In my case, I nearly always just take the £50 deposit. The extra '£50 per month' is more of a deterrent: it makes parents think twice before they book too far ahead. (Frinstance, I get parents wanting to book September school runs in January, at which point they're still 4 months away from the LA confirming the school place.)
If I were a terrible CM (what do you mean "
If"? I
am a terrible CM
) .................
I think in the case of the screaming baby you highlight, or any genuine non-settling cases, I'd almost certainly use my discretion and refund the deposit. Or I'd ask them to give it a bit longer, but extend the settling period where they could still give immediate notice. I really just want parents to give it a chance and not feel they can bale out without making any sort of effort.
If they wanted to leave after 3 weeks but I felt they had no good reason, then I'd charge them for the actual time used and retain the deposit, which as I say would probably be just the £50.
What I got sick of was parents who'd want to secure a place months ahead, then pull out just before it started. The worst case I had was a family for whom I reserved 2 places for over a year "on trust". They gave notice after about 2 weeks. There were a lot of weird issues involved (including freaky anxious mum; bad handling of finances; lying about their financial position; problems with the children they refused to acknowledge; and it all culminated in her giving me notice as a "by the way..." when I told her I'd had cancer treatment but had been declared fit to return to work immediately) and I never got to the bottom of it all, but they were totally selfish and very inconsistent about it - not just to me, but also to the local preschool.
I hate asking for deposits but it's not just that we lose potential income when parents change their minds at the drop of a hat. There's a lot of unpaid hours and admin goes into 'recruiting' a new client. That cost needs to be offset. But, above all, I always end up feeling a mixture of guilt and anger for the numerous genuine clients I turn down when I think I've booked a place for someone who then drops you lie a hot brci when it suits them.
Bookmarks