Tweet
Okay I think today ia the day I get a backbone. 3 families didn't pay me this week. That is over 300 dollars. My husband is out of work and I am pissed. Why do people do this. I think I am sending out a mass text since these families don't answer their phones saying if payment is not here by 6 tonight I will enforce the late payment fee and none of their children will be accepted into care until all fees and regular pay are paid. What do u think. I am so angry and between the sickness these families hid and now not paying I have enough. One of the ones that didn't pay is the one who hid strep. They all said they would be back to pay by 3 they pick up their kids at 130 Ahhhhhhhh
-
-
They all work at the same place too. Its so annoying. K thanks for letting me vent -
My backbone is sent to you as well. Be strong and stick to your guns!!!! Enforce all the late fees inc. Sat. and Sun. maybe switch to Mondays before the week, or Fri. before the week of providing your care!! It works!!!Comment
-
I feel your pain. I only have two families now, and most weeks one or both of them don't pay on time. I've never been able to figure out why these parents think it's ok to just pay whenever they feel like it!!!Comment
-
I have only had to enforce the late fee a couple of times. The problem is you haven't enforced it from the get go. You can't say okay this time I won't charge but next time I will because they will take advantage of it and get mad when you do enforce it. It's like dealing with children and discipline. If you tell a child not to do something or xyz will happen, then they do it but you don't follow through, you are teaching them that it is okay to do the wrong-negative reinforcement. Same with parents. If you don't follow through with late fee & no care then you are teaching them that they can get away with it. They signed the contract agreeing to payment and know about the late fees. When they do pay you , give them a letter stating, due to routine late payments, I am now requiring payment in advance for the week starting ? and no care until paid, then follow through. I know it's scary but you have to value your work.
I have come to the conclusion that parents don't think they should have to pay us on time because 1. they don't think what we do is important and 2. because we LET THEM. We do hard work and work long hours for low pay and we do it because we enjoy what we do. However, we also have bills to pay and expenses. What would they do if their boss decided not to pay them that week???Comment
-
I feel for you! I had a DCM call me on Friday and say "Oh, I totally spaced out stopping by today and paying you...." then there was that empty silence where I think she is waiting for me to say something but I'm just sitting there and thinking "Yeah you did, but it is only 3:00 and I'm here til 5:30 and you live 5 blocks away so...?????" but I don't say anything and finally she says ,"Well I guess I could bundle everyone up and come up there after I let the van warm up and drop off a check if you want me to." I just said "ok" and hung up. Really??? What did she think I was gonna say, "Ah, don't worry about it...I love watching kids for free!" I can't believe how inconsiderate people can be....so I am feeling for you big time...people always think it is just them you are dealing with. No one ever seems to realize that if 10 families owed you $10 how it adds up. I had a daycare dad once who actuallly counted the kids he could see playing and go "Wow! I should quite my job and do daycare...you're making like $20 an hour" Seriously?!?!? What about all the expenses and other things like dumba** parents (like him) I have to put up with? Parents really just do not understand.Comment
-
As if it was any of his business if you were making $20 hour. How annoying!
Regarding being paid do you guys just not say anything if the parent "forgets" the check? I outright ask for my payment if they are supposed to pay & have "forgotten". Usually then they will go get the $$$. I won't typically let them wait until the next day. So far I have had to ask for it but they have always went & got it when I asked for it. It is annoying to ask though!Comment
-
I used to ask for the checks but now I don't say anything and just add a $5 per day late fee onto the balance. (Including weekends) No one usually says anything because they know it is the policy as far as late payments go but if they do, I just say "the software I use for billing and bookkeeping adds it on automatically and I can't change it...didn't you read that part in the policy book?" They usually go "Oh Okay" and aren't late wiht paying anymore. I am lucky enough to really only have one family that is bad with late payments in the last few years...I swear she has paid almost as much in late fees, but oh,well good for me $ wise. If everyone did it I would have to change things again but right now so far so good.Comment
-
I get paid on Monday for that week. A couple weeks ago I was seriously needing that money paid that morning, and wouldn't you know it, neither family paid! (They usually just slip the checks in the diaper bags, and later, when I have a few minutes, I go get them). I texted both moms and let them know there were no checks in the bags and to please bring at pick up. These two moms are really good about paying on time, but for a while there, I would have to remind one of them (and I would forget to ask for it when I saw her!), but now it's very rare for them to not pay, but yes, I do ask if they don't. Well, those two anyway. There's one that I don't ask, but I charge her so little, and her child is here so little that I don't really make much from her anyway.Comment
-
Me too...short by $415...Comment
-
where do you guys find these parents? there is no way I'd put up with not being paid on time. You need to set the expectation, from the very beginning of the daycare relationship, that it will not be tolerated. I cannot remember, in 14 years, being paid late more than once or twice, and that was with special request....I just don't understand how parents can do this to their provider?????
Honestly, if a parent did that to me more than once, there would be no more child care services for them.
sorry they did that to you.
Comment
-
One of my moms was on vaca this past week. I have a sick feeling tonight knowing that she will "forget" and not pay me until later in the week. Uhhh! But she goes out to eat and had her car filled up with christmas stuff since she "had extra money".
Comment
-
I had a client who regularly spent her daycare money and paid me late, or tried to float checks which then bounced, who I ended up terming. The people who pay late now absolutely have the money.
I think that they assume that not paying me on time isn't a big deal, what's the difference between Friday or Monday, it's just a couple of days...Comment
-
If you have a late fee of, oh, say $10/day, the difference is $20! :
: I know I have no room to talk, since I've had my own share of problems with people paying late, and not having a backbone to make them stop paying late.....but I really do agree with late fees and the "no pay, no stay" ideas.
Question for anyone reading this far: my families leave check in diaper bag and I get it later in the day, when I have a chance to look for it. If it wasn't in there, would you text/call mom to remind her to bring it? Or just add late fees? If you add the late fees, do you send a note home every day that it's late? Or just not say anything? I understand the courtesy of letting them know they forget the check, but really, they are adults and I get tired sometimes of searching for the check, and finding it not there, and then having to contact them to remind them to bring it. I've actually been thinking about switching payday to the Friday before, that way I can deposit checks on Saturday, instead of having to put them through the ATM on Monday night, and then the funds aren't available until Tue or Wed.Comment
Comment