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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 01:05:56 pm

Title: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 01:05:56 pm
got a few commercial jobs that i am sicking of waiting to get paid form, its is 2 hotels,  (not a pair)  what i am best doing trying to sort out payment terms again,  or just giving them to some one else to deal with,  as cant be bothered waiting for cheques, woudl rather do jobs where i get paid as i do them,  these jobs want invoices sent in and then wait for cheques

what would you do
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: kate1 on August 11, 2010, 01:18:56 pm
I suppose you have to evaluate what income they provide for you.

Do you continually have to chase them?  or do they pay on the terms stated?

Trouble is businesses prioritise suppliers, unless there is genuine cashflow problems.

So difficult dealing with cheques etc, but good news is I believe cheques will be going out in the next few years.

You could try and persuade them to set up a regular payment, but I fear that will push them away, as then their not in control

Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 01:24:00 pm
no its first payment that i am waiting for and to be honest i cant be bothered waiting for them,  and am thinking of waiting till they are due again to see if i have been paid, if not dont think i am going to do them again
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: kate1 on August 11, 2010, 01:26:50 pm
So at the moment, what are the payment terms 30 days, and have they gone over?
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on August 11, 2010, 01:47:05 pm
got a few commercial jobs that i am sicking of waiting to get paid form, its is 2 hotels,  (not a pair)  what i am best doing trying to sort out payment terms again,  or just giving them to some one else to deal with,  as cant be bothered waiting for cheques, woudl rather do jobs where i get paid as i do them,  these jobs want invoices sent in and then wait for cheques

what would you do

To be honest this is quite normal mate. I have one who pay on the day but most are usually a month later. i.e. Clean in july & I will get payment in august. Sometimes when they are 4 weekly I can clean & still not have been payed for the last time (4 weeks previous)

BUT........ They pay well, are pretty rock solid, never moan etc. & I ALWAYS get the money, just sometime in the next month that's all. ;)
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: kate1 on August 11, 2010, 01:51:05 pm
Yes, waiting game
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: cleewindows on August 11, 2010, 01:56:45 pm
sell them m8
get something for them,dont give them away!
no its first payment that i am waiting for and to be honest i cant be bothered waiting for them,  and am thinking of waiting till they are due again to see if i have been paid, if not dont think i am going to do them again
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: bobby p on August 11, 2010, 03:01:04 pm
now its high season ,think how much they will drag their feet paying in low season !!!


 on the other hand ,in winter they will not be rushed so much and might see your invoice laying on the office desk.....
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: kate1 on August 11, 2010, 03:07:21 pm
If its happening like this first time round, it will probably be like this on future cleans.
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 03:08:12 pm
going to give it till they next due and see what happens,  i dont need the jobs as they are out of my way to be honest, so will see what happens
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: the bfg on August 11, 2010, 03:26:11 pm
as Kate asked the question,  what are the payment terms ?  30 days, 60 days, 90 days
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Craig Trevain on August 11, 2010, 03:30:04 pm
Welcome to commercial work, one has to wait for payment, i'm always owed 30+ even though my terms are 28 days some of my managing agent owe me 90+.
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 03:31:10 pm
they where meant to be cheques on the day,  but one was dead busy and the other had left, so left envelopes and invoices, no receipts for payment
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: kate1 on August 11, 2010, 03:35:53 pm
This is probably what commercial work is like, prioritising payments.  Hotel needs to buy food, pay staff, laundry etc etc to make it operate. 

Unfortunately the guys that need paying the most promptest get left until last.

Anyway as I said they are going to stop doing cheques in a few years time, so it might make your guys business easier.

You could offer incentives for paying electronically??
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Martin ccs on August 11, 2010, 05:19:09 pm
only you are gonna know if you reallyh should dump them!

welcome to commercial jobs - its prob not so much they dont want to pay you its more like the normal problems - some daft tw@t in the admin just hasnt sorted it yet or if you are really unlucky the company may hold on to all payments out until the last minute.

just email and ring them and speak to the accounts dept ....

i get this every month - loads of different reason why its late:

you hand in the invoice to be sent off by the job and it doesnt get sent on time ....

invoice paid to wrong person! - i do a pub for punch pub company and i used to get the dj or doormans money!!

ive had jobs owe three months but just keep chasing and it will get paid.

you normally find that when you do a job for the first few times it takes ages for payment but after a few times the stupid admin staff remember to pay the invoice and everythings all good from then on.

just keep chasing it and make sure you speak to the right person or get the hotel staff to chase it up for you!
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: jodan63 on August 11, 2010, 05:49:19 pm
hi darren , wheres the hotels? any where near me  :)
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 07:10:09 pm
one out in truro and the others in camelford, have spoke to one am going up to moz to pick up a cheque as he claims he thought i hadnt finished and was coming back,  the other am going to give them till it is due to be cleaned again and see what happens, as it might just be me as am use to being paid with in a week with all my other commercial
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Sean Dyer on August 11, 2010, 07:12:28 pm
one out in truro and the others in camelford, have spoke to one am going up to moz to pick up a cheque as he claims he thought i hadnt finished and was coming back,  the other am going to give them till it is due to be cleaned again and see what happens, as it might just be me as am use to being paid with in a week with all my other commercial

well your lucky mate, i have a pain in the ass getting paid with loads

just goes with the territory it seems, some are good though
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Paul Coleman on August 11, 2010, 07:28:32 pm
one out in truro and the others in camelford, have spoke to one am going up to moz to pick up a cheque as he claims he thought i hadnt finished and was coming back,  the other am going to give them till it is due to be cleaned again and see what happens, as it might just be me as am use to being paid with in a week with all my other commercial

Being paid so promptly with commercial is pretty unusual.  A hotel that I do is cleaned three monthly and it takes them about 60 days to pay (via BACS).  I've no problem with that so long as they continue to pay when they're meant to.  Since taking on more commercial work, the amount I'm owed has always been much higher than for domestic only.  It sometimes leaves things a bit tight with the cashflow but it's nice when the payments arrive.
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Moderator David@stives on August 11, 2010, 07:29:59 pm
Darren

If you have any slow payers (commercial), pass them my way, i'll take them
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 07:30:52 pm
the commercial i do is b and bs and chippys so get paid there and then really or with in a week,   as have tried to avoid the jobs where i am waiting 90 days
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 07:33:37 pm
i am just going to see what happens with the hotel as due to clean it in 2 weeks anyway, as it might just be a misunderstanding 

got to get one cheque to moz  and will sort it with him when i see him,    might just have had really good commercial up to yet
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: jodan63 on August 11, 2010, 07:49:47 pm
camelford? which one there arnt many in camelford
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: darren clarke on August 11, 2010, 07:57:07 pm
its a set of cottages/b and b hotel type thing on the camel trail   i didnt even know it was there till i quoted it
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: 123go on August 13, 2010, 08:52:10 pm
one out in truro and the others in camelford, have spoke to one am going up to moz to pick up a cheque as he claims he thought i hadnt finished and was coming back,  the other am going to give them till it is due to be cleaned again and see what happens, as it might just be me as am use to being paid with in a week with all my other commercial
.....wonder which hotel in Camelford then? Its such a small town, blink and youd miss it!!!
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: 123go on August 13, 2010, 08:53:29 pm
Ooops sorry, mis-read there...having a blonde moment!!! :) :)
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Window Washers on August 13, 2010, 08:57:50 pm
Ooops sorry, mis-read there...having a blonde moment!!! :) :)
:o :o ;D
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: richywilts on August 13, 2010, 09:28:44 pm
go in set up a nice tab hammer the mini bar treat ya missus trash ya room n when they ask for payment tell them its on the house ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: prestige cleaners on August 13, 2010, 10:07:06 pm
all my commercial pay on the day or within the week, i wont take on any on their terms. i do the work you pay me same as everyone else! i would give a month max though if it was worth it.
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Pureandclean on August 13, 2010, 10:33:22 pm
Offer them 2 prices, your normal price for payment within 30 days, and £20.00 extra for payment after 30 days.

I have done this, and one of the commercial custmers has chosen to pay the extra. I came to the conclusion it was worth waiting a while longer for the extra £20.00
Title: Re: dumping commercial
Post by: Smudger on August 14, 2010, 08:19:59 am
As your terms were payment on the day, then you should be going back and collecting now.

my commercial work is done on 7 days - and they all pay within that time,  this was made clear to them before
work started and agreed to.


I know it's hard and most likely you will get others saying wait, but if you let these customers muck you around
over payment then they always will and you will always be chasing.

go back the manager of the hotel and politely request payment as agreed - you are a profession business - dont be afraid to ask for what is yours!

whats the worst he/she says ?  no - well then they are a bad custy that is not worth having.

and you go straight to small claims court. 

it's no good having a big contract worth ££££££  for it not to be paid and going broke in the meantime.

Darran