I Hate When I Get Calls For Care And Just Not Prepared!

[cherryhill]

I had a woman call me for immediate care for her son today. Her hours are not typical so I was caught off guard. Mon. Tue. 7:30-5:30 which are my hours. So ok. Wed. 9:30-7:15. (Open almost two hours more.) Thurs. 8:30-6:15 and one Friday a month 7:30-5:30. I charged her 55.00 for today. I told her her rate would be 225.00 a week which is my full time rate. Am I ripping myself off? My husband said for me to charge $55.00 dollars a day for 4 days for easy explanation and Friday would be a bonus day. What???? I would be losing 20.00 a month so not an option. How could I explain this to her? I want her to know this rate is for her with only one Friday a month included for this price. I am really bad with rates. My rates are different for each client even if they are full time.

Any one else have clients with hours outside of normal business hours?

[countrymom]

why do you do different rates. You need to sit down and say "hey everyone is going to be on the same rate" for 3 days you charge 55 dollars what are you charging for the other 2 days, you are short changing your self because the 2 day that you have to watch longer you are charging way less like 50 dollars less. that doesn't make any sense.

[Unregistered]

Do you charge for the space since you likely cant fill the days he does not attend anyway?

I would charge for 4 days and bill the extra day the week they attend. I would explain it that way 4 days times X amount= quoted rate. Thats what they pay most weeks and the 1 week they come friday too would be 5 days times X amount.

Then later down the road if they want to start coming every fri you would still get paid for it.

[cherryhill]

Do you charge for the space since you likely cant fill the days he does not attend anyway?

I would charge for 4 days and bill the extra day the week they attend. I would explain it that way 4 days times X amount= quoted rate. Thats what they pay most weeks and the 1 week they come friday too would be 5 days times X amount.

Then later down the road if they want to start coming every fri you would still get paid for it.

Good idea thanks. I figure eventually she will start trying to bring him most Fridays if I am open.

[cherryhill]

why do you do different rates. You need to sit down and say "hey everyone is going to be on the same rate" for 3 days you charge 55 dollars what are you charging for the other 2 days, you are short changing your self because the 2 day that you have to watch longer you are charging way less like 50 dollars less. that doesn't make any sense.

I charge $55.00 per day. Well the ones that have been with me when I first began pay a smaller rate, and I will keep theirs the same but I will charge the same rate for everyone new from this point on. This particular situation is different since the hours are outside of my normal business hours so it will differ from the rest.