Reserving places

[emmafalconer]

Hi All

 

Just wondered how you go about saving places in your settings?

 

An example of the issue we are encountering is:

 

Baby place reserved in Feb for 3 days per week to start in September for which a £50 deposit is charged that is then reimbursed on first invoice. However parent has contacted to say that they now do not want the place until Jan 2018 meaning that the place has been left open for almost a year. We do charge a four week notice period for any changes to start dates but in short this means we have turned other children away from September for a place that we are now unable to charge for until Jan 18. Curious as to how others overcome this?

[GFCCCC]

We don't save places. I can not ever justify leaving a place empty and unpaid for if someone else wants it - Especially for babies as the spaces cost more to operate. If someone comes to look around and they want place, they go on the waiting list - but we can not guarantee there will be a place there when they want it.

 

We do however, save a place in toddlers and pre-school for someone due to move up from another room as once they are with us, we guarantee they can stay all the way through.

[Stargrower]

We do save places. If a parent books a baby place once their baby is born and is returning to work in say, six months, we would book their place (as long as we have the days and hours for when they want it). As much as possible, when we book places in advance, we book that baby to replace a child moving through to the Toddler Room so we're not keeping places open and unpaid for. Of course, it doesn't always fit like this and we do end up with unused saved spaces.

[Rafa]

I would return the deposit and say that they will need to reapply in Sept as you need to fill your vacancies - if there is a space in Jan they can have it!

If you don't fill the space, too bad, but at least you will feel that you have the control over your business.

Parents do not realise that they are effectively costing you a lot of money by their change of start date, so tell them.

[emmafalconer]

Thanks Rafa that's exactly what we have done!

[lynned55]

Both my grandchildren are in separate day care nurseries, both started at a year old (but two years apart) In both cases my daughters reserved places for them about 3 months prior to their starting. For one she had to pay £150 deposit (which she will get back when she leaves) and for the other she had to pay a registration fee of £150 (non refundable) and one months fees as a deposit. So best part £1000. This seemed to be standard practice for all the daycare nurseries we looked at around here.

[Cait]

Or you could suggest that the pay for the place, even if they aren't using it? That would focus the mind on your costs!

 

I had a child that wanted M.T.W one week and W.T.F the next. That would have meant a ridiculous situation as nobody would be likely to want an alternative reciprocal arrangement to fill the vacant days, minus the Wednesday. So I said I could do it but she would have to pay for the days she wasn't using. She was willing to do that, and after the first month or so, the child came every day as Mum couldn't keep track!