References.....Who, How, HELP!! lol

[daycare]

So I have been dealing with a past client who just wont leave me alone. She wants me to give personal information of a current client and no matter what I do, they past client keeps bugging me. She asked me why I could not give out a clients info to her, but if she was looking for a reference to check on my childcare, I would be able to??? (she actually has a point I think)


SO my question is, when you have prospective clients that ask for references, how do you go about this?

Do you have those people that you are using as references sign a document allowing you to release their phone number or info? WHo do you use?
Do you use past clients, current clients, friends, old co-wokers????

After debating with the past client about other peoples personal information, I thought about this and then was stumped.

[laundrymom]

I ask parents if they will be references. If they are willing I share, if not I don't.

[Zoe]

I have asked past clients if they may be added to my reference list for any future clients. I've also asked a friend of mine who's children I have watched, as well as a neighbor who has seen me in action with my daycare. They all understand that they may be called at any time to provide a reference for me.

On my reference list I have their name, phone number, and my relationship to them.

[daycare]

do you have them sign anything that gives you permission to release their information?

[harperluu]

I would stand my ground and if she asks again I'd provide her with the phone number of my licensor. Let her know if she has additional questions about the privacy policy dictated by your state, she should ask someone who has more legistlative information than you. Because she doesn't fall into the category of prospective client, she is not entitled to references and that you respectfully decline. Then stop taking her calls.

[cheerfuldom]

I agree with the PP. why are you even still talking to this past client?? shes NOT a prospective client so you are not obligated to answer her questions whatsoever. I use current parents for references and only provide their numbers to very serious families, never just anyone who asks. References are given at the end of the interview only if I feel I would actually work with this family. That weeds out a lot of people.

[daycare]

I would stand my ground and if she asks again I'd provide her with the phone number of my licensor. Let her know if she has additional questions about the privacy policy dictated by your state, she should ask someone who has more legistlative information than you. Because she doesn't fall into the category of prospective client, she is not entitled to references and that you respectfully decline. Then stop taking her calls.

Turst me been there done that.

She will text and email me and if I don't respond, she will keep on texting and sending emails... It's so annoying.

I have given her the name and number of my licensor, but she has not called her.

Yes I feel just like you said she is not entitled to anyones personal information as she is not a client or even a prospective client..............

the whole situation with this past client just got me thinking about how to properly release someones information when possible..

[Meyou]

Can you give her info to the other parent and leave it up to them to contact her? That might make her go away.

I ask parents and past clients to be references. I don't get written permission but I didn't for my resume references either. It's not the same thing.

[Zoe]

Because they're references only to potential clients that I have a good feeling about, I don't have them sign anything. I don't think you're required to have them sign permission. If they didn't feel comfortable, they wouldn't agree to be references.

As for that crazy previous client of yours, stick to your guns and DO NOT give out any numbers. There's absolutely no reason to do so, and I think you already know that.

[Meeko]

Wow...this woman's behavior is bordering on harrassment/stalking! I would just ignore her emails and calls.

Even if it was legal to give out your other clients info...it would not be a good thing! She'd be calling THEM every five minutes and I'm sure that wouldn't make them very happy with you!

If she shows up on the doorstep...then tell her to leave you alone or you'll take steps to enforce it.

[daycare]

I am hoping that my last text to the DCP has put a stop to the texting and excessive emails..
I finally grew a backbone again and said. I am very sorry, but you are no longer a paying client and no longer obligated to use my services. I would appreciate it if you would stop disrupting my days with your unnecessary text and emails. I cannot help you. Should you continue to contact me, I will file a complaint of harrassment...

I text her this on Tuesday night and have not heard from the mom...

Like I said, I was just thinking about how to relase the information of clients to new prospective clients.

[Christian Mother]

Daycare, if this lady is continue calling you that's harassment. She's no longer a client and she knows that you won't give private information out regarding your other families. If she isn't contacting your licensor there's a reason for that. Don't get your other clients involved with this lady bc if she is as persistent as she is with you can you imagine how she will be with these other families. They don't understand the really how this woman is and if she contacts them over and over the way she is with you that is going to make these families very unhappy. Stop taking calls and emails. You see her ringing in put it to voicemail. U see her texting - delete. She emails you block her. There is ways to do that. You can always change your phone # and email and give all your parents the new inform.

[wdmmom]

I avoid the issue of former client or friend saying the wrong thing, I just ask if they will oblige to writing a letter of reference for me.

If the prospective client asks for references, I pull out the letters and I will provide my last employer...not parent but actual employer. They can tell you how reliable I was, if I was late or on time and how often I called in. I think that's equally as important.

I don't provide any of my current parent's information and I've never had an issue come up...except for with a prospective family. And, after providing 7, (yes SEVEN) references, she asked for more and I told her that I filled one of the 2 spots she needed...which I did. I don't need to work for people like that!

I would send one final email stating that this is YOUR business and this is how YOU choose to run it. Remind her that she has the number to licensing if she has questions. Tell her you are sorry you CAN NOT take away from doing your JOB to continuously answering these kinds of questions day after day. After all...the way you run your daycare don't have to make sense to us...only to you!!!

[daycare]

I avoid the issue of former client or friend saying the wrong thing, I just ask if they will oblige to writing a letter of reference for me.

If the prospective client asks for references, I pull out the letters and I will provide my last employer...not parent but actual employer. They can tell you how reliable I was, if I was late or on time and how often I called in. I think that's equally as important.

I don't provide any of my current parent's information and I've never had an issue come up...except for with a prospective family. And, after providing 7, (yes SEVEN) references, she asked for more and I told her that I filled one of the 2 spots she needed...which I did. I don't need to work for people like that!

I would send one final email stating that this is YOUR business and this is how YOU choose to run it. Remind her that she has the number to licensing if she has questions. Tell her you are sorry you CAN NOT take away from doing your JOB to continuously answering these kinds of questions day after day. After all...the way you run your daycare don't have to make sense to us...only to you!!!

I think I like the idea of in writing... it makes a lot of sense... I will ask my DCP to do this for me should it ever come up... So far only one family wanted references, but I was not even considering them as a client, so it went no where..

Oh and trust me...I will report the DCM for harrasment if she even coughs in my direction....

I gave that family way too much and they are mistaking my niceness for weakness.....

[MarinaVanessa]

Like I said, I was just thinking about how to relase the information of clients to new prospective clients.

That's great that she hasn't contacted you again . Hooray!!

As for releasing clients information, you need permission to use that client's info when handing out references. What I do is I ask past clients if I can use them as references and with their permission put whatever contact info they allow me to use on my references sheet (first name, last name, phone number, e-mail etc.). I try not use current clients information when I can because I like to hold a few interviews before I make a decision and I don't want their phone's ringing all day long. I actually have 2 different sheets with 4 references on each sheet that I rotate out when I hold interviews. Potential client A gets sheet A with past client 1,2,3,4 and potential client B gets sheet B with past client 5,6,7,8 etc. so that they only get 1 or 2 calls each a week.

Otherwise without their permission you can't give out that info. Like someone suggested, you could have asked the past client if you could give her info to your current client and leave it up to that client to call her back. If you didn't want them communicating with each other for whatever reason then you simply had to say that you did not have that parent's permission to give out her personal information and that she had asked you not to use her as a reference, or something like that, and that all of your references that you do use you have permission for blah blah blah.