Anyone Not Do a Wait List?

[Controlled Chaos]

I feel like a jerk asking, as it is a huge blessing to be full, stay full and have interest...BUT does anyone not do a wait list? I feel like I could have a million people on it, but by the time I have an opening only 4 people are still interested (which is great) but its a lot of people to contact and I feel bad not staying true to the order. I also hate to get peoples hopes up. I don't know, I think maybe I am being lazy.

Thoughts? Anyone do lists in a lackadaisical way?

[NoMoreJuice!]

I've been full for quite a while, but still have one or two calls a week. I've actually started to collect email addresses for potential clients, and plan to send out one email to all when I have a spot available. That way, the few that contact me will potentially get interviews, but I will choose the best fit, not the first in line.

[Blackcat31]

I feel like a jerk asking, as it is a huge blessing to be full, stay full and have interest...BUT does anyone not do a wait list? I feel like I could have a million people on it, but by the time I have an opening only 4 people are still interested (which is great) but its a lot of people to contact and I feel bad not staying true to the order. I also hate to get peoples hopes up. I don't know, I think maybe I am being lazy.

Thoughts? Anyone do lists in a lackadaisical way?

I keep all wait list contacts in a seperate folder in my e-mail.

Around the first week of each month, I click "send all" and send a mass generic email stating yes/no to any upcoming openings.

I ask parents to respond to the email as confirmation that they are still interested and wanting to remain on my list.

After I send the email, I delete the contents of the folder.

If they reply, I save the email/contact info to the folder.
Refilling it.

If they are no longer interested, they dont need to respond at all.

Takes less than 5 minutes each month. Easy peasy.

[Unregistered]

I do a thorough phone interview, and if everything seems to be a good fit (i.e. I want them) I let them know my next anticipated opening. Then I tell them that if they remain interested, to give me a call once a month to see if anything has changed.

I keep my interview form on file so that I can contact them if a unexpected opening comes up.

This works for me because
1. I get a lot of calls.
2. My group often doesn't change for a year or two.
3. I am always as full as I want to be.
4. Most people here who are looking for care now, need care now. The "waiting list" is full of people who have found care already.
5. I don't think that it's usually in a child's best interest to switch care just to get into a certain place. Not even mine

Fairly often there are parents who will check in each month. Some send pics and cards of their little one to keep in touch. Some juggle work hours to wait for an opening.

It works for me.

[lovemydaycare0912]

Ive been full for 2 months and still get calls. I have a waiting list but some people hear waiting list and don't wanna hear it.

[Controlled Chaos]

I keep all wait list contacts in a seperate folder in my e-mail.

Around the first week of each month, I click "send all" and send a mass generic email stating yes/no to any upcoming openings.

I ask parents to respond to the email as confirmation that they are still interested and wanting to remain on my list.

After I send the email, I delete the contents of the folder.

If they reply, I save the email/contact info to the folder.
Refilling it.

If they are no longer interested, they dont need to respond at all.

Takes less than 5 minutes each month. Easy peasy.

Oh thank you for the logistics! I was citing and pasting email addresses from a word doc and it was tedious and annoying. This makes sense! I just hate having pages of contacts that have probably moved on.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. The book keeping and paperwork makes my head spin sometimes

[Blackcat31]

Oh thank you for the logistics! I was citing and pasting email addresses from a word doc and it was tedious and annoying. This makes sense! I just hate having pages of contacts that have probably moved on.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. The book keeping and paperwork makes my head spin sometimes

It does work great and literally takes no time.

I could NOT figure out the paperwork and all the organizational stuff.... I kept thinking, I am working harder tp stay organized for clients that arent clients and arent' paying me either..... Argh!!!

So I "stole" the above method from a commercial (I want to say it was a Constant Contact advertisement)

It simplified the whole contact process for me.

I didn't want to alienate the families looking/waiting for care as they are important to my business so it's worked great for me to do it that way!

[laundrymom]

I've been full for quite a while, but still have one or two calls a week. I've actually started to collect email addresses for potential clients, and plan to send out one email to all when I have a spot available. That way, the few that contact me will potentially get interviews, but I will choose the best fit, not the first in line.

This is a fantastic idea!!

[permanentvacation]

I used to, but by the time I had an opening, the people on my waiting list would have already found other daycare, so I stopped keeping a wait list.

Now, instead of me keeping them on a list, I just ask them to keep my number in case they can't find daycare that they are really happy with. That way, they can check on my openings from time to time. I have gotten a couple of kids that way.

[AmyKidsCo]

I've been full for quite a while, but still have one or two calls a week. I've actually started to collect email addresses for potential clients, and plan to send out one email to all when I have a spot available. That way, the few that contact me will potentially get interviews, but I will choose the best fit, not the first in line.

That's what I do - when there's an opening I email everyone and schedule interviews first call-first served. If I think the first family is a good fit I might enroll them right away, otherwise I'll keep interviewing. It just takes too long to deal with 1 family at a time.

[LysesKids]

I keep all wait list contacts in a seperate folder in my e-mail.

Around the first week of each month, I click "send all" and send a mass generic email stating yes/no to any upcoming openings.

I ask parents to respond to the email as confirmation that they are still interested and wanting to remain on my list.

After I send the email, I delete the contents of the folder.

If they reply, I save the email/contact info to the folder.
Refilling it.

If they are no longer interested, they dont need to respond at all.

Takes less than 5 minutes each month. Easy peasy.

This is my strategy ... I do under 2's only so I need to fill a spot or two each year at least.

[NillaWafers]

I keep all wait list contacts in a seperate folder in my e-mail.

Around the first week of each month, I click "send all" and send a mass generic email stating yes/no to any upcoming openings.

I ask parents to respond to the email as confirmation that they are still interested and wanting to remain on my list.

After I send the email, I delete the contents of the folder.

If they reply, I save the email/contact info to the folder.
Refilling it.

If they are no longer interested, they dont need to respond at all.

Takes less than 5 minutes each month. Easy peasy.

Brilliant, I think I'm going to start doing this.

Who has a phone interview form I can follow/start doing? I normally just wait for an opening to do any sort of interview but I really should do that before placing on the list.

[Blackcat31]

Brilliant, I think I'm going to start doing this.

Who has a phone interview form I can follow/start doing? I normally just wait for an opening to do any sort of interview but I really should do that before placing on the list.

I have a "form" that I will PM to you.

[NillaWafers]

I have a "form" that I will PM to you.

Mucho gracias

[Unregistered]

I've always been a bit lackadaisical. Same thoughts here about people having moved on. Some do continue to check back.