Is this typical practice?

I am so furious, I would never do this.
I received an email from a parent responding to my ad on another website. We emailed one another back and forth while she was looking for information on my hours and rates, and then she didn't respond. She left me her number so I called because I am seriously excited to get my first enrollment and wanted to do a proper follow up.

Well, this morning while browsing home cares in my area on this site to compare to see if i am over charging for my services you could imagine my surprise and other emotions when i found the advertisement for a care provider of the same lady I was emailing in hopes of having as a new client. Coincidence that her name could be the same ....sure, but when the phone numbers match up I am downright peeved! What a waste of time.

I get the whole idea of scooping out competitors I don't see why she could not have just called me provider to provider. I speak with another provider that is 30 houses down from my home face to face yet we are in the same industry. I don't see the big deal. Our area is overflowing with children so it,s not like I am going to be stealing clients from her considering I would hope its the quality of care that the parents would look for foremost.

Am I over blowing this or do I have a reason to feel slighted?:mad:

You know what I would do.... I would call the caregiver from a blocked number and respond to her ad. Then, once you are certain it's the same lady, I would let her know who you are and tell her that all she had to do was introduce herself properly and you would have been happy to share your information with her. Networking between providers is a good thing. There can be a lot of benefits to it. AS a matter of fact, when I am really low in clients I'll call local providers, introduce myself, let them know I have drop in space and I'd appreciate them reffering me if they are full or if they need a day off.

Actually, Isent another email ajust now, a very short one asking if it was a coincedence and provided a link to the daycare bear advertisment?

I think she's done herself a huge disservice. I am so incredibly grateful for the support I've received here as a newbie, and from some on here who actually live in my city. I've already had a dinner out with some of them, and they are the most giving, generous people I've met. Momof4 sent me a copy of her contract so I could create my own based on her ideas. Everyone else has given me tons of advice. This woman could have been part of a wonderfully supportive network and had all her questions answered if she had only been honest with you. I know you are angry now, but in the long run, she's lost out... I highly doubt you would give her any help now!

There are three other home daycares in my neighborhood. We all have each others phone numbers so should we have a request for daycare and are full, we always provide each others numbers to the parents. We also do toy swaps and share craft ideas. The support from them and the ladies in this forum is something I couldn't do without!:)

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Originally Posted by mimi

We also do toy swaps

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That's a great idea!!

Sadly this is common and IMO it is totally HORRIBLE thing for one provider to do to another ... how hard is it to say 'Hey my name is Sally and I am starting up a program too and was wondering what your fees are so that I can ensure I am not undercutting people'?

Providers not only pretend to be clients via the phone but some will come all the way out and 'tour' the program, take your enrollment package and contracts and so forth and than 'drop of the face of the earth and some go even further and also steal content from websites, steal each others ads word for word and so forth ....it is just so UNNECESSARY ... honestly if you are not using wording and work authentic to yourself you are not going to get 'ahead' in business because clients are going to sense that what you have in 'writing' in your ads or website or policies is not how you come across in person cause its not authentic to YOU and than start to 'wonder' about why things do not 'feel right' during the tour or what not because they were attracted to the advert or website and now what they are 'meeting' is not the same ~ even if they do not conscious make that connection that the written word is not the same as the spoke word something will feel 'off' to them and it will be that much harder to 'get or retain' clients!

I have had providers steal portions and in one case my entire website content word for word even my NAME was in the all about me page :rolleyes and I have had to content them introduce myself polite and tell them that while I am flattered that they find my writing so inspiring they felt the need to use it word for word that unfortunately my work is copyrighted and dated as to being originally MINE as part of my certification process and they are at risk of getting sued should they continue to take credit for my work because I do not want my credentials ever questions about the authenticity of my work ~ so either change the content to their own words or on every copy and pasted page cite that the content belongs to me with my full name and credentials. Most people when 'outed' are really good about it and do the old 'oh I had no idea it was not legal to use other peoples work word for word' :no:

I agree with others as well ~ she did herself a huge disservice .... IMO HONESTY is always the best policy ~ she could have found herself a wonderful peer to network with, to have play dates with in the neighborhood and so forth but instead she has 'isolated' herself .... words travels fast in the childcare community and no one is going to want to befriend someone who is 'dishonest' and pretends to be a client and leads a fellow provider on!

KARMA will likely bite her in the ass when she gets treated the same way by some other newbie and than finally realizes that 'hey that's sucks getting your hopes all up only to find out it is your competition' :(

I am glad to see that I am valid in my feelings. Thanks everyone for the support. Reggiosorry to hear about that, that is just crazy

The funny thing is, she is not the new one. I have known that she was around since a year ago and so i took down her info 3 weeks back but wasn't sure how to come out and ask for pointers from her so I never bothered....

Oh, how sneaky and low! What's wrong with that woman? I had a woman come in here when I was fairly new and I kind of had the feeling she was asking me everything about how to run a home daycare because she didn't bring a child with her and she just gave me a weird feeling. Why not be honest people? We're here to help each other. Sometimes women just make me sad.

I hear you Littlefeet. I have talked to many other caregivers at parks and go away shaking my head and knowing that I'm the best caregiver in my area, haha. These people are my competition and I blow them out of the water if I do say so myself!

However, I do have a wonderful friend near my location and when one of my daycare families recommended a co-worker to me I sent them to her because I'm full and she signed them on. That's the way we should behave, as friends and co-workers and supporters of each other not as enemies! I have another friend in the area too and she and I are always full but meet for playdates and support each other nonstop.

It is really important to find other quality caregivers who believe as you do for playdates since we work alone in our homes and need a little adult interaction with others who understand our special problems.

Littlefeet, what if you put an ad on kijiji asking for other caregivers to contact you for playdates at a nearby park or library or other venue? It's so great for us to have adults to talk to, especially caregivers because they understand our problems and we can help each other, because it gets lonely when we work alone in our homes.

When my friend who lives up the street and I started having playdates, eventually we had other caregivers from all over the city driving to our park locations and sometimes we end up with 4-5 HDCP's and 20-25 kids. It's great. The children have all gotten to know each other over the years and last week we had a big graduation party at the park for the ones going off to school.

I keep to myself. I have had a lot of clients come interview with me telling me that there are not a lot of "good" ones in the area. Some houses they wouldn't even take their child out of the car seat during the interview. As much as I think networking is important, I'm really afraid to put myself out there to the wrong caregiver. I'd hate for someone to use my name, or give the impression they know me and they aren't someone that I would converse with. So, I keep to myself... and I like it that way.

We have the same problem with the bigger centres. We are all the best resources we have. We should be able to share and help each other become the best we can be for the benefit of ALL the children.

I am like A and B, bec. my area is so not nice, I just keep to myself.

Aw, a&b & dodge, you must feel lonely though don't you, working by yourselves all the time without very much adult interaction? I have a playdate with the same group of people at one park every week and then have about 10 other HDCP's that I meet now and then at different parks at different times and it's so wonderful to go out and spend the mornings with others that I consider co-workers.

I didn't realize how lucky I am to have met such great friends in the business and we are all supportive of each other. I don't like all the caregivers I've met, that's for sure, but I'm happy to have these people in my life.

Also, it's a great selling point about my program that I have all the one on one perks of the HDCP inside my home plus the big group playdates outside a few mornings per week that are preparing the children for large groups when they start school.