Managing & Supporting Difficult Clients Through the Hiring Process Be prepared to manage your next difficult client! How you handle sensitive clients can make or break a placement as well as affect the future of your relationship. This workshop will provide you with the tools you need to counsel difficult clients through hiring, firing and other life transitions.

1. Follow The Nanny Doctor on Twitter!
@TheNannyDoctor
“Like” The Nanny Doctor on Facebook

2. Managing & Supporting Difficult Clients Through
the Hiring Process
Be prepared to manage your next difficult client!
How you handle sensitive clients can make or break a placement as well as affect
the future of your relationship.
This workshop will provide you with the tools you need to counsel difficult clients
through hiring, firing and other life transitions.

3. This workshop will provide you with strategies for
managing difficult clients through the hiring process
We will:
• Identify types of problem clients
• Identify common client scenarios
• Identify strategies for managing these types of clients
• Provide tips for ongoing maintenance of these clients
• Learn when to make the decision to no longer work
with these clients and how to do it.
• Provide an opportunity for an interactive group
discussion on creative, appropriate and respectful
solutions to these unique situations.

4. Who are these clients?
• Dahlia Dilly-Dally - the person who never makes a decision.
• Entitled Emily - Believes they deserve everything.
• Revision Robin - Keeps changing the job description.
• Nancy Neverright - Always something wrong with the nanny, finds something
wrong with every interviewee and when they do hire, ends up firing because
there is always a problem with the nanny.
• Cheap Cheryl - Wealthy people who want to low ball their nanny and get her
for the lowest price possible even if it is insulting.
• Insulting Irene - Insults you and your business practices.

5. What are some common client scenarios?
• The family is taking their time and never seems to make a decision.
* They may be using multiple agencies and lack confidence in the system.
* Paranoid that the agency just wants their money.
• Highly demanding to the point of being combative and rude.
* Want to control the process.
• Even though they are going to you for help, they consider themselves experts.
* “Well when we hired our last nanny she was only $5/wk” or “Our friends have a nanny who is
college educated and they only pay her….”
• They keep changing the job description
* “Well actually we want her to work 7-7 not 9-7” even after the nanny has already accepted the
position. Or adding additional duties.
• Always finding something wrong with the nanny.
• Aggressive clients who constantly insult you and your business practices but still want your
help!

6. Strategies for Managing Dahlia Dilly-Dally
• Do your best to help this particular client to develop a clear job description.
• Engage them in the exercise of how they envision their nanny.
* What type of person do they picture in their home caring for their children?
• When they struggle to interview and select a nanny, provide empathy to them
during this process.
• Help them refer back to their job description and who they envision.
• Send them clients who match their needs! Don’t confuse them further!

7. Strategies for Managing Entitled Emily
• Stay calm, don’t let them push your buttons.
• Remember you are the expert!
* Provide them with information. Families are feeling anxious and that can lead to them feeling
paranoid.
• Be clear and demonstrate fairness.
• Remain confident in your statements and decisions.
• Stay focused on what your agency can provide.

8. Strategies for Managing Revision Robin
• Really help them to develop a clear job description.
• Carefully scrutinize their job description.
* Take a step back and think about what pitfalls there may be ahead related to schedule or traits of
their nanny.
• When she does change things be calm and supportive.
* This client may really be struggling to find the right nanny for their family.

9. Strategies for Managing Nancy Neverright
• Really help them to be clear in their expectations of what nannies are available.
* What can they expect from nannies?
* What can they expect from your agency?
• Be as transparent with the process as possible these clients.
• These clients tend to be fairly paranoid.
* Providing information will hep to calm them.

10. Strategies for Managing Cheap Cheryl
• From the start be very clear with what the family can expect to pay for the
type of nanny they are looking for. Get it in writing! Have them approve the
job description prior to posting it! Have them sign your agency agreement
prior to starting the search.
• Be clear and confident in the services you can provide. Don’t get dragged down
by the client’s comparisons of other agencies or friends’ experiences.
• Don’t be afraid to be repetitive and sound like a “broken record.”

11. Strategies for Managing Insulting Irene
• If clients are resorting to insulting your agency or your business practices
remain calm and engage in the conflict.
• These families may be frustrated or angry with the process - not necessarily
with you. Make sure you separate the two in your head before you react! It
can also be an emotional experience and it can be overwhelming for your
client.
• These clients need your sense of confidence! For example, “I know that this
can be a difficult process at times, but I am confident that we will find the right
nanny for your family. Sometimes it just takes a little time to find the perfect fit
and we are committed to helping your family.”

12. Enough is Enough!
At what point do you decide you no longer want to work with
a particularopt-out of this process naturally if they are
family?
• Often times these families will eventually
struggling with finding the right nanny.
• Maintain your professionalism. Remember what your brand is and be conscious of
how you want to portray yourself.
• In the case that you decide to no longer work with their family only do so after you
have done EVERYTHING possible for this family and that includes connecting them
with other agencies!
* This includes being patient with them throughout the process and guiding them.
* This may include extending your “replacement policy” in order to preserve your relationship as
well as your professional reputation.
* If you find that your emotions are spilling over - before you say something you regret, be
professional and know your limit.
* Call a professional who can help manage this difficult situation and support the client through the
process.

13. Thank you for your time!
Dr. Lindsay Heller, Psy.D.
The Nanny Doctor: Professional Consulting for Families & Nannies
www.TheNannyDoctor.com
Follow us on Twitter! @TheNannyDoctor
“Like” us on Facebook!