Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: PurefectWindowCleaning on March 09, 2013, 04:49:36 pm
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Im not one to normally ask for advice regarding how to deal with customers etc, as I am experianced enough to make my own decisions, but this curious to see how some of you would play this situation...
So, we are cleaning the window for a regular customer, the neighbour comes out and asks us to do his.
We agree on a price, but he says I dont get paid till tomorrow, can we still do them and he will drop the money round.
Now, id normally say no chance, but this was a flat for £8.00, 4 little windows, easy.
As he seemed a sound and genuine chap we cleaned them and left a bill.
Tomorrow came, and no money got dropped round, so called round to his house on 3 sepreate occasions... no answer.
By now, 2 weeks have passed so I typed a letter out demanding payment as arranged and sent it to him.
I get a text message, saying he was sorry, and he will drop it around the following morning. The reason he hadent done it sooner was becuse of 'family problems'
Since that message, 5 more days have passed and still no money.
Now, I have to give him the benifit of doubt that he is having family problems, but he has made 2 promises and I still havent been paid.
At what point do I phone him and say 'look, fully appreciate your situation, but I want my money'????
Im thinking ill give him till Monday, then phone as that would be a week since his text message.
I know its only 8 quid, but im not having some little pri*ck get away with it, as in the past I have been had over by a few and let it go.
Never again am I trusting anyone... not even a 60 year old little old lady ;D
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once a c**t always a c**t
this just proves your sound business sense of payment before clean or at the time of the clean
go and put dirt on the windows
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It is only £8. Not a nice thing to happen but not worth stressing over. Just look at it as a lesson learned.
The way I look at it if people want to treat you that way it is their problem as it is not a nice way to go through life and they will not be a genuinely happy person.
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If its local just go and knock ..... my favourite time used to be 8am on a Saturday morning.
Tell him you got family problems as cant feed the kids cos not getting paid
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If its local just go and knock ..... my favourite time used to be 8am on a Saturday morning.
Tell him you got family problems as cant feed the kids cos not getting paid
Im sure he was in when I went round knocking the last couple times... I also took the car instead of my van so that he did not know it was me ;D
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pee in a bucket and empty it at his front door.
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You've been in this game long enough to know what to do mate ;D Annoying innit? I still let it happen to me!!! It's not the 8 beer coupons, it's the thought of someone taking the P that bothers us. Have fun getting up his nose. Make a hobby of annoying the tw@ ;D
I had a soldier here in one of our areas, that owed 3 cleans!!!! That was over 40 quid. My mistake letting it go to 3 cleans ??? Anyway, he didn't feel like paying and would hang up when I called him at work etc. So we dragged him off to court and won, so with costs etc the whole bill came to over 300 quid.
Anyway, at one point, after he got the first letter from our solicitor, he wanted to know how I found where he worked!!! 95% of our Brit custies are soldiers, so we know where the work in what town etc. So when I saw him after the court case, I told him how we found him. I said that all I had to do was go onto Google and type in the town he lived in and "tosser". His was the first name and address that came up.
Should have seen his face. ;D ;D So Enjoy the trip mate!! ;D ;D
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Let it go mate.
I had one similar a few years ago, upstairs flat, had no cash but would drop it off. It never came and I never did him again. However a year or so after i was working next door when he came out of his flat, the door shut behind him and now he's locked out. He looks across and asks he can use the ladder to gain access through an upstairs window. I remind him about the fiver he owes me, he pulls a tenner out I give hime the change and in front of a few people that had gathered told him to "jog on"
I was worried about the van for a few visits after though.
Karma, will repay you even if it takes a while.
Tony
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Let it go mate.
I had one similar a few years ago, upstairs flat, had no cash but would drop it off. It never came and I never did him again. However a year or so after i was working next door when he came out of his flat, the door shut behind him and now he's locked out. He looks across and asks he can use the ladder to gain access through an upstairs window. I remind him about the fiver he owes me, he pulls a tenner out I give hime the change and in front of a few people that had gathered told him to "jog on"
I was worried about the van for a few visits after though.
Karma, will repay you even if it takes a while.
Tony
Nice one!!! ;D
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James its one of those mate, drives me mad, could sopa up the windows but whats the point, let the neighbor know what he did if you like :-) personally i would delete all records of ever having done it and forget about it, im in the precess of dropping an 80 house because they p me off so much in trying to get the money,
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Sorry to say this mate but... 4 little windows, easy - £8 - just let it go - you've overcharged IMHO and nearly got away with it but its not like you've done a whole minging house now is it?
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I have been caught a few times by those who want clean windows, then don't want to pay.
I had one wheelchair bound old lady who had me do her bungalow inside and out. She promised me faithfully that she would pay (two of her daughters had previously stuck me for cleans as well), but I never got paid.
I actually clean another of her daughter's (lives opposite her, she is sound) and I heard the old girl talking about me, and that I wouldn't do them because she hadn't paid, and the daughter not wanting to get involved.
I feel aggrieved when I realize I have been stiffed, then I feel much better when I have dumped them.
John
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Sorry to say this mate but... 4 little windows, easy - £8 - just let it go - you've overcharged IMHO and nearly got away with it but its not like you've done a whole minging house now is it?
overcharged????? i think the customer agreed to pay £8.I do a minimum charge of £10, even for 3 or 4 windows so Doesn't matter if it is £8 or £4 or £50, if you do a job, you need to be paid!
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Def didn't overcharge, should have been £16.00 really seens as it was a first clean/oneoff ;D
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you should charge £16 now for late payment ;)
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You should be paid (go round saturday early) but don't judge everyone by him. Most people are decent and honest and you shouldn't let one person cloud your judgement of the majority.
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Just a thought, but how bad would you feel if he has just lost a close family member and the last thing on his mind is your £8
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Just a thought, but how bad would you feel if he has just lost a close family member and the last thing on his mind is your £8
Read my original post - I did say I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, at what point should I phone him!
Gutted for him if he has lost a family member, but in a nutshell, he is still taking the pi*s and I still havent been paid.
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DON'T LET IT GO!!!
Wet bush
Floor bed
Paint the window black mate ;)
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dont think you overcharged especially for 1st clean not worth doing for less.
in any case he agreed to clean and price - he happens rarely for me - i get angry but just right it off - still bump into them now and again, they dont mention the money - but thier faces struggle to hide embarrassment.
perhaps we should tell custies who are messers they go on a window cleaners register and whic could mean all kinds of problems for them securing future window clean services.
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How much time have you spent chasing and worrying about that £8? And how many £8's could you have earned in that time?
There are people like this out there, you can't avoid them. Forget about it and move on.
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Welcome to my world.. I do upto 50 new cleans a month and always get messed around by some. Being se london most of my customers are out while im cleaning and i dont collect unless its over 3 cleans so i get a situation where i have so many outstanding debts from customers im not sure of. 9 times out of 10 all is fine but always get the wrongun once in a while with excuse after excuse... Just dont do them again and take the tiny loss. As ian said how many more cleans could you do in the time your worrying about just 1 non payer.
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Sorry to say this mate but... 4 little windows, easy - £8 - just let it go - you've overcharged IMHO and nearly got away with it but its not like you've done a whole minging house now is it?
For me it dosent matter if its a fiver or 20 notes. You agreed a price ,done the service and expect to be paid.
In 15 yrs of window cleaning only ever had 1(except a few have moved with no notifaction) who no matter what i tried wouldt pay.
We all know how raw egg is to clean.
Childish i know but cleaning the neighbours is now easier knowing we are even.
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It's amazing how often these coincidences pop up after cleaning windows with a promise to be paid.
Family problems, lost the job, wife problems, un expected expense cropping up, etc.
How does 'family problems' stop someone from paying £8?
Does a 'family problem' stop someone from putting there hand in their pocket or does it stop them from paying for food at the supermarket check out also?
If it was me, I'd phone up now, well not now exactly as it's 20 past night but I'd phone tomorrow. If the person is going to pay, they will pay no matter when you phone. If they aren't going to pay, they won't pay regardless. After two broken promises to pay, I have a small slip I put through the persons door, it simply says 'Congratulations, you got a free window clean. I hope that not paying makes you feel good about yourself'.
After that, I forget all about it as it's not worth thinking about.
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You have wasted enough time cleaning the windows dont
waste anymore lifes too short.
Forget about this crafty scumbag not worth the hassle.
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For me it dosent matter if its a fiver or 20 notes. You agreed a price ,done the service and expect to be paid.
In 15 yrs of window cleaning only ever had 1(except a few have moved with no notifaction) who no matter what i tried wouldt pay.
We all know how raw egg is to clean.
Childish i know but cleaning the neighbours is now easier knowing we are even.
I have to admit, years ago, I once egged the front of a customers house. 24 of them, all over the windows, front door and through the letter box whilst wearing a full faced balaclava, etc, at 2am. I had a mate waiting in a get away car around the corner. It was real Body and Doyle stuff.
The bloke was a self employed contract gardener who employed . He had previously charged me £55 for knocking his satellite dish which he said I must have done with my ladder (I was trad at the time) so to pay that off, he got 3 free cleans at £20 a throw. Maybe I did knock the dish with my ladders, maybe I didn't. I personally don't think I did but up untill then, he was a good customer and as he was in between two other houses I also did, and them being neighbours, I gave him the benefit of the doubt with a gritted smile.
After that, his bill got up to 3 cleans without payment so I knocks on his door one night and he says he's been going through a hard time having lost a few contracts and so on. He seemed down so I said pay me when you can. He also said, which really narked me, that he's waiting to get paid out by a few contracts and these people that don't pay their bills, they are bar stewards.
A few weeks later while cleaning his next door neighbour, the neighbour says that this bloke is on holiday for 3 weeks so he may not want his windows cleaned. When I asked where he'd gone, the neighbour said this bloke had gone to Australia.
I saw red, and I mean the actual colour red. I was actually going to put bricks through all his windows but the wife talked me out of it so we reached a compromise which she still wasn't happy with of 24 eggs.
Since then, I realised I was allowing things to get to me and going three cleans without payment is going too far so in a way, I done it all to myself.
Now, I go no more than two cleans or £20 or two broken promises to pay. Then I put my 'hope you are happy' slip through their door and then forget it.
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How much time have you spent chasing and worrying about that £8? And how many £8's could you have earned in that time?
There are people like this out there, you can't avoid them. Forget about it and move on.
True - but, then every time I see him around my town, it'll make me feel sick knowing he has has 1 over on me.
There already are a handful in my town which I have let go... i'm not letting that handful get any bigger.
;)
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It's amazing how often these coincidences pop up after cleaning windows with a promise to be paid.
Family problems, lost the job, wife problems, un expected expense cropping up, etc.
How does 'family problems' stop someone from paying £8?
Does a 'family problem' stop someone from putting there hand in their pocket or does it stop them from paying for food at the supermarket check out also?
If it was me, I'd phone up now, well not now exactly as it's 20 past night but I'd phone tomorrow. If the person is going to pay, they will pay no matter when you phone. If they aren't going to pay, they won't pay regardless. After two broken promises to pay, I have a small slip I put through the persons door, it simply says 'Congratulations, you got a free window clean. I hope that not paying makes you feel good about yourself'.
After that, I forget all about it as it's not worth thinking about.
Exactly my thinking.
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We all get caught with devious people from time to time.
I got caught the other day. A new tenant moved into a flat from Wakefield - one of four owned by the Lord of our manor. As I clean the other 2 tenants windows she asked them for me to clean hers as well.
When I got there she was at home, come out to meet me and to ask me to clean her flat and we agreed a price. Once done I knocked on the door for payment and she only had £2 in her purse -"would that do?" No, I will take a cheque. "Sorry cheque book is in Wakefield but will get it this weekend."
Despite messages left, still no money.
Don't take it personally. These sort of things, no matter how annoying, helps to remind us that we are better than they are. Retaliation lowers us to their level.
And when I next speak to the Lord I will mention my non payment in a casual round about way so he will be aware of any tendencies she may have to default on rent payment to him. He also carries at lot more clout in our town than I do.
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For me it dosent matter if its a fiver or 20 notes. You agreed a price ,done the service and expect to be paid.
In 15 yrs of window cleaning only ever had 1(except a few have moved with no notifaction) who no matter what i tried wouldt pay.
We all know how raw egg is to clean.
Childish i know but cleaning the neighbours is now easier knowing we are even.
I have to admit, years ago, I once egged the front of a customers house. 24 of them, all over the windows, front door and through the letter box whilst wearing a full faced balaclava, etc, at 2am. I had a mate waiting in a get away car around the corner. It was real Body and Doyle stuff.
The bloke was a self employed contract gardener who employed . He had previously charged me £55 for knocking his satellite dish which he said I must have done with my ladder (I was trad at the time) so to pay that off, he got 3 free cleans at £20 a throw. Maybe I did knock the dish with my ladders, maybe I didn't. I personally don't think I did but up untill then, he was a good customer and as he was in between two other houses I also did, and them being neighbours, I gave him the benefit of the doubt with a gritted smile.
After that, his bill got up to 3 cleans without payment so I knocks on his door one night and he says he's been going through a hard time having lost a few contracts and so on. He seemed down so I said pay me when you can. He also said, which really narked me, that he's waiting to get paid out by a few contracts and these people that don't pay their bills, they are bar stewards.
A few weeks later while cleaning his next door neighbour, the neighbour says that this bloke is on holiday for 3 weeks so he may not want his windows cleaned. When I asked where he'd gone, the neighbour said this bloke had gone to Australia.
I saw red, and I mean the actual colour red. I was actually going to put bricks through all his windows but the wife talked me out of it so we reached a compromise which she still wasn't happy with of 24 eggs.
Since then, I realised I was allowing things to get to me and going three cleans without payment is going too far so in a way, I done it all to myself.
Now, I go no more than two cleans or £20 or two broken promises to pay. Then I put my 'hope you are happy' slip through their door and then forget it.
I like that - it helps you to walk away from it mentally.
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I like that - it helps you to walk away from it mentally.
Yup. For me, it's a conclusion and an 'end of'.
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Let it go mate.
I had one similar a few years ago, upstairs flat, had no cash but would drop it off. It never came and I never did him again. However a year or so after i was working next door when he came out of his flat, the door shut behind him and now he's locked out. He looks across and asks he can use the ladder to gain access through an upstairs window. I remind him about the fiver he owes me, he pulls a tenner out I give hime the change and in front of a few people that had gathered told him to "jog on"
I was worried about the van for a few visits after though.
Karma, will repay you even if it takes a while.
Tony
Thats 100% true. :)
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Sorry to say this mate but... 4 little windows, easy - £8 - just let it go - you've overcharged IMHO and nearly got away with it but its not like you've done a whole minging house now is it?
overcharged????? i think the customer agreed to pay £8.I do a minimum charge of £10, even for 3 or 4 windows so Doesn't matter if it is £8 or £4 or £50, if you do a job, you need to be paid!
You've missed my point
4 little, easy windows - £8 - I don't care if he charged £80 - it's 4 little, easy windows
He's hardly broken sweat & it was next door to an existing customer
James didnt know it was gonna turn into a one off now did he?
You have a minimum charge of £10 - I'm really pleased for you
The time he's spent moaning about it and chasing him just ain't worth it - and before you say what if every customer did that - I'd just put this down to lesson learned for the future - in fact he should of learned from the last time, but ok, we all get caught out now & again
If James bumps into this guy in town just remind of this debt - and each time he does the neighbours too - I'm sure he will cough up eventually
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For me it dosent matter if its a fiver or 20 notes. You agreed a price ,done the service and expect to be paid.
In 15 yrs of window cleaning only ever had 1(except a few have moved with no notifaction) who no matter what i tried wouldt pay.
We all know how raw egg is to clean.
Childish i know but cleaning the neighbours is now easier knowing we are even.
I have to admit, years ago, I once egged the front of a customers house. 24 of them, all over the windows, front door and through the letter box whilst wearing a full faced balaclava, etc, at 2am. I had a mate waiting in a get away car around the corner. It was real Body and Doyle stuff.
The bloke was a self employed contract gardener who employed . He had previously charged me £55 for knocking his satellite dish which he said I must have done with my ladder (I was trad at the time) so to pay that off, he got 3 free cleans at £20 a throw. Maybe I did knock the dish with my ladders, maybe I didn't. I personally don't think I did but up untill then, he was a good customer and as he was in between two other houses I also did, and them being neighbours, I gave him the benefit of the doubt with a gritted smile.
After that, his bill got up to 3 cleans without payment so I knocks on his door one night and he says he's been going through a hard time having lost a few contracts and so on. He seemed down so I said pay me when you can. He also said, which really narked me, that he's waiting to get paid out by a few contracts and these people that don't pay their bills, they are bar stewards.
A few weeks later while cleaning his next door neighbour, the neighbour says that this bloke is on holiday for 3 weeks so he may not want his windows cleaned. When I asked where he'd gone, the neighbour said this bloke had gone to Australia.
I saw red, and I mean the actual colour red. I was actually going to put bricks through all his windows but the wife talked me out of it so we reached a compromise which she still wasn't happy with of 24 eggs.
Since then, I realised I was allowing things to get to me and going three cleans without payment is going too far so in a way, I done it all to myself.
Now, I go no more than two cleans or £20 or two broken promises to pay. Then I put my 'hope you are happy' slip through their door and then forget it.
I like that - it helps you to walk away from it mentally.
As an addition to the hope your happy note how about telling them you have put their details onto the none paying shame page on your website with a photo of their house so all the neighbours can tell along with other local tradespeople not to trust them
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just go round now and demand payment you are entitled to collect cash even on sundays dont txt before dont park ya van where thay can see it they wont answer the door if you do.
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When I got there she was at home, come out to meet me and to ask me to clean her flat and we agreed a price. Once done I knocked on the door for payment and she only had £2 in her purse -"would that do?" No, I will take a cheque. "Sorry cheque book is in Wakefield but will get it this weekend."
Eh?, what price did you agree on for her to think 2 quid would be enough to pay you off??
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I've said this a hundred times before: Move on.
Vin
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I don't do off cuff cleans without payment there and then.
It has happened with odd reg customer and when it does ill
Call to the house only twice then put them on dumped list!
If I've got their email or mobile I will contact them every day asking
For payment . When they pay I still cross them off ,can't be arsed
If they cant
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first clean?i want payment there and then or they dont get cleaned.
£8 clean?seriously dont let it bother you!just knock his door when you next clean his neighbours.if he still wont answer just write it off and move on.
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a crabby old bird tried it on by saying my crew of 3 didnt do her windows as she didnt see them so wouldnt pay. She wouldnt budge on it so i thought let it go and bit my lip
i later saw her on the street talkin to my workers and then she came over and asked me did i clean windows on her road and what is my price!
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this happened to me last week, customer was out back garden, he seen me and ladders through window when i started, i seen him looking. he waited 10 minutes to come and tell me not to clean them as they are moving on, i said you could have said, he just looked bemused after he seen me cleaning them. ok i said, then i started to get ped off because he could have told me. so i just soaped up the applicator and just give his bottom windows a second soaping but i forgot to wipe off with squeegy. made me feel better. i passed later and they need cleaning now/ well we are only window cleaners. i will never clean first clean without getting paid. i just say ill call back and clean them when they can pay.
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A comment in todays paper regarding the Chris Hulme and Vickie Pryce affair mentions a saying that I had forgotten about but equally applies to us.
“While seeking revenge, dig two graves – one for yourself.”
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Move on mate, lesson learned. Could've been worse, could've been £20. Just keep an eye out for him. And if you're passing late at night always knock. Just don't get angry, just enjoy yourself
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I wouldn't let it go. I know life is short but we all have to have principles - you wouldn't go into your local off licence and just walk out with a 4 pack of Stella would you. In effect that's what he's done. I don't get many but I do pursue them. I've been to court twice (since 2009, so quite a lot). The first for £300 (won got it all back and my costs, eventually); second is on going - for £70 (I won in court and she's offered to pay in installments twice. I've accepted twice and she defaulted on both. Now she's applied a third time to pay by installments and i've accepted. She's paid me 2 lots of £20 to date).
The thing with the last one was she said "The cheque in the post", then the next time I contacted her to collect "I'll post it when I get paid on Friday". I gave her the benefit of the doubt as she's had some family problems - lost her Dad in an industrial accident a month before I did the job (window cleans on 2 houses and a small gutter clean). Anyway, on the court docs she states she has no cheque account / cheque book! That really wound me up! She owes me £236.70 less the 2 payments she's made. I'll get my money, eventually, but to be honest it's the principle rather than the money.
I'd never egg windows - unprofessional. I have considered an ad in the local paper - "Warning to all local tradesmen" etc.
I'd just keep on calling when you are passing.
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£8
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After two broken promises to pay, I have a small slip I put through the persons door, it simply says 'Congratulations, you got a free window clean. I hope that not paying makes you feel good about yourself'.
After that, I forget all about it as it's not worth thinking about.
Nice 1 Rosskesva
You should have thrown some flour on with those 24 eggs ;D
Sorry to hear that James
Tap some matchsticks in his yale lock or a squirt of super glue ::)roll
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i wrote off a £25 job the other week.the guy is a complete arrogant numpty.he wouldnt give me his number and he was never in half the time,wouldnt send cheque,wouldnt pay online.when i eventually caught him in he had no money!
he also accused me of not cleaning half the windows when i know full well i cleaned all of them.yes he still owes me £25 but i know i will never see it so ive wrote it off and ill never go back.
id been cleaning these windows for 4 years previously for the last owners who were good solid customers and good payers.
its just not worth the stress and time spent trying to chase the money.luckily this sort of thing is very rare on my round as i can usually sniff out a messer very quickly these days! ;D ;D ;D ;D
best wishes
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Daz do you know his name?
You could send him letter before action from thomas higgins solicitors £2.20
He'd pay I bet ;)
You might be able to find his name on zoopla on property when he moved in.
Lee.
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Read all the answers above and to be honest have tried them all, barring the super glue,.
You are not going to get paid, you clean next door, just soap up his windows and forget it, if he says anything about it just ignore him, it wasn't you.
Really p me off these peeps.
Then move on.
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not worth the effort to chase £8-00 just keep calling on him when you do the neighbours eventually you should get the money and if not just take great pleasure in watching his windows get dirtier and dirtier, i had a customer that owed me £30 she was a middle house in a row i did, it took ages to get the money some 7 months later wont clean again, wrote letters called round gave her a number to call would take cheque card cash plant pot out the front??? Lol
dont be consumed by the odd non payer our industry is full of it as much as it baffles me even people that know a week in advance your coming and they know the night before and then say after youv cleaned for an hour can i pay you next time !!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
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since i dumped this guy ive already replaced the job with a few jobs ive picked up the last few weeks by recommendation. ;D ;D ;D
this guy was flashing £50 notes in my face a few months ago just to try and show how much money he has.he stays in bed all day and spends his nights gambling.good riddance i say! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I seen a mouthy custy at the bar
Holding a £10 shouted up his ale
I took the tenner outa his hand lol
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I seen a mouthy custy at the bar
Holding a £10 shouted up his ale
I took the tenner outa his hand lol
Classic 8)
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At what point do I phone him and say 'look, fully appreciate your situation, but I want my money?
Did you try that before you threatened to kick his door in?
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If its local just go and knock ..... my favourite time used to be 8am on a Saturday morning.
Tell him you got family problems as cant feed the kids cos not getting paid
Fully agree.... As a matter of principle he should pay you.... Or Sunday morning 9am.... Just passing and thoughtbyounwould save him a trip to yours!!!!