How things will run during the dates July 22nd – September 1st…

During the 6week period Monday 22nd July through to Sunday 1st September:

We ask that if you wish to make a booking that you use either…

1) Our repeat booking form, https://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/DPX30sxq0Tf98

2) Email us at [email protected]

3) Use Facebook messenger to message us (via Facebook link provided)  https://www.facebook.com/belle.babysitters

4) We think you can also use WhatsApp but we recommend the other 3 methods ideally first.

If you try to call us you will be directed to voicemail and we will not be checking that for the next 6weeks, if you use text messages we cannot guarantee they will reach us, we are hopeful they will, but we do not want to rely on this. We will still try and help you out as usual, but we also request that you book at least 48hours minimum (5 days or more is preferred) in advance because – 1) Europe Timezones are the opposite of New Zealand, and 2) We are communicating with our babysitters differently during this time, and it may take them a little longer to respond. 

Please note: We expect our ability to help you at short notice to be significantly hindered, although you can still try us, but keep this in mind if trying to make a booking with less than 48hours notice (even 5days). We have also asked any babysitter with a confirmed booking to text you directly if they have an on the day or en route to you emergency in the first instance, and it is best to assume we won’t have a replacement option available, but we will also try our best if time zones and communication method, allows us to receive the update with any reasonable amount of time to help.

Unrelated to this 6week trip, our hourly rate has been under review in line with typically annual Living Wage updates, so please note, from the 1st August for Non-Members and from the 1st of September for members our new standard hourly rate will be $28 and our short notice / public holiday rate will be $33. For the purposes of the hourly rate (12hours or less notice is considered short notice, even during the dates 22nd July – 1st September). However, for the likelihood of us being able to help you during the period 22nd July through to 1st September, short notice is considered to be 48 hours, to allow us reasonable time to see your request, send out the request, and await replies and to confirm it with you.

From the 1st September for all customers, the reimbursement rate for use of the babysitters car to transport your children is increasing 5c per Km to $1 per Kilometre.

In addition, our minimum booking time rate and cancellation fee (when it applies) is changing from the 1st September to $40 (for members) and from the 1st August to $50 (for non-members). These rate changes keep our babysitters feeling valued and reimbursed above the legal requirements for minimum (living) wage (we support the living wage guidelines). We thank you for your understanding of these changes.

We also thank you for your additional patience during this time, and want you to know that you (and your children – if desired) can follow along with our Belle Fairy adventures on our Facebook profile and page. We will have “Where in the world is Belle?” updates.

You can follow along via any of the following (the updates will be the same in all locations):

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/belle.babysitters

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bellebabysitter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellebabysitters/

We appreciate your ongoing support of our business and hope this time will not be too disruptive to our usual services for you.

Please let us know if we can help you further at all.

We understand the recent years and inflation have hit many families a bit harder than usual and we delayed rate changes as long as possible. But we are committed to being a supporter of the Living wage and thus due to the minimum living wage increasing we have amended several fees as at 01/09/2023.

Our Rate Changes:

Standard Babysitter Hourly rates are now $26 per hour.

Standard Public Holiday rates are still $30 per hour (for all families – both Member and Non-Member).

Current Standard Short Notice Babysitter Hourly rates are still $30 per hour. Current Members still get the benefit of applying the $26 per hour rate.

Cancellation Fee is $45 (Non-Member) and  $35 (Member).

Minimum Booking amount payable to a babysitter is $45 (Non-Member) and  $35 (Member). Note: This is payable even if the booking is of shorter duration than would equate to the above amounts payable, I.e. Less than 1.75hours (Non-Member) and less than 1.33 hours (Member).

Also the standard Petrol reimbursement rate has been adjusted in line with the IRD recommended rate (currently 95c per Km for all vehicle types), negotiating this rate may be possible in individual circumstances but usually depends on the babysitter and exact parameters of the job. Long distance travel rates (if you live in the wider Dunedin or beyond area), are still calculated differently based on the combination of total travel time from the Octagon and total duration of the job.

Combined families rate (if combining children from more than one family is still $3 per hour per extra child, from the other family/lies, the additional children of equal or lower sized family/ies is used for this calculation. I.e. the largest family is considered the ‘main’ family plus all the extra children thereafter).

All Agency Booking Fees and Membership renewal fees remain the same.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ONGOING SUPPORT!

Due to minimum wage increase we have amended several fees as at 01/04/2020.

Rate changes:

Standard Babysitter Hourly rates are now $20 per hour.

Standard Short Notice rates and Public Holiday rates are $25 per hour.

Current Member Short Notice Babysitter Hourly rates are $20 per hour.

Cancellation Fee is $35 (Non-Member) and  $25 (Member).

Minimum Booking amount payable to a babysitter is $35 (Non-Member) and  $25 (Member). Note: This is payable even if the booking is of shorter duration than would equate to the above amounts payable, I.e. Less than 1.75hours (Non-Member) and less than 1.25hours (Member).

Combined families rate (if combining children from more than one family is $2.50 per hour per extra child, from the other family/lies).

All Agency Booking Fees and Membership renewal fees remain the same.