Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: richywilts on December 14, 2012, 06:05:07 pm

Title: chasing payments collecting
Post by: richywilts on December 14, 2012, 06:05:07 pm
constantly chasing same people now so ive decided im gonna go n bang on there doors nice and early tmoz

how should i word it in conversation that i will take legal action if payment is not met
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: Gav Camm lammy 283 on December 14, 2012, 06:17:30 pm
got at 6am
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: PoleKing on December 14, 2012, 06:37:36 pm
Find a debt collection agency.
Say that you will sell their debt to them, and that you'll be paid either way-by them right now (IN CASH) or when you sell the debt. Say something like-"you should be aware that the agency will add £99 to the outstanding debt and have x years experience at small claims court level.
Try and make them think that you really don't want to pass the debt on but you've a business to run, kids to feed, mortgage to pay etc... So need to to keep afloat.
Try not to pull up in a 62 plate Ferrari if playing that card.
Say something like "the office is pushing forward on debts and I thought I'd go out of my way to save you the trouble-especially before Christmas"

Bear with me here- my Mrs gets her hair cut and pays a small fortune for it.
The guy that cuts her hair doesn't physically take her money. Someone on reception does. Sub-consciously what they are trying to do is associate the guy who makes her look pretty-therefore making her feel good doesn't take anything from her so she associates nothing negative (paying) with him.
If you can get your customers to associate you with the good of clean windows and the "office" with the negative of paying-you may even get to keep them as a customer (if you want them)

Just my 2bobs worth-but it's worked for me in the past. Only failed once in 10 years (lost £40)

www.laneswondowcleaning.com rutland
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: roundbuilder on December 14, 2012, 06:45:03 pm
Richey mate. I got some advice from easy clean on this matter. Give every customer a letter explaining why you need paying on time. For any customers oweing 3 or more cleans collect off of those as will make the collect worth it and save having to skip there next clean as the bill gets sky high and risks a cancelation.
Also maybe charge a small fee for late payment.
Poxy customers are anoying hey matey.
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: king marko on December 14, 2012, 07:03:31 pm
Find a debt collection agency.
Say that you will sell their debt to them, and that you'll be paid either way-by them right now (IN CASH) or when you sell the debt. Say something like-"you should be aware that the agency will add £99 to the outstanding debt and have x years experience at small claims court level.
Try and make them think that you really don't want to pass the debt on but you've a business to run, kids to feed, mortgage to pay etc... So need to to keep afloat.
Try not to pull up in a 62 plate Ferrari if playing that card.
Say something like "the office is pushing forward on debts and I thought I'd go out of my way to save you the trouble-especially before Christmas"

Bear with me here- my Mrs gets her hair cut and pays a small fortune for it.
The guy that cuts her hair doesn't physically take her money. Someone on reception does. Sub-consciously what they are trying to do is associate the guy who makes her look pretty-therefore making her feel good doesn't take anything from her so she associates nothing negative (paying) with him.
If you can get your customers to associate you with the good of clean windows and the "office" with the negative of paying-you may even get to keep them as a customer (if you want them)

Just my 2bobs worth-but it's worked for me in the past. Only failed once in 10 years (lost £40)

www.laneswondowcleaning.com rutland

I'd agree with this to a point but...
You can't compare a profession like hairdressing to window cleaning - very rarely, if at all, do hairdressers accept 'credit' in the way we do
My wife is a hairdresser by the way! She's worked in & owned her own salon and still works from our house
She deals with every customer personally - now & when she had her own place
The point is, I think it's better to make that 'personal' connection
If you become faceless people won't care = won't pay
Just my opinion tho  :)
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: home6442 on December 14, 2012, 07:30:25 pm
Clean then payment or no second clean simple as that.
There is no reason why you should have to wait on your money
if they cant afford to pay you they shouldnt hire you.
Messers wanting something for nothing.
Window cleaning is a hard enough job without having to beg for payment.
If you can try and get whats owed if not just forget about it and move on lifes too short.
Dump them and get some decent custys

Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: Johnny B on December 14, 2012, 07:56:36 pm
Clean then payment or no second clean simple as that.
There is no reason why you should have to wait on your money
if they cant afford to pay you they shouldnt hire you.
Messers wanting something for nothing.
Window cleaning is a hard enough job without having to beg for payment.
If you can try and get whats owed if not just forget about it and move on lifes too short.
Dump them and get some decent custys



I agree. I have been knocked too many times in the past to mention, but would always rather move on and replace with decent customers than stress myself out worrying and wasting more time, effort and money trying to get what's owed in the first place by these leeches.

John

John 
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: dave0123 on December 15, 2012, 12:46:27 am
if you nock once... they will expect u to nock again.. best of ringing them sending letter or somfin
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: Mike #1 on December 15, 2012, 05:41:21 am
constantly chasing same people now so ive decided im gonna go n bang on there doors nice and early tmoz

how should i word it in conversation that i will take legal action if payment is not met

Richy go to www.thomashiggins.com   and register i got this from a previous post but someone else on here got a formal letter produced for £2 and custy paid up straight away.

I was chasing a custy for 10 wks for payment kept calling back as well as payment slip she told me her husband had paid online which he had not ,

But he told her he had, Anyway caught her in the other night and she was embarrassed that they still owed me money and she had no cash to pay me

Husband was not in till 10:30 pm she assured me she would make him sort out payment and the following morning money was in bank .  Mike
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: Banbury Window Cleaning on December 15, 2012, 06:16:07 am
you clean = you get paid, simples
we dont let our domestic custys pay after 2/3 etc cleans. We want payment within a few days max!
Your doing a job and offering a service they want so why should you wait for payment?
If they dont pay on the day then we collect 2 evenings a week and if they still aint in we leave a SAE with a letter asking for payment within 7 days.
We stop collecting completely in Jan and all custys have been informed we accpet cash, cheque, online transfers etc etc
If some of them decide to drag there feet in paying then we will look to replace.
Its your business and your rules!
Title: Re: chasing payments collecting
Post by: Ian101 on December 15, 2012, 07:35:20 am
constantly chasing same people now so ive decided im gonna go n bang on there doors nice and early tmoz

how should i word it in conversation that i will take legal action if payment is not met

"Morning - window cleaner - how are you?"

90% of time thats enough and they know what you there for.

for some you may need to add summit along lines of "just doing a bit of collecting before year end"


then sell the crap payers to Mr Plumb  ;) ;D