Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: sunshine windows on April 04, 2013, 11:06:55 pm

Title: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 04, 2013, 11:06:55 pm
Just checked my Account for any missing payments over the last few months and the are over £500 of missed payments, where people have failed to transfer the money into my account.

I know it's partly my fault but I can't be bothered to constantly check my bank to ensure people are paying. I suppose i'm just too trusting and assume poeple will be honest themselves.

I much prefer cheque in the post and mark it off my customer database, it's much less time consuming.

Just thought i'd put this out there, to warn others of the pitfalls of payment via bank transfer.
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: richywilts on April 04, 2013, 11:13:38 pm
that very lazy mate on your behalf, do you use window cleaning software??

we do a daily payment sheet for card payments, cheques and bacs payments to keep track and file away as well as log always have a paper back up then can email you a copy if you want take 2 minutes to log on each day to your banking just pencil it in to your daily routine so it becomes habit
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 04, 2013, 11:30:18 pm
I am very lazy by nature Richy. I just use exel spreadsheets printed once a month for all the work that needs doing. The ones that pay by banking are marked a different colour to the others so I don't leave an envelope if these are out, just a slip.

I don't have that many paying by bank transfer as i don't like the time spent cross referencing from worksheet to account payments. Like you said though, if it became habit every week when i did my books it wouldn't take very long each time.

Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: JamesAJF on April 04, 2013, 11:32:30 pm
i check mine on my phone if you got a smart phone then download e.g natwest  or barclys app it takes seconds to go though your statements just make sure u write dawn on paper whose payed and not so then u can see who needs to pay it so much quicker on the phone trust. ;D
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: colin purewater on April 05, 2013, 06:21:33 am
i check mine on my phone if you got a smart phone then download e.g natwest  or barclys app it takes seconds to go though your statements just make sure u write dawn on paper whose payed and not so then u can see who needs to pay it so much quicker on the phone trust. ;D

I do exactly the same as this ^^^^

I check myn about 3 times a day and cross of accordingly.
1st thing I do when I wake up
 
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: robertphil on April 05, 2013, 07:49:31 am
500 worth, jeez  , you must be lord Rothschild if you canna be bothered to check on it .   that money could have paid for a holiday for your family or decent meals out each n ewvery week.
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: dazmond on April 05, 2013, 09:29:34 am
get your customers to text you when they ve made payment online.it takes them seconds to do and makes it easier for you to keep check on payments.

by the way how hard is it for you to log into your account and check payments? ???

at the end of the day its your fault.why are you lazy when it comes to your business and payments??

im not lazy with any part of my business because its my livelihood! ;D ;D
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: formb on April 05, 2013, 09:45:10 am
Quote from: sunshine windows
I know it's partly my fault but I can't be bothered to constantly check my bank to ensure people are paying. I suppose i'm just too trusting and assume poeple will be honest themselves.

Partly your fault? I'd say that's completely your fault. Can you think of anyone who would do anything for you, or sell you anything, then just assume that you'd paid it without checking? Of course not.

I have a separate bank account that customers pay into. I download all the transactions every morning. I then assign the payments to the customers and clear the account. This was advised to me as the safest way by my bank manager, it means that the bank details that I give to customers is for an account that has a balance of 0 most of the time.

It also makes it much easier to stay on top of who has paid and who hasn't.

Quote from: sunshine windows
I much prefer cheque in the post and mark it off my customer database, it's much less time consuming.

Bacs payments / standing orders etc is going to be how most people pay in the not too distant future. I'd bet there already are a few shiners that collect most of their income in direct payments. Also Bacs payments are free, pushing your profit margin in the right direction.

I'd get on top of it if I were you.
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: Paul H on April 06, 2013, 02:05:37 pm
I get the bank up on the laptop

Fire aworka up on the iPad

And just click them off against the bank transactions

Takes minutes everyday
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 16, 2013, 11:47:19 am
All payments now received in full!

Forgotten manual transfers for most of them and schocking invoicing on my part( I forgot to email a £50 monthly job 4 times last year)

I need to get more organised in the admin department.
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: ascjim on April 16, 2013, 03:58:22 pm
I check mine everyday after updating George
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: Total shine cleaning services on April 17, 2013, 09:27:06 am
we do the same, if u go with George it takes the sting out of messing about with spreadsheets, we also have a business account with natwest and have the business banking app, I can log in with a 6 digit code and we check every night after syncing our PDA to George, anyone who goes over 7 days gets a friendly text reminding them to pay, with George you have a debt list and it also states the date they were cleaned, hope this helps

graham
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 17, 2013, 02:22:09 pm
Think it might be a good idea to have a dabble with George.

How much does it cost to set up and what are the monthly fees. A few have mentioned Aworka in the past, so which is best?
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: Paul H on April 17, 2013, 09:20:34 pm
Think it might be a good idea to have a dabble with George.

How much does it cost to set up and what are the monthly fees. A few have mentioned Aworka in the past, so which is best?

Never used George so can't comment

Have aworka ... Never looked back sinse I got it
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: mikey on April 17, 2013, 09:26:50 pm
george is £50  change your life mate           and its mobile pda  No more   sheets  brilliant 
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 17, 2013, 09:29:30 pm
Do you know if both/either will give you a sample of how the databases and software works.

Do they offer them on a free trial for X amount of time before you have to commit?
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: mikey on April 17, 2013, 09:32:10 pm
google      george the window cleaners assistant download the free trial version
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 17, 2013, 09:36:12 pm
Thanks Mikey
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: Tomboler on April 17, 2013, 09:44:33 pm
google      george the window cleaners assistant download the free trial version
I agree with Mikey, fantastic bit of software, if you have a missus pay her to check for payments and tick off the debt list, thats what mine does, she'll chase debt too...moral of the story, get yourself a computer literate missus
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: David Salkeld on April 17, 2013, 09:50:04 pm
google      george the window cleaners assistant download the free trial version

Ditto...

George is as good as it gets...........

Pocket George (PDA) you do need a Palm device but they are around £15 of EBay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26)

David
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: Tomboler on April 17, 2013, 10:00:57 pm
google      george the window cleaners assistant download the free trial version

Ditto...

George is as good as it gets...........

Pocket George (PDA) you do need a Palm device but they are around £15 of EBay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26)

David

Hi David,

off topic/ sorry op/ if you use a palm device do you need to buy george again and have the data transferred or is it simpler ie. you can sync the palm device with george on the laptop at home ?
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: David Salkeld on April 17, 2013, 10:24:03 pm
google      george the window cleaners assistant download the free trial version

Ditto...

George is as good as it gets...........

Pocket George (PDA) you do need a Palm device but they are around £15 of EBay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Palm-Tungsten-T3-PDA-/181121686157?_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14838%26meid%3D7033503048329892978%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D261201024397%26)

David

Hi David,

off topic/ sorry op/ if you use a palm device do you need to buy george again and have the data transferred or is it simpler ie. you can sync the palm device with george on the laptop at home ?
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 17, 2013, 10:25:09 pm
Will it not sync with an iPhone?
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: mikey on April 17, 2013, 10:31:59 pm
no  it needs to be palm Os   another device to carry  :'(
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: sunshine windows on April 18, 2013, 02:39:42 pm
Not for me then I'm afraid
Title: Re: Payments via bank account
Post by: tlwcs on April 18, 2013, 02:47:11 pm
Not for me then I'm afraid

Aworka works on Apple.
It's cloud based with a monthly or yearly fee. I think it was developed with the guy who owns George so there are a lot of its features
I was with George for 6 years but went over to aworka so I could email customers invoices and run the round paperless from the iPhone or iPad.
Yes its a small yearly cost for very up to date user friendly, efficient software.
Tony