Implementing minimum charge help!

[Minstrel]

I am just about to fill a spot which I wasn't looking to do so but inquiry is perfect. It will be collecting a child from morning preschool session at the same time I drop one off for his afternoon session. It's then until school pick up where I will meet mum at school before collecting my after schoolers.

Anyway to the point....

I usually have a daily minimum charge of £20. But since he can't possible use anymore hours either side of the contracted hours, I'm thinking I will just charge the usually hourly rate. To me this seems fair but another minder has said I should stick to my policies. I wrote the policy to stop people taking up few hours and wasting a whole under 5 spot but this client isn't doing this, in fact the exact opposite.

Your thoughts please?

[sarah707]

If it suits you and you won't feel resentful if the child is a handful and it makes it more likely you will get work which is perfect for you...

Then yes they are your policies to change! :D

[Minstrel]

No worries about the child or family as they are current mindee!!

It's a whole weird story where he's currently using a spot which I was retaining for a baby (just took a deposit so no double earning) and mum really wants him to come back in sept so is willing to work around me and literally wants the only 3 hours in the day I can offer!

[uf353432]

I have several contracts where the child only comes for a few hours and they fit around the other contracts so to be honest I think if its mutually beneficial I'd go down the hourly rate option. You could have an enhanced hourly rate for 3 hours - so if you normally charge £3.50 and you would normally charge a £20 session rate which would be about £6.50 ish an hour then if you charged £4.50 an hour you would be making a bit more - but also giving mum a significant discount on the session rate. Just a thought x

[funemnx]

In that situation, I think I'd just charge for the 3 hours the child was using, since it suits you too x