Strange and suspicious interest in my daycare?
I've been busy filling 3 spots. I've filled 2 and had the third to fill (3 of my clients had a mat. leave, one moving to France and the other to Ajax). So for the past 2 months have been interviewing trying to find good fits within my little daycare.
My last spot has been cursed or something :blink: Then lo and behold my client who is moving to Ajax told me that her previous provider (who left the daycare business to leave the country suddenly) calls her and asks who her son's provider is and if she thinks there might be a spot opening up in his daycare. Well of course DCM who loves me (and is very sad that she has to leave me as they are relocating to Ajax, ON) gives her my information, a glowing review and encourages her to call me.
So I talk with this former provider who is now looking for care for her own son. A few flags went up when she asked me if she had to pay for Sick days and if her son did not attend for whatever reason. So I'm scratching my head thinking "Geeze, I expect this from other families but NOT a former provider who would know that most if not all providers charge for sick days, absent days, etc, but whatever, does not hurt to ask right? She then emails my current dcm who referred her and asks her if the price I quoted her is the same price they are paying for her son. It's not, as I was planning to increase my fees anyway, but my client of course did not tell her that. She said "yes, that's what we are paying" it's only a difference of $2.00 per day BTW.
So we set up an interview time, she calls the same day to cancel as her son is sick. No worries, we set up the following week. She comes in with her son who is 3 years of age. Sweet, quiet little boy. I ask her why she needs daycare now and she says that she got an offer from her former employer that she can't turn down. NO mention of leaving the country as she previously told her previous clients (my current DCM) She is surprised by my paperwork (forms, contract, policy book) says rather sarcastically, "Wow....You are super organized" Ummm..yeah, ok. Take her for a tour, introduce her to my assistant (my sis in law who works 3 days a week at the daycare) go over our routine and the curriculum I have in place, show her my yard, etc., She seems impressed and says it's pretty much a go, she just wants to talk it over with her husband.
I tell her that to please let me know in the next 2 days because I have another interview scheduled and would like to cancel them if she is taking the spot so I don't waste their time and mine. She is like "of course"...so 2 days goes by, then 3 now 5 days....So I accept the other families application and deposit.
I call her to let her know that I've filled the spot. I got her voicemail. And it was nice to meet her and her son but I did not hear from her so I presume she did not need the spot and went ahead and accepted the other family into care.
Nothing. Now I'm thinking she is indeed opening her own daycare again and was curious to see if my DCM needed a spot and then found out who happy she is here and wanted to check it out, steal ideas? I have no idea. If she had called me and asked to see the daycare to exchange ideas...I would have been alright with that.
I hate sneaky people. What's your take on this??:mad:
And I gave her all my paperwork. Stupid. But in the past, I only hand it out when I'm 90% sure the families will be taking it home to go over and sign and return. Won't be doing that again.
