Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dave Willis on March 10, 2014, 09:03:41 pm
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Are there any other trades that suffer with the types of scumbags we seem to come into contact with?
People who don't pay online, won't post a self addressed envelope and don't have any money or use a chequebook?
I'm bloody sick of them.
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The answer is yes, but a least we only get stung for the price of one clean.
I have mates who are owed thousands for work and materials they never got paid for.
Have one mate who fits kitchens he's owed near £10000 and has been trying to get it back for
over 2 years now.
The joke is he was told by the police if he entered the property and removed the kitchen he would
be done for theft or something along those lines.
We are lucky compared to some.
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I had one owed me from last June - had to post a stroppy letter through her door threatening court action to get my money (worked). When companies go bust or customers get made redundant then that's fair enough but when the barstewards phone for a one off they must know they have no intention of paying.
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For new jobs I am always getting paid before I clean. As of this January just gone.
Had a few say don't clean then.
Vast majority are fine with it.
Usually by their reaction you can tell if they're a shyster.
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Some people are just useless at remebering. The more customers you have, your more likely you are to get those who forget. its just the way it goes.
Its called credit control, all businesess have to do it.
Binning cutsomers should be a last resort. I have had to do this before. Some are just badly organsed, the direct debit is the way to go with these.
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Its the same in every business - I expected the debt list to get a lot smaller when I left window cleaning but its still hovering around the £1000 mark,...
Name and shame?
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feel you dave
i seem to attract the 1s that pay the 1st clean and then never pay again.im getting very strict with it now and have lost a few because of it.
i don't want any more messers on my books i can't be bothered with them.
regards
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when asked for a one off job its always payment up front,
with regular custys i only clean twice never a third before the window cleaning stops until payment has been received
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I don't do any cleans unless the payment is up to date from the last clean.
some custies are forgetful, but you don't want ones that just don't value your service at all.
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you know deep down when arriving to do the second clean when the first hasnt been paid what sort of waster you are dealing with - it in the body language or dog poop trail , thats the time to hit the gas and move on without stopping
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ive noticed the better my round gets the higher the debtlist!im not overly worried though as most customers are good customers and pay up on time or within a few weeks.
some though will be getting dumped when payment received.some are just a drain on your business and are simply not worth keeping.less than 1% though.
im having an overhaul of my round at the moment.earmarking ones to drop and 80% of customers are getting hit with a price rise just in time for spring.
lost one customer up to now and ive had a talk with a few of the moaners explaining im not happy to keep on cleaning at the price there at.
ive got another 3 weeks of telling 10-20 customers a day that their prices will be going up in april.most are fine with it.some are not so happy!! ;D ;D
ive had customers slam the door in my face over a quid price rise in the past.some cancel over 50p! ::)roll
i think im very fair with customers.some think im trying to rip them off though!they have no idea what costs are involved in running a business and care even less.
have you noticed 9 times out of 10 its the same old customers who you have to chase up for payment?2 or 3 cleans then i stop cleaning until i get paid.
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agreed daz
i think its just a matter of time before the messers are dropped,its the same 1s for me time and time again.
some I've given a strict talking to some i have moved to 2 monthly and some i have sacked.
I'm keeping a closer eye and sending texts and emails more after a 2 week period after the clean,some have got the message and left without me dumping them.either way i don't care its a 2 way relationship if you clean then they pay if they don't then replace with 1s that do.
all the best cliff
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We all have em at some point trick is not to do a clean if last clean still outstanding unless you really know or trust them.
Struck one off this evening ... bimonthly 15 quid had to chase December's money and finally got it in February before next clean was due ... 3 weeks after feb clean still not paid .... cant be bothered with slow payers once a pattern develops
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yeah the micro management with lots of smaller domestics can be a pain at times but luckily im getting more larger domestics and a few commercial jobs that mix it up a bit and keeps payments coming in even when im not working.
its (nearly!)all good! ;D
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ive only ever had one customer who has ever messed me about
for payment..
Must of been lucky
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ive only ever had one customer who has ever messed me about
for payment..
Must of been lucky
Here in Ireland the national sport is 'Stiff the window cleaner!. ;D
Seriously though, most are ok but I am weeding out the messers as they surface.
John
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I want my money when its done or within a week of the clean.
all these ones that take 3/4 weeks to pay then u clean again and they the process repeats gets nocked off!.... i am not a money lender! >:(
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Its the same in every business - I expected the debt list to get a lot smaller when I left window cleaning but its still hovering around the £1000 mark,...
Name and shame?
I would have thought that you have the ultimate threat which would lead to payment 100% of the time Nat?....... Being able to pull the non payers website offline?
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When I reach the point where I'm happy to lose a messer my question is, "Would you ask a banker to clean your windows?"
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Its the same in every business - I expected the debt list to get a lot smaller when I left window cleaning but its still hovering around the £1000 mark,...
Name and shame?
Yip. Name and shame.
Especially if their on this forum. That will get you paid I'm sure. :)
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It's the same everywhere whatever! people can be right horrible at times.
My brother just been taken for £500,000 gone into administration.
This is the second time business has gone t*ts up!
The last guy took him for £180,000 and carried on trading under a different name but from the same premises.
Told my brother to get lost! I don't owe you a penny the last company owed you and that has gone bankrupt.
Unfortunately its the way it works.
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It boils down to how much time you want to spend doing credit control.
Unfortunatley you will realise the busier you get, the more messers and slow payers you get and the more time you need on credit control.
You will also nitice that the more work you get through, the higher percentage of outstanding accs you will have at any one time. If you want to aim for the stars, and make big money you really have to swallow your pride and have a good credit control strategy in place. Its difficult not to vent your frustration on sloe paying customers, but you have to remind yourself that they are busy, like you are busy. Life is hectic and paying the window cleaner is not something they think off all day, its things like getting the food shopping, paying the council tax bill or having that fault fixed with the car.
You have to be persistant, but polite. Its a hard balance and requires skill in itself. This is why some people do credit control as a job as some just don't have the skills needed to do it.
My rules are simple, outstanding bill? no clean until cleared. I had a guy a few years back I had to chase, I couldn't get hold of him. So I stopped the clean. A few months go by and he called me up asking why I handnt been, I said hang on a moment sir ill have a look why....oh you have an outstanding bill from 4 months back, we triad to contact you about it but was unsuccessful, would you like to settle this now sir? he did, and paid for the next one in advance. Still got him to this day, and he has been worth his weight in gold as the amount of recommendations he has put my way must be in the 20's now.
so be consistant, but polite. don't take any messers, but stay professional if you can. its well worth it and you separate yourself from the other window cleaners who make it look like they are scratching a living..
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Very well put. Good advice. Thanks.
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I owe the bin cleaner £12.50.
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We all have em at some point trick is not to do a clean if last clean still outstanding unless you really know or trust them.
Struck one off this evening ... bimonthly 15 quid had to chase December's money and finally got it in February before next clean was due ... 3 weeks after feb clean still not paid .... cant be bothered with slow payers once a pattern develops
replaced today with a £10 monthly 8)