A
beautifully designed leaflet through the door stated:
My care at
home services provide help with the basic functions of life to promote health
and well being (companionship, preparing meals, cleaning, personal care). There
are a variety of care plans available that I will tailor to suit the type of
care you need and the number of visits required.
Name and
email address were given so I knew the sender was female.
Notice the
word companionship? It was that word that caught my attention and prompted me to
explore further.
I rang her
number and she said she would call round. Which she did. The lady is
French but spoke beautiful English – that was good since I don’t speak French.
We got on very well and after about an hour I had agreed on further occasional
visits. When she prepared to leave, she asked me for £14 and upon seeing my
surprise explained that she had to earn a living. She has a job but I gathered that
she wanted to develop this ‘caring’ idea.
£14 – for a
chat!?
It’s not
that I can’t afford £14 but, crikey, I can go outside and talk to neighbours at
no cost. I have since emailed her to cancel the Monday appointment and anything else she might offer.
I don't want to demean what I do but as a doula, a lot of my job is chatting. I have some expertise and I direct the conversation so the client can benefit but it's still like a friendly chat.
ReplyDeleteMy most recent client paid me $400 for three coffee dates and unlimited email. (She also had the option of phone chats but young people these days dont seem to "do" phone talking)
Sometimes it's worth paying someone because they will listen better or be unbiased or not burden you with their personal baggage.
I guess I am still in the early stages. However, an English person might have won me over but honestly I couldn't hold a conversation with someone who breaks into French all the time. I still can't get my head round the fact that I would have to pay to talk.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't have been charged without prior agreement, that's for sure
DeleteThe first chat should have been considered an interview to see if you would be interested in a "plan" for future chats or companionship and to discuss fees.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you have little trouble finding interesting people to chat with that consider your companionship adequate compensation for their time.
My chats are usually by phone, visitors are non-existent. I thought a human being in the house would be good, but not at a cost.
DeleteI agree with Kylie - If a fee wasn't mentioned beforehand, you should not have been charged.
ReplyDeleteHello, Sandy, and welcome. It is nice that you agree with my view on this subject.
DeleteHmmm....interesting! The companionship would have been nice but it would have been appropriate to tell you the price in her introduction. She has a living to make and maybe she realizes that would be a put-off for most. If she volunteered to do your shopping, maybe? Doesn't sound like that was in this package deal.
ReplyDeleteHi Denise, perhaps being French was the problem - she might not understand our ways. I bet she does now, though.
DeleteHi Valerie, I really think that it should have been mentioned during your initial contact that there would be a charge of 14 pounds for the initial chat of an hour. How were you to know?
ReplyDeleteExactly, Sue. Thanks for your visit. Pity I can't return the compliment.
DeleteThe French woman's got more front than Blackpool. I wouldn't pay for a chat either. Good on you.
ReplyDeleteDave, I might be old but the faculties are still there. I wonder how another person would have taken the request for money.
DeleteI would not pay for a companionship visit either, Valerie. When i read the leaflet left at your door, I rather suspected this was going to be at a cost. Hope that you will be able to find friendly folks to chat with and not have to pay. It certainly wasn't true that talk is free :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I am perfectly fine with my own company and the neighbours are wonderful, but the leaflet through the door made me wonder if I could improve things. I learn fast!
DeleteOMG Valerie, I cannot believe this woman listed her services without informing you (ove the phone) that she charged (and HOW MUCH she charged), but then boldly asked you for money!?! Without prior information, she should have given you a free consultation and then at that point listed her fees.
ReplyDeleteI too would have cancelled any future appointments.
Have a great rest of your week, my friend!
X
Valerie10 January 2019 at 09:52
DeleteRon, I keep congratulating myself for not being gullible. I agree with you and others that the woman should have listed her charges either on the phone, on the leaflet, or in person. Maybe she will change the leaflet in future, and as she was just starting out she has learned a lesson right at the start.
Hope things are going well for you.
ReplyDelete
That was naughty of her. Sorry that you are missing out on the chance of a chat and some companionship, but she wasn't exactly stinting herself on the charges, either. Tea, cake and a chat await you at Parsonage Cottage, not up to WI standards, alas!
ReplyDeleteMaybe not stinting herself, Elaine, but she was talking about what she called 'conversation sessions' on a regular basis. I'm not exactly rich so have to watch all pennies and make sure I don't overspend.
ReplyDeleteI expressed that badly, Valerie. My thoughts on it were that she was over charging you for the 'service'. You did well to sever the connection immediately.
DeleteYou're the best, Val. Sorry that you had to pay for a chat but I just love how you dealt with it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Matt. I won't put myself in such a position again, that's for sure.
ReplyDelete