Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Suffolkcleaners on January 11, 2016, 05:28:36 pm
-
Hi Guys. I'm sure we have covered this subject dozens of times and it's very very rare i get a non payer. It's a £12.00 job and they owe 3 times(Oct,Nov,dec) I called to collect about a week ago and the daughter answered and said her mum was going to cancel. So i said that's fair enough but still £36.00 owing,she said my mum will call you.
I have sent 2 text message reminders(the last message politely requesting payment within 7 days)-Ignored.
Another few weeks have gone by and i have just tried to call her and politely ask for the payment and left an answer phone message to contact me ASAP to confirm cancellation and make payment. I have also put a couple of bill reminders through her door.
What shall i do next? In 20 years in the business this has happened maybe 3 or 4 times i think they just randomly decide not to pay although i haven't managed to speak to her directly yet just her daughter and i don't generally collect as it's too time consuming.
Would you let it go? Or send an official letter threatening action? It's a tough one cos i don't exactly want abuse coming back to me but at the same time it does anger me that they just decide not to contact me or pay. I thought i would give her the benefit of the doubt with Xmas and all that or who knows she could have had a personal tragedy as up until that point she did pay ok although she did usually let it roll to 2 or 3 cleans. It's a relatively newish job(only been doing for a year-was picked up through a canvassing company)
Would anyone be kind enough to give me a template letter or advise what i can say to make her pay? Thanking you in advance :-)
-
Wouldn't mess about. I would send a thomas higgins letter. Costs £2 plus vat.
You have two types of letter to send, by law you can send the second letter and potentially claim compensation.
My last one resulted in being taken to court.
A £42 debt is now being paid off at £10 per month. Her total bill is £211 now.
Feel free to ring or email me. I do have an office letter you can send out which is a bit more nicey nicey.
I just would not bother. Go down the Thomas higgins route with a proper letter.
-
Was she a good payer up to that point?
I would knock at the door at a time when you know the householder is home. I would knock loudly and whoever answered I would ask loudly to speak to the householder and ask for my money.
-
Sorry to sound stupid but how do i acquire this thomas higgins letter. What do i need to actually do? Is the letter still polite? Or shall i send a polite letter first before the thomas higgins?
-
I have knocked once already granville but i would have to go out of my way to collect it on an evening. I only tend to knock when working in the area which is once a month
-
As per original message i knocked and the daughter said the mum would contact me. My gut instinct would be to send one proper letter(Polite letter) and then go down this thomas higgins route. Any advice on how i can word it?
-
if Thomas higgons or knocking is a no go then you could accidently post the reminder and a strongly worded letter to next door neighbour by accident ;)
-
You would need to sign up here....
http://www.thomashiggins.com/
Takes about 7-14 days to set up. Forms and ID etc.
Then you can send out letters at £2 each plus vat.
Polite? No its threatening court action lol
By law you need to in writing give them 7 working days to pay. After that game on.
-
I'm sure that would make her day. ::)roll
I would not waste anymore time on such a small amount as she sounds like she is in the crapper money wise anyway.
-
I'm sure that would make her day. ::)roll
I would not waste anymore time on such a small amount as she sounds like she is in the crapper money wise anyway.
Agree, surely the time spent chasing and worrying over this outweighs what you'll gain...
Darran
-
for the sake of £2, i would send the letter before action and hope the prompts a payment. if it doesn't I'm not sure i would escalate it further? Looking at the fees, i can't work out if you pay all the fees in the hope that eventually you get paid off the debtor. also a lot of mention about this being commercial debit collectors, do they actually chase up domestic stuff?
-
I'm sure that would make her day. ::)roll
I would not waste anymore time on such a small amount as she sounds like she is in the crapper money wise anyway.
+1
I would let it go it ain't worth the hassle.
-
Baseball bat
-
id write it off.i couldnt be bothered messing about with thomas higgins letter for £36.
sounds like the womans got real debt problems.
if its only happened 3 or 4 times in 20 years then you ve been very lucky mate.
just think of all the xmas tips you ve had over the years or over payments here and there.everything balances out in the end. :)
-
Why clean it 3 times with out payment anyway ???
I will go 2x on long standing customers who are usually good payers and just forget...If it's a fairly new custy I would clean once and no more without payment.
-
Thomas Higgins letter - £2
Half a dozen eggs - £1.20
Scratching her car with a Mastercard - priceless
-
Thomas Higgins letter - £2
Half a dozen eggs - £1.20
Scratching her car with a Mastercard - priceless
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
only clean 2x then stop untill i get paid,
-
If she's in the doo doo money wise, at least she could tell op to stop cleaning her windows instead of wasting his time. Get a TH letter sent!
-
If you see her in street or anywhere there are a lot of people then with a loud voice ask her for your money only did it once had money next day
-
Thanks for comments guys. I woke up this morning to find the money had been transferred after i left a voicemail last night. I also had a text message cancelling(No apology though for waiting 4 months) so i guess i was lucky this time as i think i was going to write it off to be honest.
I don't usually let it get to 3 cleans but i guess because she had paid previously a couple of times when owing X2/X3 i gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Thank god this doesn't happen a lot as it really would be a nightmare but it hasn't happened for a while. Thank guys.
-
At least you got paid in the end but best you don't let customer drag on so long.
More than one clean owing don't do it until you get paid the outstanding amount and all that.
It would be also interesting to find out why she cancelled
-
At least you got paid in the end but best you don't let customer drag on so long.
More than one clean owing don't do it until you get paid the outstanding amount and all that.
It would be also interesting to find out why she cancelled
She knew he wouldn't be back. She got there first in an attempt to grab back a bit of control and get the upper hand. Maybe she felt embarrassed in front of her daughter and it was to save face.
I wouldn't even bother asking; we used to ask and I've only been told the truth once - I'm skint.
-
Send her a letter in a months time congratulating her on winning a years free window cleaning.
If she claims. Say you can't find her on the system. Oh yeah. You cancelled. You have to be a customer.
-
Send her a letter in a months time congratulating her on winning a years free window cleaning.
If she claims. Say you can't find her on the system. Oh yeah. You cancelled. You have to be a customer.
I like it!
John
-
Send her a letter in a months time congratulating her on winning a years free window cleaning.
If she claims. Say you can't find her on the system. Oh yeah. You cancelled. You have to be a customer.
You are evil :) :)