Elder Care FAQ's
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the topics below to jump to that question.
Q: Once
I have sent in my registration information, what is the
process?
A: Once
we have received your registration form and membership fee,
we will mail your client number to you. When you need a sitter,
call SalemSitters at 659-7806. If your reach our voicemail,
please leave your name, client number, date of sit, and the
beginning and ending times for your sit. You may also e-mail
your sit request to us at info@salemsitters.com.
Please include all the information listed above. Most sitters
like to know how long the sits are as some sitters do more
than one sit a day. back
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Q: How
much notice do you require to find a sitter? When do
you confirm the sitter?
A: Giving
us advanced notice increases your chances of getting a sitter.
We do experience high activity periods where all sitters
are on assignment. We will let you know if that is the case
when we receive your request. We do fill many same day and
day before sit requests. We will generally confirm that you
have a sitter 1-2 days prior to your sit request even if
you give 1-3 weeks notice. If you need to know sooner, please
let us know, but no news is good news. If we think we are
going to have a problem with your time, we will call and
ask if your sit is flexible. back
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Q: What
is an Inquiry Fee?
A: The
inquiry fee is a fee that is charged to clients who request
one or two specific sitters and will not allow any other
Salem sitter to come to their home and care for their children
causing the company to lose revenue although time was spent
tracking down one or two sitters to see if they are available
to do the assignment. This fee is only charged if the requested
sitter(s) are not available and the client refuses to accept
another Salem sitter and cancels the request after work is
done on their behalf. back
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Q: What
is on-call sitting?
A: SalemSitters
has instituted this on-call policy to fill sitting requests
received from clients on a last minute basis. The on-call
sitting policy is in effect when a client calls SalemSitters
after business hours (after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays) during
the week or on the weekends to request a sitter to come to
their home on the same day or sometime during that same weekend.
Some examples include, calling to request a sitter on a weekday
at 5:05 p.m. to come and sit at 7:30 p.m. that same evening
or calling after 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon to request
a sitter any time that same weekend. On-call hours start
at 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday during the week and
begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and continue the entire weekend,
ending on Sunday at 12:00 a.m. On-Call sitting rates are
$20.00 for the placement fee and $15.00 per hour to the sitter.
You will be invoiced for the $20.00 placement fee. Please
be prepared to pay the sitter their hourly rate at the end
of the sitting assignment. back
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 Q: What
is your Cancellation Policy?
A. Beginning
July 1, 2006 the policy will be as follows:
| *
The client will be charged $3.00 in addition to the
full placement fee for cancelling a sitting appointment
WITHOUT sitter Confirmation. |
| *
The client will be charged $5.00 in addition to the full
placement fee WITH sitter confirmation |
| *The
client will be charged $5.00 in addition to the full
placement fee and one hour of the babysitters rate if
the cancellation occurs within 3 hours of a scheduled
sitting assignment. |
Q: If
I am on the waiting list what are my chances of getting
a sitter?
A. When
we put you on a waiting list it is so that you are aware
that we are busier than normal. We are usually able to fill
most or all of the sits on the waiting list, and we will
let you know as soon as we fill your sit. You can avoid the
waiting list by contacting us 2 to 4 days before you need
a sitter. back
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Q: Why
is our client # so important?
A. With
several families, we have many similar last names in our
data base. We also have families where the parents have different
last names. Your client number is best way to identify you.
If you don’t know your client number, call us. You
can locate it on your billing statement as well. back
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Q: Can
you provide us with the same sitter every week?
A. We
have many families who use a regular sitter on a weekly basis.
If you would like to find 1 sitter, please let us know your
days and times. We highly suggest trying a few different
sitters first before you settle on one sitter. Remember 90%
of our sitters are college and graduate students and their
school schedules change quarterly. The only service we cannot
provide is Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m until 5:00 p.m.
nanny positions. back
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Q: How
do you find your sitters and what is your hiring process?
A: Almost 95%
of our new sitters are referrals from our current sitters.
We interview each potential sitter personally and perform
extensive background checks, contact references and review
previous employment records. Our sitters also go through
a detailed orientation and training process. back
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Q: Can
I request a specific sitter?
A: Yes!
If you find a sitter you really like, please let us know
when you are requesting your sit that you would like us to
check with a certain sitter. We can’t guarantee she’ll
be available, but we will always start with your request. back
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Q: If
I return home earlier than my requested time for I have
to pay for the whole time.
A: Yes,
you are required to pay the sitter for the full time you
booked the sit with SalemSitters. If you book a sit for 6:00pm-12:00pm
and come home at 10:00pm, the sitter is to be paid for the
full 6 hours that the original sitting appointment was booked
for. Many sitters take assignments based on the length of
the job, and they need to be compensated for the full time
booked. back to
top
Q: Should
I tip the sitter?
A: That
is up to the individual client. We suggest that if you really
like the sitter and she did a good job that you tip her.
Lets’ face it; you tip waiters and hairdressers, why
wouldn’t you tip a sitter who has taken good care of
your children? back
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Q: Can
I contact the sitters directly?
A: No,
all sitting appointments must be scheduled through the SalemSitters
office. Additionally, you are required to call our office
if you need to cancel a sitting appointment or change any
details such as day, date or time of a specific appointment.
If you attempt to schedule a sit directly with the sitter
you will be charged a $50 fee. We are open Monday through
Friday, 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and we check e-mail periodically
on Saturday and Sunday. You can contact sitters if they have
your child (ren) out on a sit or in reference to a sitting
question pertaining to a past sit. All scheduling issues
and questions must come through our business office. back
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**** All families who want
to use SalemSitters to schedule a sitter must be registered
clients. The only exception is if you are having out of town
guests and you take responsibility. If you share a sitter
with another registered client, please see the applicable
rates.****
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