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Helen79
30-03-2009, 12:57 PM
Just wondering who here would mind another childminder contacting them about your fees?

I'm still trying to work out what to charge & have looked at the other childminders near here but only a few have fees but they don't say if food is included.
Just wondering if I could email them to ask or is this seen as being very cheeky? I don't want to charge too much but also don't want to be undercharging either.

I could ring up as a potential parent but there's not many childminders here so if I give my name they may recognise me from the surestart website. & I'm a terrible liar & would get all flustered on the phone :laughing:

Zoomie
30-03-2009, 01:03 PM
Personally I wouldn't. If I didn't know the cm well enough to ask right out, then I couldn't pose as a parent either (I would just ****** it all up, and my accent isn't local) so they would know it was me, in times to come.

I have only been able to find out the fees of a few childminders from the CIS site, and my friend gave me the prices from some nurseries she had visited, and I have based my fees on that information.

But as luck would have it, of the three childminders who live a stone throw away, one has her prices on website, the other is my friend (so freely gave me info), and the third is used by another friend, and they told me what they pay.

Spangles
30-03-2009, 01:10 PM
I'm not sure if I would mind or not to be honest.

I would like to be helpful but then what if they are trying to undercut you?

I would look on the CIS site and also ask my dev officer (if you have one). Could you phone NCMA and see if they have average info for fees around the country?

Could you go to toddler groups to meet other minders and see if they will chat to you about it?

yummymummy
30-03-2009, 01:11 PM
I once had this kind of call from a pre reg childminder who I didn't know who had rung the FIS pretending to be a parent looking for childcare to get the list of childminders advertising vacancies in her area, I wouldn't at first tell her my rate and asked what she was considering charging. She wanted to charge £1.25 an hour more than me so I said I charge less than that and don't think you will realistically get that hourly rate in our area.
She then got shirty and gave me a lecture!!!!! :eek:
I was really offended but maybe others wouldn't be, I wouldn't have minded if a new childminder approached me at a group and we started talking and then she asked for a charge idea but I thought she was cheeky as well as rude! :eek:

angeldelight
30-03-2009, 02:52 PM
I am not sure

But I have had calls in the past people saying they are a parent and I have thought they have been another minder - because they have asked all about prices and not much else

I would prefer if someone was going to ask me to be honest about it

Angel xx

huggableshelly
30-03-2009, 02:58 PM
I have had a cm call me as recommendation from the children centre.

I helped her to set up her fees menus and she looked through all my policies too. I dont mind helping if people are honest with me.

TheBTeam
30-03-2009, 03:05 PM
Same here, i don't mind helping, i would suggest that if they are local they pop along to cm group, and as we support each other it is give and take with info. I personally don't mind helping anyone, but i don't like to be used, so like to be able to ask as well as give advice.

It is a great help to have cm friends that you build up a friendship with and you can then use each other and work with each ones strengths. I would rather someone was up front when asking than posed as a parent, it is not nice for a childminder to think someone is interested and for it to be a waste of time.

christine e
30-03-2009, 03:17 PM
I don't see anything wrong in phoning other childminders and asking if they would mind if you asked a few questions (think it would be better then e mailing), they can say yes or no (nothing to lose)

Cx

frazzled76
30-03-2009, 03:33 PM
i dont want to sound like a complete technophobe, but how do you post new messages on here?! i've only sent a hello and now i would like to make full use of this site but........:blush: i really have no idea! i would like some tips on advertising from all you experienced ones, i am training but have no kids waiting so will need to advertise advertise advertise!! my hubby will be working with me full time and is training to, so this will be our only income as he was made redundant a few weeks ago:panic: :D im loving having him around but starting to worry about money!

Pauline
30-03-2009, 03:53 PM
i dont want to sound like a complete technophobe, but how do you post new messages on here?! i've only sent a hello and now i would like to make full use of this site but........:blush: i really have no idea! i would like some tips on advertising from all you experienced ones, i am training but have no kids waiting so will need to advertise advertise advertise!! my hubby will be working with me full time and is training to, so this will be our only income as he was made redundant a few weeks ago:panic: :D im loving having him around but starting to worry about money!


It's not easy when you first arrive but you will soon be posting like a regular!! :)

If you go to the section you want to post in and at the top, on the left is a button called "new thread" click that and the same sort of box will appear like the one you used to post this message. :)

Mollymop
30-03-2009, 03:57 PM
I think the best route is to ask your development officer, she will have some idea how much everyone charges.
Can you find out by looking on the directgov website, in our area it has most childminder's charges on there

Rubybubbles
30-03-2009, 07:27 PM
as my hubby is RAF I have phoned childminders before I move to a new camp! I explain that I am a childminder and looking at what the local rate is, usually they are really nice and in my last place we arranged a get together once I moved and became good friends

When I moved here, I was told there wasd no need for anymore childminders:eek: this was the support childminder saying this er thanks love haha I got work within 2 weeks of moving though haha

madasahatter
30-03-2009, 07:51 PM
I certainly wouldn't mind a new childminder asking how much I charge etc. Like others have said I am happy to offer advice/assistance if I am asked and the person asking is honest and up front with me. I know that I charge slightly more than most of the minders in my immediate locality, but I'm full and have a waiting list (which says it all really;) )

Helen79
30-03-2009, 08:23 PM
Thanks for the advice. I decided not to ring & have set my fees now. I had a rough idea of what the other cm charge just didn't know if they inc food.

I'm the only childminder in the area, nearest is 10miles away, there's no cm drop ins & no other cm to ask.
The other cm's who are nearest to me are v unlikely to get work from our village as it's a good 20min drive so it's difficult to work out my fees based on others in the area.

Lady Haha
30-03-2009, 08:24 PM
mmmm, I actually did this very recently, I emailed four of the other childminder who pick up from the same school as me (we've never met) asking about thier charge for after school care as I thought I wasn't charging enough, so wasn't out to undercut them and I told them this in the email. Only one got back to me and she had only been registered for a month. I think the others were worried I was trying to undercut them.

buildingblocks
02-04-2009, 02:58 PM
Just wondering who here would mind another childminder contacting them about your fees?

I'm still trying to work out what to charge & have looked at the other childminders near here but only a few have fees but they don't say if food is included.
Just wondering if I could email them to ask or is this seen as being very cheeky? I don't want to charge too much but also don't want to be undercharging either.

I could ring up as a potential parent but there's not many childminders here so if I give my name they may recognise me from the surestart website. & I'm a terrible liar & would get all flustered on the phone :laughing:

i would have no problem with another minder ringing and asking me - but then again I am strange lol I would nuch prefer someone to ring up and be honest then lie about being a parent mind you I don't give info out about my fees to prospective parents as prefer them to visit to get that info lol

Chatterbox Childcare
02-04-2009, 07:07 PM
If I didn't know the childminder I would ring them as a parent. if you are not confident with this why not get someone to do it for you?

If I knew the childminders I would ask them directly.

Do you have a support worker who could help?

ORKSIE
02-04-2009, 08:21 PM
Childminders in my area are very close, we exchange fees, and any help that may be required. we are all out to help each other, not to outdo eachother, therfore we try to keep our fees in line. As far as i,m aware no childminder has enquired about fees, and if they did it wouldnt worry me:)

miffy
02-04-2009, 09:25 PM
I would prefer if someone was going to ask me to be honest about it

Angel xx

I agree with this - if someone is honest then you can decide whether you want to share the information or not.

Miffy xx

Playmate
02-04-2009, 09:52 PM
Honesty is definately the best route. I had someone pose as a parent last year, even came to visit us! she was very clever even gave a false address when I asked her what road she lived in. My husband said at the time that he suspected all was not quite right as someone of the same first name had taken down one of our adverts in the local community centre and replaced it with hers :eek: So she walked away with our lovely information booklet and a synopsis of our policies etc and of course we never heard a dickiebird from her again until about 4 - 5 mths later I met her dropping her daughter and other mindees at the same school as one of mine had started (about 4 miles away) Guess who had a red face the :blush: She even tried to have a conversation with me in the playground, funnily enough I wasn't very talkative :D
If she had been honest in the first place I would have been supportive and treated her the same way as all the othe new CM's I support in my role as Support Childminder!

nokidshere
03-04-2009, 09:20 PM
I wouldn't mind at all. I charge more than almost all the minders in my area and am still full with a waiting list and without having to advertise.

Most childminding comes from word of mouth, so building your reputation is way more important than the charges.