BMW vs. Hyundai by Marni Kent

First, to those of you who drive a Hyundai, I am not making light or passing judgement on what type of vehicle you may drive. Good, now that you know I am by no means a automobile enthusiast, we can expound on my aforementioned comparison.

Since my arrival here in the Sunshine State, I’ve had the sometimes pleasure, and sometimes pain of having to endure the arduous interview process. I know a lot of you, like me, from time to time have left these interviews with a sense of bewilderment and inexplicable disbelief. Agencies in large part have all of our best interests at heart. However, they also have a business to run with the end result being the “ bottom line “. What this means to you and me, is that while most agencies do their level best to place us with the right family, sometimes the nanny and the client’s best interest get’s overlooked in an effort to meet their economic business demands. This brings me to my automotive point of view. I, like many of you, have car shopped and purchased a variety of different vehicles over the years. Generally, I do my budget and car pricing homework before I venture out shopping. I know well in advance if I can afford that BMW or Hyundai. Additionally, I know about standard and optional equipment. That said, too many times I have interviewed with client families who want every option under the sun but are only willing to pay for the standard model. In many of these instances the agency was the primary component in this misinformation. The agency, like the initial car salesman has to sell you to the prospective client. Unfortunately, like car buying half truths and embellishment is too often the order of the day. So if I am well armed with critical information I will not find myself in the wrong dealership, right. Not so fast, frustration is only one of many emotions I feel when I get in the middle of an interview and I hear this famous phrase,“ salary is not an issue.”  Whatever your feelings are when and if you hear that phrase just be sure your sitting down because in my twenty years in this business I have only once had that statement be the case. Too many times erroneous salary needs and the budget of the prospective client are like buying that BMW or Hyundai. If the agency and the nanny are conveying accurate information, either verbal or written, these time consuming mishaps won’t happen. If the client cannot afford that BMW type nanny, then don’t waste everyone’s time by sending her to a Hyundai budget family who has no hope of hiring her due to their budgetary constraints. Nanny window shopping tends to erode the clients confidence and heighten their anxiety about finding the right nanny.

In closing, be passionate about what we do, but also be prepared, and always do your best to get into the right dealership.