Advice please re: payment and parents!

[kay24]

Hi everyone, hope someone can help!

Parent bought child in 10 mins early twice (didnt make an issue just said ooohhh your early today) and then the next week early again this time by half an hour so I said I was going to charge them for the full hour. They were reluctant to pay but said 'I suppose so'.

Had an important hospital appointment a couple of weeks later where I needed to be there at 5pm when I usually have the mindee until 6pm. So i gave the option for her to not to attend and not to pay me as I realise it was a bit inconvienent for them, or I could have her for as long as I could and drop her off at 4.50pm which I would do as a favour as parent would have lost their weekly bonus so this is what I did.

When I did the invoice, I explained everything as norm and added on the extra hour where they bought the child early, and knocked off an hour from the 5-6 when I had my appointment. Parents decided they did not want to pay for me for having their child from 4pm-5pm as I finished just after 4.50pm and therefore it was not a full hour, but instead of discussing this, they just purposely under paid me. I didnt charge them for fuel and as I said I dont pick up/drop off this child. Am a bit annoyed because its not down to them to pay me what they think I should be paid! I still worked for 50 mins of that hour, and I would have much preferred the parent to collect child at 4pm and not pay me from then so i had time to get ready instead of rushing around. Am I being unreasonable? She says its by my own rules as I charge by the hour?! Some advice would be much appreciated, have never had this prob before no other parent has been so picky!

Thanks :)

[rickysmiths]

Its sounds as if they are being very picky and are annoyed that you charged them a full hour for the early morning when they were half an hour early.

Do you keep an attendance register? Do the parents sign it each week? It is for this reason that I do this because then you could look back over the last month and see if you have worked an extra 10mins anywhere and so call their bluff on the 50mins they haven't paid you.

Personally I wouldn't have charged them for that week when they were early, I would have worked out how much they should have been charged and put it at the bottom of the invoice.
I would have attached a note saying that my time in the morning is precious and even 10mins early makes a big difference. On this occassion I will not charge but in future, by previous arrangement I would be happy to start earlier on an odd morning to help and the fees for this would be...... and would be added to the next months fees.

Then just don't open the door until the contracted time if they get to you early and haven't asked for extra hours. They will learn. I have had parents sitting in the car outside for 15mins, thats their choice and not my problem!

[kindredspirits]

You charge for full hours - therefore you should be paid until 5pm that day - not underpaid. I would be inclined to say that they have misunderstood your rule and you charge for full hours no matter how much of that hour you work and should they not bring the payment up to date you will be forced to terminate the contract. Its nothing but disrespectful.

Oh, and change your early morning policy to 'double time' for 1/2 hour early so you still get your full hour but it doesn't appear that you are charging for a full hour, just a higher rate for earlier.

[Goatgirl]

I agree with kindred spirits: they have a bee in their bonnet about you charging full hours when you haven't worked them and are trying to use this to justify their own unacceptable behaviour in bringing the child well outside contracted hours.
I would just explain by letter that they have misunderstood and you charge in full hours even where a part hour is worked. Point out that you have made no charge for drop off and they did have the option to collect at 4 if they wanted to.
Then if they're still being picky I'd call their bluff with 'these are my charges. You can pay them or we can end the contract'.

Regarding early drop offs or late collections I charge a £6 'penalty' plus the time used at double the hourly rate and only in half hour blocks (as I don't want a parent thinking 'oh i'm ten minutes late but being charged for the whole hour so i'll leave child there for the hour'). I will let them off a couple of minutes with profuse apologies. Otherwise I charge.

Good luck :)

[snufflepuff]

How cheeky!
I'd just explain that they have clearly misunderstood your fee structure- you charge for a full hour even when only part of it was worked and that's that. In this situation, 50 minutes of the hour was worked therefore the whole hour is payable. In the case of the early morning, 30 minutes of the hour was worked therefore the whole hour was payable. It's quite simple! Do they REALLY think that you would work 50 minutes for free because it's not a whole hour!?

[kay24]

Thanks for the advice ladies, its helped lots! Im glad i'm not the only one thinking its a bit out of order.
Am going to do a letter to explain I think so hopefully it can be cleared. They questioned last months invoice too and no doubt it will be the same this month. I think they just dont like paying for childcare have had a few moans about how expensive it is and how it isnt worth them working (errrr then don't!) when they only pay me 200 a month for 3 afternoons every week!

:)