Changing Daycares & The Quiet Reason Customers Walk Away

Borrowed

“First, make sure you and your people really understand your customers: their needs, their buying behaviors, and the changes in those behaviors. Know why they would prefer your products to others. Understanding customers is the base of business success.”

From "Execution" by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, Charles Burck  [Book]

Learned

I walked into Mylo’s daycare this morning feeling a bit uneasy. After dropping him off in class, I had to let them know we’d be transitioning him to a new daycare.

I wasn’t uneasy because something bad had happened or because I didn’t want to have the conversation. It was the opposite. Mylo’s experience there has been positive. It’s a place we’ve trusted since he was six months old: supportive teachers, a nurturing environment, and a space where he’s already learned so much. For a kid who’s not quite two, we’re constantly amazed by how much he’s picking up.

But sometimes, a positive experience isn’t enough. It’s not about what’s wrong but what’s missing.

There had been small things here and there. The sweets at snack time. The condition Mylo came home in some days. The casual approach to guest pickups. To name a few. Subtle signs that, while everything was “fine,” the environment didn’t fully reflect the values Dana and I share when it comes to care and structure. Still, we hadn’t seriously considered switching; Mylo seemed happy, and we loved seeing him with his little classmates.

Then Dana saw an Instagram ad.

It was for a new daycare that had recently opened. It was the second location, the first opened in 2020, and the same distance from our house as the current daycare. The ad featured a video of the founder walking through a beautiful space, providing more background on the school. It was thoughtful and compelling enough for Dana to dig deeper.

After she shared it with me, we decided to book a tour, because why not? We ended up canceling when we saw they were hosting an open house. We liked the idea of Mylo getting to experience the space with us.

We were impressed as soon as we walked in, but the more we learned, the better it got. A few highlights that stood out:

• They launder all sleep items on-site—no hauling things back and forth.
• A registered dietitian and in-house chef prepare a monthly menu with alternates for picky eaters. They serve breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
• All food is whole and high-quality, including better-for-you brand partnerships like Lovebird cereal. I couldn’t believe the founder knew what the Yuka app was.
• The space is clean, modern, and designed with intention, like a giant soft play area and a tiny grocery store to help kids learn how to shop.
• Every parent and visitor has a unique entry code. Anyone new who visits has to share their information and get an automatic background check before entering the building.
• It’s even closer to my parents, which gives us added flexibility for pickups.

We learned that the founder started the school out of frustration with finding quality daycare, which came through loud and clear in how she runs the place. Her kids attend the first location.

The staff felt both passionate and experienced. We spoke with the Enrollment Director, who shared what drew her to the school after decades at another school: how they treat their team. The founder talked about the high turnover rate in childcare and how they’re working to change that: paying above industry standard, offering two weeks of PTO, and covering tuition for any staff who want to return to school.

Needless to say, the decision felt easy, but it wasn’t.

Nothing was pushing us out. In fact, Dana and I had been planning to increase Mylo’s time from four to five days a week this summer. But the new daycare showed us what was possible (and for a nominal tuition increase). It surfaced things we hadn’t thought to ask for, but now couldn’t ignore.

Sure, it’s new, somewhat unproven, and that’s the risk in switching. There’s uncertainty in change, and we won't know the outcome until we give it a try. But after a lot of discussion, we agreed: this move feels more aligned with the kind of experience we want for Mylo. The hardest part is wondering if he’ll miss the little friends he’s known since he was six months old.

This experience left me reflecting, not just as a parent, but as someone running a business, on the relationship between companies and their customers, how we show up for our clients at Barrel, and what it really means to understand and anticipate what they truly value.

We might assume customers only leave when something’s wrong. But in many cases, they leave because something else feels more right. It’s not always about dissatisfaction; it’s about alignment, the sense that someone else better understands what matters.

So often, we look to feedback to help us fix what’s wrong. But the more powerful opportunity lies in understanding our customers on a deeper level, not just what they say they want, but what they haven’t said yet. Or maybe don’t even know how to ask for. Because when someone else shows it to them first, “you’ve been great” might not be enough.

Thought

When was the last time I made it easy for customers to tell us what’s missing?