earlier in the week and now is saying Dad will bring me 50 and she will pay 100 monday,... so not 5 min after I sent the ,.. I thought you would be paying more ,... so I start getting texts say,..

Well I'm not paying more than I owe her. I gave her 100 earlier in week for 2 weeks of part time. Since he's going ft nxt week I owe her 50 and that pays for Nxt week. Remember gotta pay on fridays for the following week now. And moms paying for the skirt I bout. She's giving me money when I get there at 4. That's where I'm doin rachel (client) hair

They sent those to you but meant to send to Cory. Sorry. He doesnt know I still owe u.And Ill have y paid next week for sure.

Then I want have to keep it from Cory and wnt have to stress about late pmts

Im so OVER this issue! Im not answering the texts, Im waiting to see how dad treats me this evening, seeing how he is being told lies,.. No wonder he is so ugh to me all the time. what would you do????

[ninosqueridos]

WOW!!!! She needs to grow up and find childcare elsewhere. She is not treating you OR your business with respect. Some people....

[DCMomOf3]

I wouldn't want to start a big thing in their house, but you never agreed to lie to the dad. My gut would probably tell me to laugh about it to dad and see what he does... BUT that woudn't help the relationship I have with the family and that's maybe too passive agressive to be a smart thing to do. In the end I'd most likely ask for the hundred and if he asks why say they owe and play dumb.

[missnikki]

I would treat it as though you never saw the texts. I would tell the dad "Johnny's daycare balance is ___ days past due. Are you able to take care of that today?" (HIM= NO) "When I spoke to mom, she said she would pay me $____ on ___ and I haven't received that payment. Of course, I cannot take little Johnny until this is taken care of, or there will be a late payment fee of ___ " Or whatever your late fee policy is.
Professional all the way. Mom may have something to say, I would tell her that I didn't understand the text, and so that is why I'm talking to you in person. Play dumb, but not stupid.

[momofboys]

KUP on how pick-up w/dad goes. Should be interesting! So is the mom planning on paying you late & she acts like it's okay with you but she's just hiding it from her husband?

[Crystal]

I would be straight up with the Mom and tell her I absolutley will not keep this info from the father. I expect to be paid, and paid on time. If I am not, I will be asking the other parent for the fees due. I would rather risk losing a dck than lie, be sneaky or dishonst in any way. I'd demand she pay you today if it is past due and if she does not inform her that you will be requesting the remainder due from the father.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

Update~background
well they arent married, He has never directly paid me, my agreement is with her as a single mom, not him at all. But he is an authorized pickup. She gets money from him for daycare but she spends it. then is behind, but since my agreement is with her and he isnt on any forms I dont feel its my place to inform him. I got a text friday asking if she could drop it off late evening friday,.. I was at my daughters boyfriends football game, (lost 53 to 0) ugh. so I said no,... she didnt bother to try yesterday, sat. and as of yet Ive not heard from her today. So she will get 20 dollars tacked onto her bill I have in her cubby for Monday. I already have it laid out in the cubby and will hand it to her at dropoff,.... if she doesnt pay me the hundred promised in the text Ill continue adding late fees until she does. Im going to give her 2 weeks to be current or drop her. Its not worth the stress. I have a new one starting in 8 weeks anyway.

[tymaboy]

Update~background
well they arent married, He has never directly paid me, my agreement is with her as a single mom, not him at all. But he is an authorized pickup. She gets money from him for daycare but she spends it. then is behind, but since my agreement is with her and he isnt on any forms I dont feel its my place to inform him. I got a text friday asking if she could drop it off late evening friday,.. I was at my daughters boyfriends football game, (lost 53 to 0) ugh. so I said no,... she didnt bother to try yesterday, sat. and as of yet Ive not heard from her today. So she will get 20 dollars tacked onto her bill I have in her cubby for Monday. I already have it laid out in the cubby and will hand it to her at dropoff,.... if she doesnt pay me the hundred promised in the text Ill continue adding late fees until she does. Im going to give her 2 weeks to be current or drop her. Its not worth the stress. I have a new one starting in 8 weeks anyway.

I think 2 weeks is being WAY to generous. From what I gather you have already been WAY to generous with her.

[mac60]

Personally, I do not think texts messages belong in the business world. I learned in college, and not so long ago, that emails, and I am sure now texts msgs, are not appropriate for business correspondence. I will never go to texts/emailing my clients, it will continue to be done in newletters, notes home, one on one conversations. JMO though.

[momofboys]

Update~background
well they arent married, He has never directly paid me, my agreement is with her as a single mom, not him at all. But he is an authorized pickup. She gets money from him for daycare but she spends it. then is behind, but since my agreement is with her and he isnt on any forms I dont feel its my place to inform him. I got a text friday asking if she could drop it off late evening friday,.. I was at my daughters boyfriends football game, (lost 53 to 0) ugh. so I said no,... she didnt bother to try yesterday, sat. and as of yet Ive not heard from her today. So she will get 20 dollars tacked onto her bill I have in her cubby for Monday. I already have it laid out in the cubby and will hand it to her at dropoff,.... if she doesnt pay me the hundred promised in the text Ill continue adding late fees until she does. Im going to give her 2 weeks to be current or drop her. Its not worth the stress. I have a new one starting in 8 weeks anyway.

So am I correct that you are not being paid & you are still caring for her child? I personally would not provide the care without being paid in advance. It's quite a risk especially with a client who pays late!

[missnikki]

I agree with Janarae.

My opinion of texts and emails is different than Mac60 though- While notes home and face-to-face are the best ways to communicate, a traceable method such as email/text can serve as proof of attempting to collect on a debt. Since it's already established in texts, I would send one back that includes the $20 fee. You know what they say- document, document, document.

[Chickenhauler]

Notes are nice, but electronic messaging (email, text, IM, etc) is the way business is done, like it or not. And, the larger the business, the more they use/rely on it. Many large companies are to the point where if you don't do web-based ordering type transactions, you don't do business with them.

Reason being, like missnikki stated, is recorded evidence of the communication. There is no "well, she said" or "I took it to mean" or "She never told us" or "I didn't get the memo".

At this point, you're able to show them the sending date and time, the delivery and read receipt (if you request this).

[melissa ann]

Personally, I do not think texts messages belong in the business world. I learned in college, and not so long ago, that emails, and I am sure now texts msgs, are not appropriate for business correspondence. I will never go to texts/emailing my clients, it will continue to be done in newletters, notes home, one on one conversations. JMO though.

I agree. None of my dcp have my email address. I do newsletters, notes sent home and in person conversations. I have received texts from one dcm with her schedule for the following week. But that's ususally it.

[momofboys]

Personally, I do not think texts messages belong in the business world. I learned in college, and not so long ago, that emails, and I am sure now texts msgs, are not appropriate for business correspondence. I will never go to texts/emailing my clients, it will continue to be done in newletters, notes home, one on one conversations. JMO though.

I agree to a point but I have had some situations where I wish I'd had proof that I had told a parent about a closing, etc. Once a mom insisted she had no clue about a closing I had told her about 4 months in advance. I even sent 2 reminders home within 2-3 weeks of said day off. If we had e-mailed I could have showed her said proof.

[MarinaVanessa]

I agree to a point but I have had some situations where I wish I'd had proof that I had told a parent about a closing, etc. Once a mom insisted she had no clue about a closing I had told her about 4 months in advance. I even sent 2 reminders home within 2-3 weeks of said day off. If we had e-mailed I could have showed her said proof.

Not to mention that with e-mail you can keep track of date and time e-mail was sent and if it was opened or not. I do all of the above. I sent an e-mail, and give a written notice and verbally communicate. This way there's no confusion. If they don't have e-mail then I text. I have googlevoice which keeps records of text messaging. I had an issue about going on vacation and a parent said they didn't know (it's in my policy, I gave notices 2 months, 1 month and 1 week in advance and told her verbally). I went back through the texts in googlevoice and printed out the reminder that I sent her 2 weeks before I went, it saved my butt. Also just right now same DCM left her wallet in DCB's diaper bag and wanted to come by to pick it up. I have a policy about coming by and not taking their child home (he has a hard time) so she asked me to put it on the front step. I put it in a paper lunch bag so it wouldn't be so obvious and put it on the step. I heard her come up so I watched her from my peephole (wanted to make sure it was her) and then texted her telling her that I saw her pick it up and making sure that everything was fine. She replied that she did. Now I have a record so that she can't say that she didn't get it (she once was short $7 and said she put it under my mat at the front door but I found no money).