[dai]

Had this happen to me twice yesterday. It really pi55es me off.
Customers don't tell me they are moving. They have my name, address ,e-mail and phone number on the windows have been cleaned tickets, there is no excuse.
The first house a semi with con I had done for the third time yesterday without payment. Later seeing a car outside I knocked the door. A strange guy apeared and said he had only just moved in. To make matters worse he said he was going to do his own windows and wouldn't pay for yesterdays clean either.
Ok fair enough, I didn't have an arrangement with him, so he was under no obligation to pay. I am really tempted to go back on monday and put 3 months dirt back on the glass.
The next house I went to, the same thing happened only this lady paid me for the clean and the previous one too. She said that the windows were gleaming when she moved in and didn't mind paying
Lesson learned. From now on anyone over two months in arrears wont get cleaned. And from now on I want contact numbers including their mobils from everyone.
I am 20% over subscribed at the moment so losing a few won't hurt.
Has this happened to any of you? Dai

[AuRavelling79]

Yup. 'fraid so.

[brett walker]

Dai

private rented houses are the worst for this, ive had 2 customers move out both owing me 20 pounds each and 3 customers owe me 10 pounds each.  One of them that owed me 20 is a copper he still owns the house but rents it out and the new people decided to watch me clean the front before coming out to tell me they didnt want it doing.
It really pi**es me off i think its his mate and he knows exactly what happened i could tell with the look on his face, theyve all been left stamped addressed envelopes as well .
I'll be round there next week to clean next doors i must remember to be careful when im pulling my trolley down the side of his car
 
regards

Bett

[reah]

Should have put the dirt back on

[windows_chepstow]

A handfull of carpet tacks strewn over a drive way is a right pain.

Hey, what thread am I on?

[captain lard]

I am beginning to think that if anyone owes me for a clean then their windows arent going to get cleaned again till I get the money out of them cos I worry about getting done.
I clean a friend of my wifes house,she owed me 2 cleans and came to pay me yesterday and slapped the money in me hand for one clean,/i didnt have the heart to put her right as she is pregnanat,about to give birth,has 2 other kids and her lad has done a bunk for a younger lass and I know she is skint.

[jeff1]

Had it happen to me a few times over the years, so now its only one clean until they pay up.

Another thing I do now if I go to a customers house and there is a for sale sign up,
I will only do it if there home, I had to many do the bunk owing money to me, but I let all new customers know the rules I have

[dougster]

had this happen to me lots of times over the six years i have been working for myself.
But a few years ago i had a family move up north from down south, apart from the bloke was actually brote up in the north, anyway they packed up. could not cope with the wages for a lorry driver in the north, so went back down south.This guy actually phoned me three weeks after moving and said i have sent some cash for you to a relative that lived near , and that i had to pick it up. I could not beleive it and told him that most people i would never see again or hear off, and his reply was ,at least there is some descent people left in the country.so the motto is dont judge everyone as the same, there still is honest people out there that will pay there due.

[Trevor Knight]

If they are in rented accomodation got back to the letting agency as they will pass you the previous tennants new address.

I write to them explaining it was probably an oversight on their behalf and would they send a cheque. Most are so surprised you have found them that they send the paymant. If I receive nothing after 2 weeks I send a notification of a Solicitors letter and Small Claims Court is on its way.

9/10 I get the money.

But yes, you are right, it does p**s me off when they move without a word!

[24-7 S C Services]

Hi everyone,

I think it has happened to all of us at one time. It very rarely happens to me now!

When I am called out on a quote, I do ask them if the property is rented or owned (this does not work all the time, because there is always the dishonest people out there who will lie). If they do say they are renting, I kindly explain we have no problem cleaning their windows on a regular basis. However, due to the amount of dishonest people that are out there, we have had to change our payment details! This is no reflection on you (saying to the customer), but as a business/ company. We now offer tenants two types of payment options.

1) Payment must be received 7 days prior to your pre-booked clean
2) Payment can be made three months in advance and you will receive a 10% discount. (Again payment must be made 7 days prior to the first clean on that rotation).

If payment has not been made, we will not come out and clean your property.



This has worked really well for me and I do not accept the people that have not accepted those terms by me. I do not loose any sleep over them either, because the ones that don’t pay in advance, are the ones that are more likely to do a bunk.

Andrew

[jeff1]

Another one that happened to me was I was called to do a regular customer, who was in the Navy and in Navy property, I had to do a full clean of windows frames and all the upvc, I got there at 9am and the wife greeted me at the door saying she had not been to the bank yet and could I call back later on in the afternoon for payment, I agreed and did the work.
Later on in the afternoon I called back for payment only to find they had gone, in my mind She clearly knew she was moving that day, and I was b***dy angry, the lady next door came out and told me they had gone, I told her what they did and she told me to get intouch with the naval services that check the property before and after there move.
I went straight around and told them what had happened  they were none to pleased either, they took my details and said they would be intouch, one week later, I had a letter from the naval department with a cheque included with an extra £30 and in the letter it stated that all the money would be deducted from his wages. nice one I thought Royal Navy 0 window cleaners 1

[freshwater]

You should get paid for every clean. Ask your customers how many Sainsburys will let them have 3 or 4 weeks shopping before paying for it.

steve@freshwatersystems.co.uk

[LSB]

it has happened a few times over the years !  however i do normally end up getting the new owners / tennants to continue ( and some do insist on paying some or all of outstanding bill )   

slightly different , but ive also had people die while owing money , obviously ive had no bad thoughts on these and have just wiped the debt , however in every instance later in the year ( at no request from me ) ive received payment from relatives or solicitors.