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Changing operating hours
I need some opinions about what to do with existing clients' fees when I decide to shorten my operating hours by 1/2 hr. My operating hours are 9.5 hrs for new clients(1/2 hr earlier than existing clients) My existing clients have operating hours of 10 hrs. I will be closing 1/2 hr earlier in the new year for the existing clients(who really only use about 15mins of the extra 1/2 hr, usually for running errands-it is not work-related) So I will still be open 9.5 hrs, which to me is still a full day rate. My question is, should I lower the fees by $2 a day for the existing clients, to make up for the 1/2 hr loss, or risk losing them in the new year(they will both be part time 3 day a week families, which is $5 higher daily rate than full timers)
Suggestions please??
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Nope. Don't adjust any fee whatsoever. Your new hours are your new hours and that is that. Give lots of notice and they can choose to stay or go, it is up to them.
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Agreed. I wouldn't change my fees either not for 30 mins.
I too would just give them written notice of the change and then it's up to them. Sure, some might change providers because they need the original times but no one is going to change provider based on not getting a $2 reduction in fees for shorter hours - I can promise you that.
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Agree with both the ladies!
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How much notice would be fair to give them? I still have paid holidays for part of Xmas break, so obviously I don't want to lose that time off/income. They need to give me 1 month's notice for withdrawal. Is a month's notice fair, or should it be more like 6-8weeks?
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I'd say if you can give notice once everyone comes back from holidays. I would not personally do it on the first day back, but possibly a week into the new year. When do you need your hours changed.
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I was aiming to change them effective January 1st, as I have 2 existing families that will change to part-time at that point, but I would still like my paid holidays over Xmas. I'm afraid if I give them more than a month's notice(that's the withdrawal notice period for parents), then they will terminate before that and I'll lose my paid time off over Xmas.
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could you just have the new families start at the "new time", and just ave the old families continue till the end of jan first of week of feb?
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I'd give a month's notice.
You already have newer clients coming on the revised hours and although you feel this mostly won't be an issue, I think you have to expect some potential objections. If you are revising contracts, I feel that a month's notice if fair. Parents might need to re-negotiate hours at work, find a back up to collect their child if they are held up, or worst case scenario, find an alternative carer who does work the hours they feel they need.