Infuriating! No common courtesy!

[JKL]

Is it just me that finds it infuriating and rude when people don't bother to let you know that they're not turning up?!?

Had my first parent meeting arranged for tonight at 4.30pm, having been rearranged at last minute on Tuesday.

I sent a text at 3.15pm asking mum to confirm they were still coming, no reply.

It's now 5pm and I've still not heard anything and they haven't turned up!

I just find it incredibly rude! Sorry I'm just ranting!

xx

[littlebears1009]

It is rude and unfortunately does happen. Its awful, especially being your first one. But look on the bright side to me it shows she may not have been reliable if she had started with you. Hope you get mor enquiries soon!

[JKL]

Thanks, that's what I'm chalking it up to! I'd just never dream of being so rude! Grrr! Cancelled tea out with the DH and DS for this too!

[alex__17]

Yes my first 2 or 3 did this, and as I was new I was so nervous before them so spent days worrying about it all then for them not to show! I think they didn't show because the realised I was new, even though I had it clearly in my childcare.co.uk profile and always told them when they got in contact as I thought it best to be upfront!
Thankfully all that have shown up have chosen me, so I now think its their loss when they didn't show, agree though its so rude to not even text!

[Maza]

Very rude. But what goes around comes around. x

[clareelizabeth1]

Very rude. But what goes around comes around. x

Very true a new childminder in my village came to me and apologised for not coming to a meeting to send her child to me as she had found care else where. She said she got stood up by a parent and all she could think was how I must of felt. I did feel smug.

[bunyip]

:idea: If we all got together and agreed not to break ranks, maybe we could all charge admission tickets for prospective client visits (refundable when they start attending.) :D

I seem to be some sort of 'idiot magnet', attracting parents who devise ever more dumb ways to waste everybody's time. :(

At the mo, I have limited vacancies and a lot of enquiries (don't like to criticise Richard, but maybe his website is a little too good at attracting families :rolleyes:) - so I only see those who know the days they need, so as not to waste time on people we couldn't possibly accommodate. So I book in visits for 4 families: let's call them A, B, C and (you're guessed it) D, both parents due to attend in all cases. All looking for a Thursday place, starting September. All informed of the other days I do/do not have spaces.

Mr & Mrs A come. All fine, go away to look at other settings and decide. They are really keen (and good for me, for various reasons) so I make an exception and agree to give them first refusal should anyone else happen to make an offer: we agree they'll have strictly 48 hours to decide if that happens.

Mr & Mrs B come. All fine, go away to look at other settings and decide.

Mrs C comes (alone - no Mr C: he's decided to work late). OK, I don't want to take any chances (more often than not, it's the jealous daddy who has reservations about a male CM if anyone does, but often this is overcome by meeting the dad.) So, despite all the cleaning/tidying and special chocolate biscuit purchases, I offer to rearrange the appointment. "No, don't trouble yourself" says Mrs C "hubby will trust my judgment." Hour and a half later, mum says she's really happy with everything, but thinks hubby should see it for himself, so can we book another appointment just for his benefit? :angry:

Mr & Mrs D come. All fine. Very near the end of another lo-o-o-o--o-o-o-ong visit, Mrs D pipes up, "Oh, nearly forgot to tell you. My boss has changed my days, so when I go back from maternity leave I'll need you Fridays not Thursdays after all. That's OK , isn't it." No it clucking-well isn't, you dumbo - don't you listen??? Thanks for wasting another chunk of my life. :veryangry:

OK, that's all the visits done with (give or take me keeping the recalcitrant Mr C waiting for a space in my diary.) Next Mrs B phone up and wants the place for definite. I stall and tell her the other couple (Mr & Mrs A) have expressed interest and I'll get a decision within 2 days. Mrs B is ok and understands.

I call the A family, explain in full to Mr A they must get back to me with a decision within 48 hours as agreed, or lose the place. Fine - he promises to call back. I hear nothing over the following 2 days, despite me getting edgy and leaving 3 voicemails to remind them. So I give the place to a delighted Mr & Mrs B.

Next day, Mrs A calls, wanting the place. I explain. She gets all ar5ey with me for giving her place to someone else. :eek: She reckons hubby didn't tell her 48 hour deadline. I remind her that I left 3 messages, all stating "I must have your decision by 6pm Sunday" and she says "well, yes, I got those, but you never actually spoke to us and so you should be a bit more flexible with the deadline."

STREWTH !!!!!:doh:


There's not that much room left on the planet, so why are these people allowed to continue wasting oxygen?

[alex__17]

Bunyip this made me laugh, so true!

I have them asking if I could 'just go over my numbers on one day' so having their 2 children on top of the 3 under 5's I have already...no thank you, can't think of anything worse! But the number of times they ask its like they don't understand why I wouldn't want to do that, let alone can't do that! I'm the one inconveniencing them!

[SYLVIA]

It happened to me once. I phoned the parent later to see why she hadn't come as arranged and the new Nanny answered the phone!! The mum later called and said she may still come as the nanny was not as good as she thought. Funnily enough, I was suddenly full.

[JKL]

I just can't understand where peoples common courtesy has gone?!? My mother would've beaten me with a stick if I'd dared to be so rude! :p

xx

[smurfette]

So sorry they didn't come after we thought they were good phoning to say they couldn't come the other day. Xx

As has been said lucky escape would have been a nightmare to work with but I know small consolation when u have gone to all that effort xx

[bunyip]

Bunyip this made me laugh, so true!

I have them asking if I could 'just go over my numbers on one day' so having their 2 children on top of the 3 under 5's I have already...no thank you, can't think of anything worse! But the number of times they ask its like they don't understand why I wouldn't want to do that, let alone can't do that! I'm the one inconveniencing them!

A CM friend of mine had a mum beg her to take her lo. It was the very last place, and my friend wasn't entirely comfortable about having the full set of 6 under 8's, but let herself be persuaded. Within a few short weeks, mum was dropping hints and comments about 'the madhouse' and how it always seemed a bit crowded when she collected lo. Then got heavy and questioned the quality of care, and couldn't she drop 1 or 2 of her other clients, who'd already been there before she signed.. :mad: My friend got really stressed by it all and was having sleepless nights before she eventually saw sense and found an excuse to give the mum notice.

Some people can be so selfish sometimes. :(

[BlondeMoment]

It's incredibly rude!!!

I now make a point of mentioning that I need to organise myself for visitors so if for any reason they won't be coming to please let me know. Most do these days. Some people just don't think.