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I have had 6 interviews that have all seemed to have gone well but nothing. Am I doing something wrong? They are all happy and pleased with the program and facility but then I get nothing. I am starting to get worried, my husband is switching careers soon and will be taking a pay cut for the first few months so we NEED this income. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Are you following up with the people you interview. If they've told you that they found something else, feel free to ask them if they would mind telling you the reason they didnt choose you. I've done this before and I just tell them that its beneficial for my business to know the reasons that I am not chosen so that I have the opportunity to make changes.
Thanks for the advice. I email them a day or so after the interview to see if they have questions. I either don't hear back or they are really delayed in responding. No one has told me outright they are not signing up, but if they do I will take your advice and ask them why not me.
Have you researched other daycares in your area? I did this when I was first starting. Gives you a good idea of rates and what you can maybe tweak in your program to have an advantage. For myself, the centres in my area dont take kids until 18 months and most dcp dont want them under 2, so I advertise for the little ones. Its busy but Ive been turning people away now!
I am going through the same thing right now. Had a few interviews but no one signing on.
I researched a lot about the prices to charge, hours of operation, policies, ages, etc and adjusted so I can compete. Its funny all my interviews have been for infants between 8 months and 1 yr. I am more than willing to take on the infants just wish someone would give me a chance.
You could also ask during interviews if they could let you know either way. that way you arent wondering. It could be anything, pets, location, hours, different philosophy on raising kids. dont get discouraged.
When I do interviews I ask them out right if they have any reservations regarding my daycare. I ask them what are they looking for in a daycare provider, what sets me apart from the other daycares they have been to. If it's rates I usually tell them they need to ask themselves a very important question are you looking for quality childcare or cheap daycare? Then I list all the positive points I offer.
You need to interview them as much as they are interviewing you. An extremely confident interview speaks volumes.
Put yourself in your prospective parents shoes walk through your interview, are you covering all the aspects that you need to?
I went to many interviews myself where they wouldn't show me where my child was going to nap and that left me with the feeling of what else are they hiding? Even if it was nothing it still made me wonder. Also walk them through how a day would run for there child, list all your transferable skills.
Do you have kids of your own? It helps to have them around the time of interview so they get a sense of who you are through how they act.
Good luck!
Could be all the September babies parents are beginning to shop around for daycare. Don't be surprised if you get some calls from the lookie loo's in a few weeks. That happended to me. Had a great interview, said they loved me and then nothing. 4 weeks later with same enthusiasm she signed on. Give it some time.
Go with all your strengths and show your enthusiasm but never, ever show desperation! Are you advertising 1 space? Don't tell the parents that you are new until they come to your house and meet you and let it come out naturally during the interview, but always tell them that you have several interviews and other interested families and YOU will be making a decision soon. That's all I can suggest based on the info you provided here so far.
Depending on how far down the road their start date was they may not have finished interviewing. Parents are busy with their lives just as providers are and not everyone sets aside a couple weeks to do an interview every evening and a few on the weekends. Not hearing back till 2-3 months before the start date can actually be perfectly normal. Parents are afraid to make the wrong choice and always keep hoping for something else to be out there. When they reach a certain point they look at everything they saw and pick one.
Thank you everyone for you advice. I never thought about the nap area seeing as it is upstairs and my daughter usually makes a mess up there before an interview come. I just got an email back tonight from an interviewing saying they decided on a nanny. How do you guys advertise? I know it takes time but I figured with 6 interviews I would have at least 1 interested.
I never show the nap area for infants as it is family bedrooms and my upper floor is not on the daycare tour. Toddlers nap on mats in the diningroom (main floor play area). Normally I don't even mention this till we are down in the basement playroom doing the interview. This is a family home and as such I am allowed some privacy. What the colour of my bedroom or if I have an ensuite bath or not is not important since their child will be in a packnplay in the middle of the room.
As a military family that moved the kids spent many weeks with their rooms having to look like showhome rooms and life is not normal that way. Again during daycare interviews their private space is there for them not the parents - but I borrowed their space during the day for naps while they were at school and the daycare kids didn't care if dirty clothes were on the floor or the bed wasn't made. I doubt that showing the napspace would make any difference in their decision.
I agree Playfelt. Since moving in August I have been able to put all my kids to nap in 1 room, but in my old place it wasn't so. I would never show the bedrooms to prospective parents. Like you said this is the family home and I have some right to privacy. If they insist and push me after I tell them why not, its usually a good indicator of the lack of respect they have for me, my job and my family. I am not interested in this kind of person. Its not like I just say no, I give them a reason and expect them to be respectful of it. I do think that some parents really like to see the sleeping area and have the right to ask to see it but should understand when we politely decline and explain why.
For me , when I went back to work after my son I wanted to see the whole house ( where he would nap /play/eat) I didn't want him sleeping in a room with others (I know picky lol)
Now that I'm a daycare provider I do show my whole house as I have nothing to hide and my house is always clean ( my husband is a clean freak so thanks to him the house is always clean )Two of my latest clients (police officers) were nervous that other providers they interviewed were hesitant to show where the kids would nap and that was their reasoning for not using that provider as well as a few other off the cuff comments that were made to the parents lol.
I am trying to draw on the parents perspective as I was there once to. I think all spaces that the child will be using should be shown.Quote:
Originally Posted by lainey76
I had a parent once ask me if she could go get her her DD from her crib and I said no as it was a bit untidy on my upper level. LOL Since then though I always keep every area of my home that the kids will be using immaculate as they have every right to access those areas at anytime.
Something this small can seriously make or break an interview.
For me if you decline as a provider then I wouldn't sign with you either based on your lack of respect to me. Trust and respect is a 2 way street and we need to understand that these parents don't really know a thing about us. Seriously out of 20 interviews I have had 16 people sign on the spot, and only 2 people decline.
Thanks. I enjoyed reading everyone's opinions. I have told them that the kids have individual play pens upstairs for napping. No one has asked to see it. Should I be offering to show them regardless? I was wonder if anyone knows where to buy a retractable gate? Very hard to find.
I always mention it and ask if they want to see the space and I have never had a parent say No, they all say yes!
These adjustable gates are amazing and can expand to very long!
http://www.sears.ca/product/evenflo-...111740-4491100
I always assume that they parents will want to see where the child will nap. Therefore, I do a bit of a mad-dash clean of at least one bedroom, hahaha. My last 2 interviews, I offered, but they said "Nah, that's ok. We can already tell you're normal." LoL
I don't mind, especially for new parents. They just want to make sure that we don't have swords hanging over thier precious little muffin. But after that, they are restricted to our entranceway.
Hang in there....it'll get better! I too went through the same thing, but just today I heard from my 5th family and now I'm full! My advice ~ email them the next day, telling them it was a pleasure meeting them, etc, and then I would call after a few days if you haven't heard from them. And yeah....don't show ANY desperation! Good luck!!