Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dave f on June 20, 2017, 06:21:52 pm
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had a customer who I had not seen for ages asked if I was doing there windows to day, they were bad payers and never in they caught me by surprise. I said I'm just off for dinner ill be back. I had just finished what would be your reply I had sacked them off a while before but just could not catch em in.
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Just say that you're too busy to take on any extra work. No need to go into any detail.... They should know why you have dumped them!
I had to do the same for two of my customers last week. Whenever I text them to say I'm cleaning their windows they say it's not convenient & they seem to think they need to be there when I actually clean the windows (in spite of me advising them to the contrary). I've saved their numbers in my 'phone so when they call I'll just not answer. They are easily replaceable since I'm getting so many walk-ups at the moment.
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I would be honest with them.
John.
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Tell them 'sure will be straight over, but you just need to sign up to GoCardless first'. Got a few more to do first, I will get an email confirmation when done, then be over shortly after, no problem'.
Thats how I deal with it, 90% of the time it means you maintain a customer, with no more messing. 8)
If they don't sign up you know they would mess you about whatever, but they won't ask again. ::)roll
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Tell them 'sure will be straight over, but you just need to sign up to GoCardless first'. Got a few more to do first, I will get an email confirmation when done, then be over shortly after, no problem'.
Thats how I deal with it, 90% of the time it means you maintain a customer, with no more messing. 8)
If they don't sign up you know they would mess you about whatever, but they won't ask again. ::)roll
+1
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I would be honest with them.
John.
yep i agree johnny.in fact ive told a few of them the reasons why i stopped cleaning for them.they never ask again! ;)
whats wrong with people?most are shocked when you tell them the truth.no one expects it!(anything but the truth!) ;D
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As our round rolls back to people, if they still have not paid for the last clean I cancel them, We never do a clean if 1 is outstanding. Then if they want to re join they have to use go cardless as mentioned above. This tactic combined with new customers we take on having to use go cardless from the start means our round refines itself over time.
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As our round rolls back to people, if they still have not paid for the last clean I cancel them, We never do a clean if 1 is outstanding. Then if they want to re join they have to use go cardless as mentioned above. This tactic combined with new customers we take on having to use go cardless from the start means our round refines itself over time.
your such a harsh man !!! ;D
Those who have messed around and left then want to come back firstly get a price review and rise then its 3 months in advance and go careless and a first clean price ( usually double the reg price )
this soon sorts out the wheat from the chaff !!
Darran
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Not paid for last clean so sacked......wow bit harsh...I have several customers who go 3 and 4 cleans before payment....they do not do online banking and I don't do go card less.........always paid when I catch them in and a couple of months up front to boot....tbh I like it because it is a nice wedge when they do pay and am not desperate.
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Think honesty is the best policy. Learnt this the hard way after a number of experiences.
I sacked one customer off as garden was always full of dog mess. She bumped into me n asked why stopped. So i told her, she asked me to text her before i come so she knows to tidy up b4 i come. (Some lazy people, if i dont text her it will never get shifted) so far shes been ok since.
Another one, same as yourself a bad payer. They asked and so i explained. I got the expected line "we never have money in the house" so they now pay on a regular monthly standing order.
So i gained my customers back by telling them (in a nice way) honestly.
So whenever im getting rid i will now tell them to their face. It keeps it professional and everyone knows where they stand
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Not paid for last clean so sacked......wow bit harsh...I have several customers who go 3 and 4 cleans before payment....they do not do online banking and I don't do go card less.........always paid when I catch them in and a couple of months up front to boot....tbh I like it because it is a nice wedge when they do pay and am not desperate.
Sod that, been stung a few times with non payers, letting them go more than 1 clean only makes it worse.
I send half a dozen reminders before there next clean I'd due, if they can't manage to pay in that time and have ignores all my messages them they are an expletive and not worth bothering with. Anyone who hasn't paid up by next clean gets skipped and them told why, in most cases if it had got to this point they have no intention of paying and end up getting a debt letter.
The only exception would be the very few cash customers who I trust and have been good loyal customers for a long time. And even then I wouldn't go past 2 cleans at most.
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i am a shyte bag I don't like confrontation. ill have to grow a pair
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i am a shyte bag I don't like confrontation. ill have to grow a pair
I hate confrontation too, but still tell them the truth in a polite and diplomatic way.
If I am owed for 2 or 3 cleans, I leave a note in their door stating how much they owe, then leave it at that.
If they tell me 'not today' more than twice without giving a good reason, I just say 'no problem', walk away and stop calling to them.
In both cases, most will eventually ask why I stopped calling.
It is very easy to tell them truthfully that I couldn't find them in to pay me, so didn't want to add to their financial burden, or in the second case that I didn't want to keep bothering them if they really didn't want me to call to them.
It leaves the ball in their court every time, and I have been honest with them without causing a scene.
John.
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What is it with you chaps be straight if the bad payers tell them instead " no we off to lunch" don`t be a girl thingy cat. Be a man. I go mad with this dishonesty. Be forthright and honest it`s not tactless been honest. When you cover up a bad customer you are just as dishonest as them who don`t pay. If the want to steal my service I will tell them so they know where they stand. It's like customers who don`t want their window cleaned anymore, telling you, " they have lost the gate key." It`s not polite it`s a fffff lie. One does not need to be rude but be honest they might just change their ways. ??? ??? ???
Dave you amaze me not dealing with confrontation you don`t do too bad on here mate, are you a man or a mouse or should I pass the cheese?
This is proof how we folk are socially modified in this beautiful country. P/C has robbed of our genitals
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Some are good keyboard warriors, others put pen to paper at one point in history.....but come face to face that seperates the men from the boys.
It also shows the mentality of some (people in general) because they feel that confrontational means being nasty or a bully when its far from it. Though granted some are.......but you dont need to be in order to have your say
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Persistent bad payers are dumped second time and never to be taken back on. Life is too short for unneccessary stress, better off without them, that's just my opinion. If they ask I tell them straight why I dump them as I don't need the hassle of persistently chasing debts anymore in my life
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i am a shyte bag I don't like confrontation. ill have to grow a pair
It doesnt have to be a confrontation, just an honest conversation.
And to be fair mate, it takes balls to make the above statement on here, you could of said anything. Who knows what the % is of whats been said on here is truthful, at least you are.
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Just got rid of some work last week. Took the guy round and pointed to all the houses that used to be on the run before I sacked them. He was like "you don't mess around do you!" Don't have time for ignorant slow payers that think it's ok to wait three months before paying you.
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It's all right for those that have huge runs and are constantly taking on loads of new customers to say one miss and your out. For some people it's not that easy and it's not that they don't have the balls. They won't want to lose numbers in a street so put up with it for a bit longer and so on, others don't have lots of new customers coming on so have to be cautious when dropping them.
It's easy advice to say tell them this or tell them that, thinking of an old post "there's a lack of confidence" (some girl talking crud) but it's true people do have a lack of confidence when approaching certain things so it's not so easy applying that advice.
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It's all right for those that have huge runs and are constantly taking on loads of new customers to say one miss and your out. For some people it's not that easy and it's not that they don't have the balls. They won't want to lose numbers in a street so put up with it for a bit longer and so on, others don't have lots of new customers coming on so have to be cautious when dropping them.
It's easy advice to say tell them this or tell them that, thinking of an old post "there's a lack of confidence" (some girl talking crud) but it's true people do have a lack of confidence when approaching certain things so it's not so easy applying that advice.
Its not always easy taking a step out the comfort zone, but by doing so it will get easier and you will appreciate it in the long run.
Dont forget the ones who try to give this advice (myself included) have all been there in those shoes but we have learnt to progress.
What i did in the past in the scenario you mentioned, is when i got a new customer, i priced it well. Then as soon as the repeat offender/messer does it again, they have already been replaced. Therefore you can make your excuses to them in whichever way you wish, and expalin they need to find a more suited cleaner for them.
So you are always rotating/cleaning you customer base
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Well mate it must just be in my culture to be forthright. I cannot see anything wrong by speaking up. I don`t understand the softly, softly girl thingy footing around. I am not by nature a rude person and know how to speak to folk, but I expect the same in return.
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In my opinion they aren't a customer until they have paid you for the last clean. Doesnt matter if you have been doing them 2 month, 2 years or 12 years. No doshy??? no washy!!!
When the next clean is due, they are goodwill. When they have settled their bill, they are a customer. If you look at it like that you wont waste time giving extended credit to people who will cost you cashflow.
Honestly i have never let a customer go over one clean late. its madness if you do.
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No doshy??? no washy!!!
I liked that one, might have to steel the phrase.
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No doshy??? no washy!!!
Love it that should go on my payment terms rather than 7 days
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I once said to a customer: "You wouldn't ask your bank manger to clean your windows, so why ask me for credit?"
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I dumped a customer by text tonight. Last cleaned 14 Dec 2016, suppose to be every 2 months. Last 2 times she made pathetic excuses, this time being the third got a polite dumped text as to why, politely but honest truth. Don't need irregular work on my round getting me negative, better to remove the ones that mess us around and take them off the books and replace later with regular work.
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Not paid for last clean so sacked......wow bit harsh...I have several customers who go 3 and 4 cleans before payment....they do not do online banking and I don't do go card less.........always paid when I catch them in and a couple of months up front to boot....tbh I like it because it is a nice wedge when they do pay and am not desperate.
Sod that, been stung a few times with non payers, letting them go more than 1 clean only makes it worse.
I send half a dozen reminders before there next clean I'd due, if they can't manage to pay in that time and have ignores all my messages them they are an expletive and not worth bothering with. Anyone who hasn't paid up by next clean gets skipped and them told why, in most cases if it had got to this point they have no intention of paying and end up getting a debt letter.
The only exception would be the very few cash customers who I trust and have been good loyal customers for a long time. And even then I wouldn't go past 2 cleans at most.
Hilarious! You were boasting earlier you work about 15 hours a week. Yet here you are scrapping around with 6 text reminders for a few quid ;D
Oh the BS on here is unreal.
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Not paid for last clean so sacked......wow bit harsh...I have several customers who go 3 and 4 cleans before payment....they do not do online banking and I don't do go card less.........always paid when I catch them in and a couple of months up front to boot....tbh I like it because it is a nice wedge when they do pay and am not desperate.
Sod that, been stung a few times with non payers, letting them go more than 1 clean only makes it worse.
I send half a dozen reminders before there next clean I'd due, if they can't manage to pay in that time and have ignores all my messages them they are an expletive and not worth bothering with. Anyone who hasn't paid up by next clean gets skipped and them told why, in most cases if it had got to this point they have no intention of paying and end up getting a debt letter.
The only exception would be the very few cash customers who I trust and have been good loyal customers for a long time. And even then I wouldn't go past 2 cleans at most.
Hilarious! You were boasting earlier you work about 15 hours a week. Yet here you are scrapping around with 6 text reminders for a few quid ;D
Oh the BS on here is unreal.
Firstly I wasn't boasting I worked 15 hours a week.
I generally work 20-30 hours a week physically and usually at least another 10 or so doing advertising etc. But I've never Boasted about that, I work that many hours because that's all the work I've got. How is that boasting?
Secondly what has that got to do with sending payment reminders for overdue cleans? Does it have any relevance whatsoever?
Thirdly how is that BS? Is it not possible to work 20 odd hours and week AND chase your debts? Is that not within the realms of possibility?
Fourthly how is it only a few quid? I don't personally think chasing up a few hundred quid is a futile exercise it's money that's owed and needed.
So basically what you have said is total BS based on no sound logic and I can only conclude that you are either just a ladies part or or a thick ladies part. Most likely both.
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I have the decency to let customers know they are dumped as they will wonder why I don't clean theirs when I'm working opposite them across the road usually. By being straight with them I don't worry about hiding from them or being rattled by naff customers, sleep better and stay happy and positive. Don't let messers mess my good karma :)
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3 months in advance
I dumped 2 by text today, I'm a cowardly custard ;D
Basically getting pi55ed off when I started cleaning their windows around 5 years ago, both customers would pay if they were in and a nice cup of tea ;D
Since paying online for the last couple of years it all feels a bit corporate.
No tea :'( if there in and never offer to pay.
Online payment's almost roll around to next clean date; monthly, or at least they forget to pay twice in the year meaning it's a rollover ;D
Just said in my text very sorry can't carry on, it's my fault for introducing online payment to save on postage stamps.
Getting cash flow problems.
Stopping online payment customers now.
Thanks for your custom.
If they get back in touch, which they haven't ;D
Will insist on payment"cash" if there in, online payment with in 5 days, or 3 up front.
Got one on standing order who was a bad payer, unfortunately only gonna get 11 cleans not 12 due to me running late, think she will have to go 3 cleans in advance.
I hate standing order😠
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3 months in advance
I dumped 2 by text today, I'm a cowardly custard ;D
Basically getting pi55ed off when I started cleaning their windows around 5 years ago, both customers would pay if they were in and a nice cup of tea ;D
Since paying online for the last couple of years it all feels a bit corporate.
No tea :'( if there in and never offer to pay.
Online payment's almost roll around to next clean date; monthly, or at least they forget to pay twice in the year meaning it's a rollover ;D
Just said in my text very sorry can't carry on, it's my fault for introducing online payment to save on postage stamps.
Getting cash flow problems.
Stopping online payment customers now.
Thanks for your custom.
If they get back in touch, which they haven't ;D
Will insist on payment"cash" if there in, online payment with in 5 days, or 3 up front.
Got one on standing order who was a bad payer, unfortunately only gonna get 11 cleans not 12 due to me running late, think she will have to go 3 cleans in advance.
I hate standing order😠
If they pay by bank transfer why sweat it? It's better than getting paid by cheques and having to take time out to pay them in the bank. BT better than having to collect for cash or cheque if out at time of clean. Some people are struggling to pay until pay day which is normally at the end of each month for most people. So long as they pay you regularly straight into your bank why worry if it's not within 5 days or similar. Who cares if customers don't make a cuppa for us everytime, they are our customers not our friends and we run it like a business so that's the downside to being efficient in treating it like a business. I'd rather run it like a business than previously dawdle about, earn peanuts and have lots of cuppas and long chats. I have more time off this way and don't spend the evenings chasing debts, so grateful for the way I run it now without the evening's chasing payments :)
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I tend not to say anything, I just stop going, they know why.
If they ask I will tell them and even take them back if they go GoCardless and pay b4 each clean.
I have found that it's never their fault, the fact they take ages to pay or there's dogs s41te everywhere.
They will however tell all their friends they sacked you!
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The thing is, we rightly look at it from a business point of view. Them being late etc is a pain to our cash flow etc etc.
However the customer doesnt view it in the same mannar and they may be over run with other issues etc. Not that it makes it right, but the point is, they wont have a clue why your not turning up if you dont tell them. All they know is that you use to come every X amount of weeks and all of a sudden your not!! They will think its your issue and more likely to ignor you and not for the reasons that you think!
So stop being cowards and simply explain why your not cleaning them anymore.
More than not these issues would be fixed.
Stop hiding behind lame excuses like you dont like to be confrontational or whatever and run your business as a business and be professional in all aspects and that includes dismissing work as well!!
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The only problem with online is cash flow. That's where having a few cash custys and using go cardless is a big help. Nothing worse than checking your online banking and nothings gone in for a few days despite you having a few hundred owing. My rolling debt seems to be about 10-20% or turnover.
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I always get my customers to text me the first time they pay online. I ask them to on the excuse that i can mark their account name on my books so i know whos paid.
Regardless of letting them know to put their house n street name as a reference.
But the real reason is, to get their mobile number so i can send them a reminder if they haven't paid. Do far i do not not have anyone paying online who i cannot contact.
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my "rolling debt"is usually hovering around £500-£600 (currently its £616.50)at any one time.sometimes it goes up to a 1K+.i know ill get it in eventually.luckily for me i still have a lot of customers who pay me cash or cheque on day of clean too so my cashflow is good plus im not in urgent need of the money as i can quite easily pay my bills with the money i get in every week.
i go collecting on a monday around 3 times a month for an hour or so to keep it down and manageable.
more and more customers are choosing to pay online these days which suits me as less collecting.most are good as gold and pay within 14 days.others are a PITA and just when i decide to drop them they pay!(i do send a text reminder after 14 days without payment).some ive dumped esp if i have to send 3 or 4 text reminders with no reply.
i also have some customers who pay in advance too.others dont pay for 3 or 4 months!(luckily these are very few!) ;D
im seriously thinking about gocardless now though.upgrade cleaner planner to the £25 a month version and getting as many customers as i can on it.only thing i have to do is get their email address and get them to sign up.itll save having to send text reminders.
imagine having all your customers on gocardless?no collecting,no debt chasing whatsoever.all your money earnt goes straight into your bank after 5 days!bliss! ;D
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I always get my customers to text me the first time they pay online. I ask them to on the excuse that i can mark their account name on my books so i know whos paid.
Regardless of letting them know to put their house n street name as a reference.
But the real reason is, to get their mobile number so i can send them a reminder if they haven't paid. Do far i do not not have anyone paying online who i cannot contact.
i tell them if they want to pay online i need a contact mobile number so i can send them my bank details and to remind them if they forget to pay.simple.
i hand them a business card and they text me their number,name and address(saves me faffing about jotting down theirs while im out working) and i send them my bank details and info like making sure they use their first line of address so i can identify their payment.
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I only have a couple of custies who pay me in advance...........im not really keen on it as it feels like im working for free on the day. Lol i know thats ridiculous but its how I feel and often I would put those jobs last on my priority rather than first
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I only have a couple of custies who pay me in advance...........im not really keen on it as it feels like im working for free on the day. Lol i know thats ridiculous but its how I feel and often I would put those jobs last on my priority rather than first
I'm the same mate just had a customer pay me twice by mistake for a £ 400 quid job,she's well minted but I did tell her
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my "rolling debt"is usually hovering around £500-£600 (currently its £616.50)at any one time.sometimes it goes up to a 1K+.i know ill get it in eventually.luckily for me i still have a lot of customers who pay me cash or cheque on day of clean too so my cashflow is good plus im not in urgent need of the money as i can quite easily pay my bills with the money i get in every week.
i go collecting on a monday around 3 times a month for an hour or so to keep it down and manageable.
more and more customers are choosing to pay online these days which suits me as less collecting.most are good as gold and pay within 14 days.others are a PITA and just when i decide to drop them they pay!(i do send a text reminder after 14 days without payment).some ive dumped esp if i have to send 3 or 4 text reminders with no reply.
i also have some customers who pay in advance too.others dont pay for 3 or 4 months!(luckily these are very few!) ;D
im seriously thinking about gocardless now though.upgrade cleaner planner to the £25 a month version and getting as many customers as i can on it.only thing i have to do is get their email address and get them to sign up.itll save having to send text reminders.
imagine having all your customers on gocardless?no collecting,no debt chasing whatsoever.all your money earnt goes straight into your bank after 5 days!bliss! ;D
I used to always have £3 k outstanding backs payments has brought this down to £2 k
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I used to always have £3 k outstanding backs payments has brought this down to £2 k
😲wow 😲 !!
£400 average but £600 not uncommon
Holiday season coming can up :'( £1000 :'( been known outstanding.