Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: david coats on May 15, 2010, 11:04:17 pm

Title: please could u help
Post by: david coats on May 15, 2010, 11:04:17 pm
hi im new to this forum im hoping to make some friends on here and be able to get some advice my debt list is growing i collect wed thur fri nights and finding it really hard getting the money in i do leave envelopes if the customer is not in but it dosnt seem to be working very well could anybody give me any tips also could anybody recomend a debt collection agency thanks
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: Ross G on May 15, 2010, 11:08:31 pm

Sunday morning at the door with a smile with the hand out
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: daz1977 on May 15, 2010, 11:09:44 pm
how much u owed,  i go collecting on a sat morning, that way i can call back a few hours later if they not in,  dont do  more than 2 cleans if you aint getting paid,

Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: boshravie on May 15, 2010, 11:11:58 pm
David
I hear your problem, and I whish good customer to come your way, just be positive and be persistent .  persistent is the name of the game, we all have been through it.
I guarantee you it will be o.k. just think positive every day.
I pray for you . GOD BLESS.
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: Tom White on May 15, 2010, 11:31:33 pm
David,

If you're desperate because you're cash flow is naff and the bills are coming, try this:

Friday evening knock to collect, and if they're not in, leave a note saying:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your window cleaner has called to collect but you were not in. 

I will call back tomorrow morning (Saturday) between 9.30 am and midday.  If you will not be in, or do not wish to be disturbed, please leave payment under an object on your doorstep.  Cheques are to made payable to Mr D Coats.

We are a small business and our cash flow is important to us; we thank you for your co-operation.

Contact Details:


___________________________________________________________________________

If when you call back no one is in, and no payment is left out, leave a SAE with payment instructions.

So in effect you collect Friday and if they're not in, you leave a note saying you're going to collect in the morning.  And if no payment is left, then you leave an envelope.

This isn't ideal, but if you need the money, you get your ass out there and collect it.

Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: dazmond on May 15, 2010, 11:32:35 pm
how much are you owed?if its a few hundred quid then thats ok as you never get all your money in.when it gets to 600-700 i do a good couple of hours collecting and usually get half that at least in!

never clean more than twice or 3 times without getting paid.as long as you get it in eventually then i dont see a problem.i have cheques landing on my mat daily,i get quite a lot in cash when i clean, then 2 hours collecting MAX once a week(usually mon/tue evening).all this keeps my cashflow pretty good.

do you knock when you ve cleaned if their in?or if your doing compact work do you walk round at the end of the working day and collect as much as you can?all this should help your cashflow.

best wishes

dazmond
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: david coats on May 15, 2010, 11:36:06 pm
how much u owed,  i go collecting on a sat morning, that way i can call back a few hours later if they not in,  dont do  more than 2 cleans if you aint getting paid,


my debt list is up to £1000 i leave adressed envelops but they tell me they forgot to post the payment to me
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: daz1977 on May 15, 2010, 11:53:33 pm
how much u owed,  i go collecting on a sat morning, that way i can call back a few hours later if they not in,  dont do  more than 2 cleans if you aint getting paid,


my debt list is up to £1000 i leave adressed envelops but they tell me they forgot to post the payment to me

how many months is that for, and how many custys

 becasue i would go out and get it   if  being owed money is going to be a prob,  either get more work in that pays or get a "proper job" with a weekly wage,  i dump custy that dont pay,  as i can sit at home and earn nothing
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: dazmond on May 15, 2010, 11:55:23 pm
you say "addressed envelopes" david!do you not put stamps on them?here is your problem if you dont!!make it easy for them matey!you can recover the cost in your next price rise! ;) ;) ;) ;D ;D
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: BORBRYCE on May 15, 2010, 11:58:13 pm
David, you are not going to like reading this. You have the the worst client's in the world. The money you are owed will never get to you. You have been a complete fool to let it all go this far. I suggest you find brand new customer's and start from new or give up cleaning windows altogether because just from reading your post I don't believe that it's the job for you in the long term.
Its your call mate, but there is definitely much more to making a living cleaning windows than just well cleaning windows.
You have to be hard necked and mabey a bit of a chancer and have an eye for what is good and what is bad. You don't seem like this kind of person.
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: mci services on May 16, 2010, 12:57:27 am
David, you are not going to like reading this. You have the the worst client's in the world. The money you are owed will never get to you. You have been a complete fool to let it all go this far. I suggest you find brand new customer's and start from new or give up cleaning windows altogether because just from reading your post I don't believe that it's the job for you in the long term.
Its your call mate, but there is definitely much more to making a living cleaning windows than just well cleaning windows.
You have to be hard necked and mabey a bit of a chancer and have an eye for what is good and what is bad. You don't seem like this kind of person.

bit harsh ronnie but i know what you mean ive dumped customers before i havent even cleaned them just because of the vibe, david just get out there and collect the money, i find a monday night best for getting them in and if they mess me about they are dropped. instantly. or if you cant afford to drop instantly replace them then drop them. keep at it and you will pick up a natural feel for what customers you actually want
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: The Jester of Wibbly on May 16, 2010, 07:14:17 am
Have you not seen the other thread about non payers on the forum that is still active with up to date posts over the last couple of days?
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: Jays Window Cleaning on May 16, 2010, 01:51:59 pm
When i have problems with getting money in from my custy luckly there are only a few of them left as i slowly dropped the bad ones. I would put a card through firstly with i will collect after 6pm i never say which day as with some, they avoid being in on that day. That seem t work well for me but my these are walking distance from my house. If i were owed this amount of money i would be knocking every eveing and sat and sunday morning.

As time goes on and you get new custys you will get the chance to lose the bad payers. it will happen just takes time. Ive been wc for a year now and have dropped many 120 in total . But what i have now i am happy with.  I found that door knocking is a great way to get new custys but i 90 % odf them were bad payers.

jay
Title: Re: please could u help
Post by: dmlservices on May 16, 2010, 07:22:25 pm
you say "addressed envelopes" david!do you not put stamps on them?here is your problem if you dont!!make it easy for them matey!you can recover the cost in your next price rise! ;) ;) ;) ;D ;D

i dont leave an envelope these days, used to leave stamp addressed envelopes, but some would still not send payment ,

over the years i have got rid of bad payers,    the problem with starting a window cleaning round is you not only have to find customers,  but need to find good ones, usually when you get a bad paying customer, they are another window cleaners cast off.

daz