[jo5hm4n]

Picked up alot of new customers already last few months and as you do, i have inherited some that are bad payers.  I'm not the best when it comes to being really efficient with outstanding payments.  Atm, i seem to have a debtlist always over £500 and some weeks close to £1000, which i think its quite high.

For the first time ever i have about 4 customers that owe me between 3-5 cleans, so i have cancelled their service, and must have called round for the money atleast 5 times.  Text reminders, called to collect as they were supposed to be online payers.  I have just signed up for the Thomas Higgins letter, because im sick of some bad payers taking me for a mug.

Can anybody recommend any other ways to get payment off those awkward customers.  Some even say right to my face, yes il pay it now online on my phone, and then they never do....

I want to get some of these people onto GoCardless so i just take the payment whenever i want.  So first question, how can i get people onto GoCardless easily?  Some people just dont want to make any effort at all to pay, i need to make it as easy as possible for them.

Second, i am slightly worried that some of my customers that are bad payers, probably have £0 in the bank on a regular basis, so that isn't really going to work as a Direct Debit if they are waiting to get paid or whatever.

I realise that i now should just drop these customers, but the thing is some of them are okay, not all bad.  Some are just difficult to get when trying to collect.  I think if i can swap them over to online in some cases it would eliminate the problem.

Just need to get stricter with accepting payment, i've been a bit rubbish lately, and it's just building up...

One more thing, with the Thomas Higgins Letter, when is it appropriate or legal to use this letter.  I'm planning on using it on 2 customers that have been told about 4/5 times they owe me money and yet they still haven't paid.  One owes £48, other £40.

I saw a post on here saying about Small Claims Court, but only if you have "proof" then you are more or less going to win the case.  What is enough proof to do this?  Alot of domestic is just verbal contracts.  If some customers never text you back, i have no written proof that they owe money, other than my daily worksheets, which show they haven't paid me, is that even enough legally?  Cba, to go to small claims court faffing about, unless i know im 100% going to win the money, otherwise would rather just write it off as a loss, rather than wasting more time.

[Stoots]

Firstly don't go more than one clean without payment.

I clean the house give them a week to pay then I send text reminders about every 3-4 days. If it gets to a few days before next clean I text to say your windows are due shortly but still not recieved payment for last clean and so are not getting done unless you pay.

From them on I would send a few more texts if no payment send a 14 day small claim letter.


Ad for proof I try to get everything in text messages.

Usually people will make up excuses via text and say sorry I'll pay soon etc. Soon as they do that they are admitting liability for the debt so you have your proof.

[SB Cleaning]

Letting it get to 4-5 cleans is utter madness mate!

If it's a customer I've had for a long while I let it go to 2 cleans then stop....if it's a new customer if they don't pay after 1 clean the service is stopped until I get paid !

[NWH]

This is the thing when you hear a lot of window cleaners say I'm picking up lots of work,it takes a few cleans but in the end you'll realise why you have,most times they've had WCs before and have almost exhausted the local cleaners. If i ever pick up a new job I get a gut feeling sometimes that tells me troubles looming with these people they start off having it done regular and paying  on time then the messing about starts. Sometimes you have to accept it when certain areas are boxed off it's not always about the money.

[NWH]

It depends on how long you've known that customer quiet often I've had £70 jobs go to 5 cleans without payment,I see them they alpologise and pay me. You can smell it when someone's skint.

[Dave Willis]

Worst payers seem to be the ones who are nicest to your face. Once or twice I have threatened to pass their debts on to an agency. Seems to work, then I dump them.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Yes make sure they don't get away with it. Don't allow new customers another clean if not paid.

5 clean  is silly sorry. But this is why they think they can keep ripping off window cleaners  one after another especially if you let them get away with it.  Window cleaners are easy prey for the dishonest few when we just let it happen.

If they ignore your reminders then text them politely that you intend to collect in person as the debt has not been paid which will incur an additional  x charge for time and fuel.

Final stage would be to message them detailing the outstanding amount explaining it will be handed over to your legal partner on x date if unpaid. Advise them there would be a £45 handling charge added once the dept is handed over to the legal company.

You will be surprised how quick the money gets paid.

Lastly... drop them.

[Marc Stock]

Right.

Let's get a couple of things straight. You are a fool for doing the work in the 1st place, the householder who hasn't paid you yet must think you have a really good sense of humour. 2nd your better off taking a cap, sitting in front of MacDonalds and begging as at least you will get some immediate cash flow.

A customer is not a customer until they have paid you. You should never do another clean unless they have paid for the last. I take this stance on all my customers even if i have been doing them for years and years. No doshy? No washy!

[NWH]

I've had some silly window cleaning debts but always got paid in the end,lets not forget a lot of wealthy people have no concept of debt because they have none,the thought that they might owe you 1-200 quid isn't at the forefront of there mind. A lot of new money people are like this the old money types always pay on time.

[JandS]

I have some that go 4 or 5 times before payment but always pay and  then pay a couple up front so no problem.
Never really had a messer payment wise.

[dazmond]

new customers who havent paid and you ve cleaned their windows 3-5 TIMES?

ill go to 3 cleans owing on some cheap well established customer accounts,usually twice though before i stop cleaning until payment received.i wouldnt do it for a new customer though!one clean, one payment.

my debt list too is usually between £500-£1000 at any one time.(its currently at £767-00)but i know its just part of my "rolling debt" and ill get it eventually.its very rare its below £500.

i offer BACS,standing order,SAE and cash collection(only on compact estate work).

debt is part and parcel of running a window cleaning business.at least its not thousands outstanding like some other tradesman(builders,plumbers,etc).it could be worse!

also the total outstanding debts for the WHOLE YEAR i  end up writing off are usually under £100!

[NWH]

TBH I quiet like being owed a bit it comes in bit by bit

[windowswashed]

I leave a note on the invoice to say windows haven't been cleaned today as you owe for two cleans and have had to temporarily stop my services until payment received in full, If they are a dodgy new customer collect the money and never let them go past one clean without a reminder again as they normally turn out to be bad payers. Anyone who says they can't do bank transfers or cheques, only cash who are out working tend to be the pain in the ass ones not worth bothering with. If I think someone is dodgy they only get one clean and then a reminder to pay and will leave cleaning even if due until payment first to decide if they are worth the risk 

[NWH]

Actually I have 1 customer who owes me 3 £40 cleans,out of all my work I dislike her the most she turned up last time new she owed me 2 lots and said I'll pay for 3 cleans tonight. Last time she paid me was probably before Xmas lol.

[AuRavelling79]

New customers - once only.

Existing customers with a good record - twice rarely (maybe they've been on hols or forgot) so they get a bill for two lots. That is the maximum.

[Soupy]

You lot seem to be taking this very personally. 9 out of 10 of these people are just lazy, forgetful and/or skint, it's very rare you get someone who is deliberately ripping you off. Maybe down your way people aren't as nice. As a kid I was always told English people were modded, maybe that's right after all?

 

Don't worry about the actual legalities of going to court 'cause guess what; you won't. Send the letters threatening legal action, some will pay, some won't. Write off the debt and move on with your life.

Oh yeah, nearly forgot, don't clean someone 5 times without payment, it's just silly.

[Ian101]

bad / non payers are not customers - they will drain you time wise and financially.

one clean max .... no payee no cleanee  unless well established like that one on forest walk that used to pay me every 6 months.

hope its none off my old customers 

bob plumb who comes on here occasionally only takes on new customers who set up go cardless and wont even clean the first time until it has been set up .... talking to him yesterday and this week out of the 5 new enquiries 2 admitted it was just a one off.

Personally if I was to go residential window cleaning ever again then I would do the above ref go cardless for every customer plus there is another guy from Chester called iSparkle - Richard Speech who has several hundred customers ALL on an alternative to go cardless which works the same as go cardless so if he can do it so can you.

As for customer having no money in account not much you can do about this as you will still get mugged off occasionally however you will now have proof and all the details for a Thomas higgons letter.

[Dry Clean]

There's no need to be a drama queen over things like this as the majority of customers will pay without problems and
as long as you only clean once and get paid before cleaning again then your never going to get overly stung and put yourself in
the position of having to waste time money energy and wellbeing chasing the debt.
To the op, try a few things such as a Thomas Higgins letter and the threat of the small claims to see if that will push them into paying, if not let it go forget about it and concentrate on building your round, learn by your mistake , don't keep cleaning for non payers.

[JandS]

Not new customers existing customers.

[JandS]

And what exactly is gocardless.....doesn't tell you much on website.
How is it different to just setting up a d/d with a customer.