Referral Program

[Brooksie]

Does any one here have a referral program or policy? If so how do you work it? What reward do you give? How do you keep track of it?

I was thinking of giving my current families my business cards with different numbers assigned to them or something and then if they give them out and someone starts with me and stays through the trial period then they get a discount on a week or a certain amount off one week's tuition.. Just not sure how to go about it professionally and at something that makes sense and is beneficial to every one. My current clients either work at drs offices or a local Salon so I feel like if they had a good incentive to give out my card it'd be great advertising. I'm having a lot of trouble getting kids over 2 but have the LONGEST wait list for infants... Any advice?

[Blackcat31]

My friend who has a child care in the next town over....buys gift cards for $10 at local diners/stores and gives them to current clients that refer a new family.

She writes out a thank you card, includes the gift card in it and gives it to them after the new family has been there longer than the two week trial period.

[littlemissmuffet]

I think that's a great idea, BC.

I never offer discounted or free services for ANY reason! I'd much prefer to give a gift card!

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

I had postcards printed on Vista Print that announce that I am looking to fill a spot and outline what I'm looking for (age group, pt/ft, etc.) that I hand out to parents. They're cool!

Then, they get one week of free childcare when the new child starts, and a second free week when the new kid has been with me for 6 months. It sounds so generous, but in 11 years I've only had occasion to give it out twice. I usually end up enrolling someone who finds me on their own.

On a side note, having dcf friends is not great. The first one I had went out shopping together on a regular basis, then came back expressing how terrible they felt that they had such a wonderful day while I was "stuck home with the kids." Well, I hate to break it to you, but I LIKE being stuck home with the kids! And I had to make sure I kept everything consistent (rates, hours, policies) between them because you know they're comparing notes. I used to host monthly get-togethers for my families, but quit when I realized that was what they were all doing!

[MarinaVanessa]

I offer a $50 discount to clients that refer another client but only after the referral signs a FT or PT contract and is here at least 4 weeks.

I've never had to give the discount though ... my clients are very secretive and protective of their child care for some reason and prefer not to share my info with their friends and family. I asked a DCM about this once and she said that she didn't want to refer a friend that didn't work out for some reason or complain about me and my daycare because then "I'd have to defend you and then I'd lose a friend ... I love bringing DCK here and I wouldn't want one of my dumb friends to ruin it for me" ::. I have a current DCM that has a babysitter for weekends and I asked her for her babysitters info for myself and she wouldn't even give me that info. Instead she gave me a long pause and a worried look ... turns out she's worried that I'll stop doing daycare .

Anyhow, here's how I word my referral policy:

Referrals
Referrals from current clients are the biggest compliments that we can receive. As a thank you we offer our families a discount of $50.00 off of a weeks’ tuition payment for each referral that enrolls as a regular full or part-time client. The amount will be deducted from the next invoice due after the referral has attended for four consecutive weeks.

[heyhun77]

I offer a referral credit to current clients after a referral has been with me for a month. When friends/non-clients refer families to me I will buy a gift card and mail in a thank you card to them.

[daycare]

I USED to do this, but no longer offer it.....

I put a promotion out one time offering an incentive for a referral. The family that gave the referral was NOT one of my favorites, they pushed the envelope sometimes. Well they sent 2 different clients my way.

we interviewed. The first one right away was a NO way....wanted special everything.......

the second one I went for. everything was ok the first week, but then they too started asking for special. I held my ground and said I am sorry, but I can't do that.

So they left.....my client who gave the referral did not earn the incentive because the referrals did not meet the criteria of staying for at least 30 days. Needless to say, they left to because they were upset that I did not take any of their referrals.

I have decided that from here on out, promos and advertising are my responsibility.

NOW I don't promote it to the parents, but if they do refer someone to me and they sign up and it works out, I do give them a one time credit of $50.00 off of their bill.

[Patches]

Yep, I do. The potential client has to tell me at the interview who referred them and then if they enroll and stay for two weeks then the client who referred them gets a one-time $25 credit on their account. I have given it out once so far.

[blandino]

We do. If the referred client stays for a month, they family who did the referring gets a $50.00 credit.

I am contemplating changing it to 25% of the new families weekly fees - since some are part-time, etc.

I have gotten quite a few referrals from friends and clients who aren't with us anymore. I have thought about sending a gift card to them, for maybe just $10.00. or maybe just a handwritten thank-you.