Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: lee_dewing on May 13, 2015, 06:52:09 pm

Title: knew it!
Post by: lee_dewing on May 13, 2015, 06:52:09 pm
Started cleaning a new custies windows beginning of the year woman is a dinner lady, my mrs works with her.

funnily enough I clean this womans parents house who kept asking me to do it.

I told my mrs I didn`t want to do it as I hate working for friends,, relatives or neighbours.

Dinner lady won`t pay me even though I do cash,cheque,cheque by post, pay online.

always says will pay your wife at work gradually took longer and longer to pay my mrs.

when I went last week hadn`t been paid for last clean so I left an invoice and also put on it unfortunatey I don`t  do next clean until paid.

not completely true but thought this lady is taking the pi55 as she see`s my mrs 20 times a month.

my wife said thought this lady was being offish with her at work.

should I have carried on giving her cleans at £10 ago hoping to be paid  ::)roll ?

only £10 just annoyed my mrs doesn't want me sending letters out as she doesn`t want bad feeling at work :-X

makes me laugh....not.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: JackieW on May 13, 2015, 06:53:57 pm
''I hate working for friends,, relatives or neighbours.''

Me too.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lee_dewing on May 13, 2015, 06:59:10 pm
I think if this situation ever happens again then no.

or under pressure a standing order slip will be supplied to potential custie on the understanding they let me know when standing order is setup ;D
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: chris turner on May 13, 2015, 07:37:49 pm
If it was just a £10 job I would write it off, move on and forget about her.
Iv dumped loads over the last year, just don't have time for messers, bad payers or jobs that aint worth the hassle.
Once your business is big enough you pick up new work without even trying so your always replacing the crud with better stuff.
Dump her and be done with it bud!
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lal on May 13, 2015, 07:41:06 pm
''I hate working for friends,, relatives or neighbours.''

Me too.
 
AND DEFINETELY ME TOO.
Lal
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lal on May 13, 2015, 07:45:21 pm
If it was just a £10 job I would write it off, move on and forget about her.
Iv dumped loads over the last year, just don't have time for messers, bad payers or jobs that aint worth the hassle.
Once your business is big enough you pick up new work without even trying so your always replacing the crud with better stuff.
Dump her and be done with it bud!

 Couldn't  Agree more with you chris.
 Lal
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: ChumBucket on May 13, 2015, 08:23:59 pm
''I hate working for friends,, relatives or neighbours.''

Me too.

Me too, it a big NO for me.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lee_dewing on May 13, 2015, 08:48:07 pm
Yep  Chris your right write it off.

Just feels like a pi55 take as woman works with my wife.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: rosskesava on May 13, 2015, 09:03:18 pm
I had a similar situation when I first got going as a window cleaner in bucket and ladder days.

A drinking mate's wife ask me to clean their windows which I did the next day. Down the pub that Friday evening I asked my mate for the money and he said it was nothing to do with him and to ask his wife which I did the next day. She said her husband would pay.

To cut a long story short, an argument started, I never got the money and got permanently barred from my local which I'd been using for near on 8 years.

Since then, as posted above, golden rule, no family, friends or neighbours.

Yeah, walk away, and write it off.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: Bungle on May 13, 2015, 09:29:15 pm
If it was just a £10 job I would write it off, move on and forget about her.
Iv dumped loads over the last year, just don't have time for messers, bad payers or jobs that aint worth the hassle.
Once your business is big enough you pick up new work without even trying so your always replacing the crud with better stuff.
Dump her and be done with it bud!

Totally agree. Dumping her gives you the upper hand too. Sounds like she wants to be in control to me.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: Walter Mitty on May 13, 2015, 11:22:50 pm
I do clean for a couple of friends - just a couple of cleans a year.  The deal is that I don't charge them anything.  Once in a while, I get invited around for dinner.  I'm happy - they're happy.  The meals and the window cleaning are not conditional upon each other.
That's the only way I would do it really.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: SeanK on May 13, 2015, 11:33:38 pm
I do clean for a couple of friends - just a couple of cleans a year.  The deal is that I don't charge them anything.  Once in a while, I get invited around for dinner.  I'm happy - they're happy.  The meals and the window cleaning are not conditional upon each other.
That's the only way I would do it really.

That would bug the life out of me Walter, would these friends of yours go into work if they thought they might or not get
a meal from it ? I don't think so.
I'm sure there would be a hissy fit if they where underpaid for an hours work.
A true friend wouldn't expect you to work for nothing even if you insisted,Your way too soft.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: G Griffin on May 14, 2015, 12:01:44 am
She's not a friend or she'd pay.
Don't trust dinner ladies; they've got fat arms.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: capn sparkle on May 14, 2015, 12:21:21 am
I do clean for a couple of friends - just a couple of cleans a year.  The deal is that I don't charge them anything.  Once in a while, I get invited around for dinner.  I'm happy - they're happy.  The meals and the window cleaning are not conditional upon each other.
That's the only way I would do it really.

Same as ^^^

Clean my best friends house every 3 - 4 months for nowt, not bothered about charging 'em - recompense in J.D when I see 'em  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: capn sparkle on May 14, 2015, 12:22:52 am
Oh!! Bin 'em Lee - not worth the hassle
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: paulben on May 14, 2015, 06:11:53 am
I had one wife worked in same place as mine always paying late .Went to collect one day husband says wife has taken cheque to pay at work eventually he pays " are you doing windows today" NO . After a month he gets neighbour that recommended me to ring and find out when I am doing windows next . Didn't I love telling her that I wont be doing them as they are a bad payer
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: Walter Mitty on May 14, 2015, 07:00:30 am
I do clean for a couple of friends - just a couple of cleans a year.  The deal is that I don't charge them anything.  Once in a while, I get invited around for dinner.  I'm happy - they're happy.  The meals and the window cleaning are not conditional upon each other.
That's the only way I would do it really.

That would bug the life out of me Walter, would these friends of yours go into work if they thought they might or not get
a meal from it ? I don't think so.
I'm sure there would be a hissy fit if they where underpaid for an hours work.
A true friend wouldn't expect you to work for nothing even if you insisted,Your way too soft.

It's not an expectation though.  It really isn't a problem.  There are many types of friendships.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: dazmond on May 14, 2015, 07:51:52 am
i clean a few of my neighbours for free when i do my own and my dear old mum and dad(i dont charge my mum like richy wilts!).i cleaned my brothers 4 bed house for free for a while but he now has a local window cleaner as i couldnt pick up any work  in his area despite lots of canvassing and leafleting.he charges him £10 for a large 4 bedder with conny! ::)roll.i was trying to get work with a price of £20 for similar size properties.i didnt even get one customer as they thought i was  too expensive.

i cleaned the keyboard players house in my band the other month and charged him £200.(f/s/g,conny roof and windows)he paid up no problem and he s a good lad and both him and his wife have good jobs.i will continue to clean them regularly when hes finished having building work done.

lee you ve just gotta let it go and move on.ive been stung a few times by various so called customers over the years but its very rare these days.

best wishes


dazmond
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lee_dewing on May 14, 2015, 07:52:55 am
may still get paid but doubt it.

only £10 but my wife doesn`t want bad atmosphere at work, otherwise would send £2 letter before action.

Don`t like the feeling of someone taking liberties.

Got a pretty good round now and would say 95% pay promptly.

have started to pick up some new custies lately but most of these are late payers.

I`m seriously thinking of standing order only for all new customers

thanks lee
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: lee_dewing on May 14, 2015, 07:58:36 am
yep  daz,

will do ;D

p.s daz see you use gardiners backpack for f/s/g upvc cleans was thinking of doing that keep getting asked for these.
Done em for custies I like.

just looking to make it easier.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: slap bash on May 14, 2015, 11:24:03 am
No mate if you set terms of payment then don`t compromise you own terms your own terms. I will and do friends and family and am midget on these business terms with friends. I have friends.  My business has no friends and neighbors  and therefore it will not give special favors.  You need to see your business as separate entity. Get your head round that and your will run a better business.
And mean this in the best way.
Title: Re: knew it!
Post by: andyM on May 14, 2015, 05:48:56 pm

i cleaned the keyboard players house in my band the other month and charged him £200.(f/s/g,conny roof and windows)he paid up no problem and he s a good lad and both him and his wife have good jobs.i will continue to clean them regularly when hes finished having building work done.


best wishes


dazmond

Nice one, just like Ebony & Ivory.  :D