Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bad trippy on December 11, 2010, 11:45:22 pm

Title: Be honest
Post by: bad trippy on December 11, 2010, 11:45:22 pm
Have any of you ever lifted a item "to the value of", from a customer who simply refuses to pay you, or keeps fobing you off. Items could be really nice garden pots, hanging baskets, garden bench etc etc?????
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: LWC on December 11, 2010, 11:48:01 pm
Nope
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: mci services on December 11, 2010, 11:48:29 pm
No
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on December 11, 2010, 11:48:46 pm
nah r u tempted 2  ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: darren clarke on December 11, 2010, 11:52:21 pm
no,  just put expaning foam in exhaust ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Tom White on December 11, 2010, 11:53:56 pm
Nope.

But I have planned revenge attacks; handfuls of carpet tacks strewn around their drive and stuff; but never done it.

Now I try to cut out the 'resentment and revenge' part and go straight for the accepting the loss part; but to be honest it's very rare this happens, and I think the biggest job I've been 'knocked' for is £60 (two £30 cleans), which is nothing in the big scheme of things.
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on December 11, 2010, 11:57:21 pm
id b livid couldnt see me letting 60 quid lie >:(
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Tom White on December 12, 2010, 12:04:52 am
id b livid couldnt see me letting 60 quid lie >:(

Well, I could get angry, but it wouldn't help; the people who owed me moved (the house was rented).

Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: bad trippy on December 12, 2010, 12:06:58 am
when i was trad yrs ago in the 80s, i once returned all the dirt on the windows of a custy who would not pay up. I dipped me mop in his garden soil, then went over every window  ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on December 12, 2010, 12:08:03 am
yeah nice  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Tom White on December 12, 2010, 12:09:46 am
when i was trad yrs ago in the 80s, i once returned all the dirt on the windows of a custy who would not pay up. I dipped me mop in his garden soil, then went over every window  ;D

Did you 'return the dirt' to the upstairs windows?
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: ClearviewServices on December 12, 2010, 12:17:00 am
Nope just move on...
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: bad trippy on December 12, 2010, 12:17:35 am
every single window Tosh, well i was in my very early twenties then, so i was a bit naughty minded lol
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle on December 12, 2010, 12:18:06 am
would it really be worth the "bad press" if anything was to come of it????
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Richard Neal on December 12, 2010, 12:22:11 am
i threatened court action for £185 worth of window cleaning for a letting agent, but he said "how can you prove you cleaned them" so i let it drop, still want to chin him though!!
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Johnny B on December 12, 2010, 12:24:49 am
The best 'revenge' for me is just to walk away. By not paying me, they have effectively stolen from me, so I don't intend to stoop to their low level by stealing from them. Instead, I will derive some small satisfaction by imagining the ex-customers seeing me cleaning their neighbours' windows at some time in the future through their ever-minging windows, when they can contemplate the error of their non-paying ways.  :)

John
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on December 12, 2010, 12:25:53 am
probably wuda chined him m8  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: dai on December 12, 2010, 09:22:35 am
I had one that said he wasn't going to pay because I had done them when he was out, and therefore had no proof that they had been done.
I told him I would come back later and talk to his girlfriend who had asked me to do them.
When I returned there was no answer, but I had come prepared and inserted a sliver of bamboo cane deep into the yale lock.
I did have some satisfaction when I next passed the house and noted a piece of cardboard covering a hole where a door pane had been.
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: bobby p on December 12, 2010, 09:33:47 am
I had one that said he wasn't going to pay because I had done them when he was out, and therefore had no proof that they had been done.
I told him I would come back later and talk to his girlfriend who had asked me to do them.
When I returned there was no answer, but I had come prepared and inserted a sliver of bamboo cane deep into the yale lock.
I did have some satisfaction when I next passed the house and noted a piece of cardboard covering a hole where a door pane had been.
  i love that !   must write down on a bit of paper to remember buy Bamboo to keep near at hand
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: G Griffin on December 12, 2010, 09:40:35 am
when i was trad yrs ago in the 80s, i once returned all the dirt on the windows of a custy who would not pay up. I dipped me mop in his garden soil, then went over every window  ;D

I did that and they paid up. They said they would, seeing as they were happier with that and not my first clean  :P. 
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Jackal on December 12, 2010, 09:43:31 am
nearly had someones brand new hose pipe and reel still in the box just one of the £30 ones in b&q, it was in a place where she was meant to leave the money,but she eventually paid so let her keep it  ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Crystal-clear on December 12, 2010, 12:24:32 pm
when i was trad yrs ago in the 80s, i once returned all the dirt on the windows of a custy who would not pay up. I dipped me mop in his garden soil, then went over every window  ;D


LoL , did they ever call you or ask you about it!?
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Gary Sherwood on December 12, 2010, 12:39:29 pm
back before the days of central locking, i went back and super glued his locks on his Jag :P
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: clearlyclean on December 12, 2010, 12:54:18 pm
wiped dog poo on the under side of door handles on car,I wore gloves that i had to throw away but couldn't stop laughing all day thinking about the moment they went to open the door  ;)
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Roy Harding on December 12, 2010, 12:54:50 pm
I have had a few, and gone and confronted them face to face, and told them its better they pay?

It took me near on 8 months to find one guy, I had a friend that worked in the sorting office that help me. Got me £100 and £5 for me trouble. ;D

But never took anything or damaged property.

Roy
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: woody1 on December 12, 2010, 02:07:17 pm
i have had a letting agent try not to pay so i sent a letter requesting it, he phoned up and my better half answered he was very rude to her, a week later i bumped in to him in the local offy i accidently nocked him in to a stack off beer and warned him to pay and not be rude again the next day his manager called and sent me a cheque i still do work for them now but the guy was sacked a couple off days later   ;D
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: scud on December 12, 2010, 04:15:46 pm
  I had one refuse to pay me £20, took me 3 years of waiting until I was asked to price the house who's garden backs onto theirs.

  I quoted low to get the job, and when I was sure no-one was around at either house I snook through the hedge and did a number 2 in the offenders swimming pool, and put the cover back over it!

  Another 1 has owed me £33 for ages, she refuses to answer the door, and even turned ands walked out of the local shop leaving her basket of shoppin gon the floor when she saw me.

  I do all the houses on the estate where she lives (about 30 houses), and alweays par over her drive for a few hours while I do 10 around hers.

  Anyway, a couple of months ago she came out and wanted to pay me so that I would move my van. I refused payment and asked;

  "have the debt collectors who bought the debt from me not collected it yet? I bet the costs are racking up on that!"

  She must be dreading every knock on the door now, even though I have just written the debt off. she will forever be wondering.
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Nathanael Jones on December 12, 2010, 04:19:51 pm
As funny as some of these comments are,.. in this day and age would you still carry on like that?
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: G Griffin on December 12, 2010, 06:26:36 pm
Confucius say:
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves".

And that don`t mean do the customer`s spouse in either.
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: gordonswindows on December 13, 2010, 08:15:04 am
Never helped myself but accepted a wooden coatrack from customer instead of cash lol

Once painted over all front windows on upstair flat, bright red GLOSS paint, it was all I had in the shed, due to the person failing to pay three times as they "were never in" well I heard that they hid while I was cleaning windows and laughed about getting free window cleaning.

God it made me feel better for all of three hours as that was when I was detained by the local plod
 
Made to clean all paint off of windows frames and ledges and nearly ended up in the cells, it took me hours and hours to clean that red off and all the while him inside smirking away

The morale of this story ? Don't leave red gloss paint on your ladder your roof rack and yourself lol. Wuld I do it again?

Hmmmm ?

Gordon
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: cooper on December 13, 2010, 08:20:35 am
An Egg Omelette
 
A dozen eggs with shells mixed up in a bucket...apply to windows

leave to cook in the sun.

If  posh customer preferably Free Range.. ;)
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Helen on December 13, 2010, 08:36:29 am
i threatened court action for £185 worth of window cleaning for a letting agent, but he said "how can you prove you cleaned them" so i let it drop, still want to chin him though!!

Your answer should have been " you prove I didn't, see you in court!"
Bad press for a letting agent would be so much worse for them than us ;)
Title: Re: Be honest
Post by: Carey Ward on December 13, 2010, 08:52:29 am
Had a customer agree to monthly clean - she paid the first time and then was never in so debt built up - however was certain that she was in most times so stopped cleaning after she owed four times but always knocked when passing - even saw someone rush from landing to a bedroom but still no answer. 

Passed one day and there was a couple of guys delivering something so I asked them if the lady was in as she owed me some money - oh yes they said we will go get her - never seen anyone so embarrassed - paid by cheque and said oh can you take me off your list - I said yes - but was thinking you already been off it for two months

The next stop was the bank