SOOOO DCM Was Late...WWYD??

[Blackcat31]

Last night I was feeling really bad so I went to bed early. I still had DCB here who would be picked up at 9pm. I left my phone with my hubby.

Prior to laying down I sent DCM a text at 7:15 and let her know my side streets were already getting bad and had not been plowed yet. Please be careful picking up.

She said OK.

Her pickup time is 9pm, she called at 9:04 and said she was on her way...that the roads were bad.......DUH of course they were!!

Hubby missed her call so he tried calling back, NO answer.

She did not show up until 9:25pm!

IMO she had ample notice that she needed to be here on time, and to plan her commute accordingly.

I am not happy that she waited until after her pickup time to call and tell me she'd be late. She knew well before 9pm that she was going to be late.

I will be charging her $25 for being late.

WWYD??

Next time I will close early!!

My take on this is that you warned her that YOUR side roads were bad. You weren't updating her on the road conditions elsewhere..kwim? So she had no idea what the roads were like between your house and her office.

Now one would think that common sense dictates that ALL roads would be bad but you and I both know that when it comes to DCP's, common sense isn't always common for all of them so I can see why this mom didn't account for bad roads elsewhere.

HOWEVER, I still would have charged a late fee because I do NOT allow weather to be a factor in late pick ups. Parents simply need to plan accordingly. NONE of it weighs into MY work day.

Did she work a little OT & had to deal with bad roads? I charge a set fee for a 4 hour block of time past regular hours. I also have $1 a minute late fee charge. If DCM is always inconsiderate, the $1 tends to make them more punctual. It's judgement call which way to charge, in the end.

It's really a judgment call on your part; you know mom better and whether she's one to take advantage, and you know how flexible her job is about when she leaves. If those apply, I'd certainly charge her.

If you aren't as firm in your late policies, then I agree, it is merely a judgment call on your part as to whether you feel the lateness is something the mom pulled on purpose or if it was simply a bad situation that turned worse.

FWIW~ I have, in the past, waived a late fee IF, and ONLY IF, the parent notified me BEFORE the actual pick up time has past, that they are running late.

If I get notified AFTER the fact, that ALL late fees apply. NO EXCEPTIONS.

[Scout]

She was coming from work?

If she was, how could she control the commute? Most people can't leave work early, and sometimes you don't know how bad it is until you get out there on the roads.

Unless this is someone who is chronically late, I would not charge a fee.

I feel the same. When weather is bad we can all say that we know to plan accordingly but, the fact still is that lots of people can not leave early to get to our homes on time. And sometimes, even if you do, it can delay you. My once 25 min commute took me over 3 hours a few winters back...it was terrible!

[MyAngels]

Assuming that I charged late fees, I would charge them anytime someone was late no matter the reason.

I assume in this case the mom left work on time, but found the roads worse than she thought. As far as not calling prior to closing, perhaps she couldn't find a safe place to pull off, or didn't want to pull off for fear of getting stuck. I'd be cutting some slack on that one in this instance.

[Laurel]

I was thinking that I would probably let it slide but as I'm thinking about it a late fee is not a punishment....or shouldn't be. It should be compared to overtime. If they work overtime in their job, they get paid.

If I wasn't closing this year I think I'd put that in my contract. Something like "When you pick up late, I realize it can't always be helped. Emergencies happen. However, I still have to work later. Just as you get overtime compensation if you work longer than your scheduled hours so do I, so an overtime fee of $X per Xtime will be charged."

Why didn't I think of this wording years ago? Aarggh, well maybe some of you could use it.

I think I'd even add...no exceptions.

Laurel

[SquirrellyMama]

I was thinking that I would probably let it slide but as I'm thinking about it a late fee is not a punishment....or shouldn't be. It should be compared to overtime. If they work overtime in their job, they get paid.

If I wasn't closing this year I think I'd put that in my contract. Something like "When you pick up late, I realize it can't always be helped. Emergencies happen. However, I still have to work later. Just as you get overtime compensation if you work longer than your scheduled hours so do I, so an overtime fee of $X per Xtime will be charged."

Why didn't I think of this wording years ago? Aarggh, well maybe some of you could use it.

I think I'd even add...no exceptions.

Laurel

It is a good thought but remember that not everyone gets paid overtime. You may have some arguments with your wording. I'm not sure there will ever be a way to word a late fee without getting some argument

Kelly

[Laurel]

It is a good thought but remember that not everyone gets paid overtime. You may have some arguments with your wording. I'm not sure there will ever be a way to word a late fee without getting some argument

Kelly

It wouldn't matter to me if not everyone got overtime but my parents would know that I do and that it is not punitive but rather that I'm working and if I work extra than I get paid extra. Kwim?

Laurel

[Cat Herder]

I'm not sure there will ever be a way to word a late fee without getting some argument

Kelly

They can try to argue the fees are not fair because of >> enter special snowflake excuse here<<< but I simply tell them life isn't fair then laugh....

It is a pretty easy concept for them to understand.

Mine pay it ($1 a minute) and often tell me they are glad I don't charge what the big centers around here do.

My family time is more expensive than my opening hours.

[SquirrellyMama]

It wouldn't matter to me if not everyone got overtime but my parents would know that I do and that it is not punitive but rather that I'm working and if I work extra than I get paid extra. Kwim?

Laurel

I understand what you are saying and I think it is a good illustration. You were wording it like everyone got paid overtime when not everyone does.

Like I said, it is a good illustration to use instead of wording it as a punishment. Maybe in my next contract I'll call it an overtime fee instead of a late fee

Kelly

[SquirrellyMama]

They can try to argue the fees are not fair because of >> enter special snowflake excuse here<<< but I simply tell them life isn't fair then laugh....

It is a pretty easy concept for them to understand.

Mine pay it ($1 a minute) and often tell me they are glad I don't charge what the big centers around here do.

My family time is more expensive than my opening hours.

Agree with you also. They can argue but it really isn't up to them. Just making a comment that there probably isn't a way to word something that a parent won't complain about. It was me thinking out loud. We need some symbol for that. Little clouds to put on either side of the comment

[daycare]

my come back line when a parent tried to argue with me about it was

If you didn't want to pay late fees then you should have paid on time.

or

You should not have signed my contract if you did not agree to a late fee when you paid late.

having to enforce this ****s, but we have to stick to our rules and enforce them.

[Cat Herder]

Agree with you also. They can argue but it really isn't up to them. Just making a comment that there probably isn't a way to word something that a parent won't complain about. It was me thinking out loud. We need some symbol for that. Little clouds to put on either side of the comment

No, you are 100% correct. They live to find loopholes, and argue for points; it is like a live action video game... ::::

I try to laugh it off, make it a joke and turn it around on them. Sheldon called it something on big bang once..... Minimus Ridiculum something other... but you get the point.

I think they all know the deal, they are just playing the game with us to see who is the smarter player.... Getting your way and a good laugh is a win in my book. They laugh with me... so it works for me... :: My daughter calls it a "Momma burn", apparently these are way funnier than an average burn (I am 20 years older than my oldest client, btw)???

[Blackcat31]

It was me thinking out loud. We need some symbol for that. Little clouds to put on either side of the comment

How about this one??

[itlw8]

she gets off at 8PM and called at 9:04 already late before she actually left work I bet... why because it takes her 20 minutes to get there. and arrived 20 minutes later after the call.

she either worked late with out asking or stopped for a drink with her friends.

Charge her and warn her

[Laurel]

I understand what you are saying and I think it is a good illustration. You were wording it like everyone got paid overtime when not everyone does.

Like I said, it is a good illustration to use instead of wording it as a punishment. Maybe in my next contract I'll call it an overtime fee instead of a late fee

Kelly

[Sugar Magnolia]

She was coming from work?

If she was, how could she control the commute? Most people can't leave work early, and sometimes you don't know how bad it is until you get out there on the roads.

Unless this is someone who is chronically late, I would not charge a fee.

I agree with Heidi.