Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: James Styles on July 01, 2019, 08:38:37 pm
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
Bug them at 9pm and then lose them. FFS have some patience man!
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
;D ;D ;D
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
Are you for real ?.....you cleaned them between 12-3pm and are chasing for payment already , it’s a good job you don’t clean mine as I would cancel and tell you what to do . You arnt going to be successful in buisness with harassing people like that ,
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Give them a week to pay before you start hassling or your gonna p people off.
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This is why I am asking for advice on here before I act to see if I would be being too pushy.
I obviously see things a bit differently, if someone did my windows I would pay on the day they’d been done.
I’ll leave it for a few days then.
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
Are you for real ?.....you cleaned them between 12-3pm and are chasing for payment already , it’s a good job you don’t clean mine as I would cancel and tell you what to do . You arnt going to be successful in buisness with harassing people like that ,
If you read my post properly I haven’t chased them for it, I’ve only sent a text to say they have been cleaned and if they could process the payment when convenient.
I would of just expected the payments to have been made by now but I guess from the replies I’m wrong to expect payment on the day the jobs been done.
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Hi James
I have followed a few of your recent posts.
If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.
I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.
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Hi James
I have followed a few of your recent posts.
If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.
I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.
Thank you pal I appreciate that, I still have a lot to learn, only been going 3-4 months.
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Yes James your being very pushy for payment IMO. Its up to you how long you give your customers time to pay but to expect everyone to pay within a couple of hours will never happen i'm afraid. People have busy lives and often forget, not saying this is right but it happens.
For instance i state payment is to be received within 10 days from the cleaning date ( i think this is fair and allows for if people are on holiday when I've cleaned) after the 10 days a automated text reminder will be sent.
Most will pay once they received the reminder the odd 1 or 2 wont but they will be the ones who get dropped if its a common issue.
I have for a few years used GoCardless Direct Debit which saves all the above hassle and have about 3/4 of my customers on this payment method, you should try and push this as a payment method from the start ( I have a letter template you can have to give to customers to try and promote this way of paying).
Unfortunately your going through the starting phase where you will be picking up customers dropped by the more established because of late payments etc thats just part and parcel of starting a round up, however you have a great opportunity to get things right from the beginning in regards to getting your payments made with the least hassle. You do need to have a bit more patients in regards to payment really, expecting payment within a few hours is a bit ott its just how this game works mate.
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Hi James
I have followed a few of your recent posts.
If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.
I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.
Lee has found a victim ;D
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Yes James your being very pushy for payment IMO. Its up to you how long you give your customers time to pay but to expect everyone to pay within a couple of hours will never happen i'm afraid. People have busy lives and often forget, not saying this is right but it happens.
For instance i state payment is to be received within 10 days from the cleaning date ( i think this is fair and allows for if people are on holiday when I've cleaned) after the 10 days a automated text reminder will be sent.
Some will pay once they received the reminder the odd 1 or 2 wont but they will be the ones who get dropped if its a common issue.
I have for a few years used GoCardless Direct Debit which saves all the above hassle and have about 3/4 of my customers on this payment method, you should try and push this as a payment method from the start ( I have a letter template you can have to give to customers to try and promote this way of paying).
Unfortunately your going through the starting phase where you will be picking up customers dropped by the more established because of late payments etc thats just part and parcel of starting a round up, however you have a great opportunity to get things right from the beginning in regards to getting your payments made with the least hassle. You do need to have a bit more patients in regards to payment really, expecting payment within a few hours is a bit ott its just how this game works mate.
Thanks for the informative reply mate this helps a lot, I will need to be more patient then it seems, lucky I asked on here as I was close to sending a polite reminder to process the payment :o
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Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
James, if you have been going for 3 or 4 months then how have you gone on on other days ? Has this situation not happened to you before ?
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So James, let's imagine for a moment your in the customers shoes.
They are obviously away at work when you have cleaned their windows. In a job which you do not know and therefore don't know if its been a stressful day for them or not.
It comes to five pm and they are getting ready to go home but they may have to sit in slow moving traffic for an hour perhaps to get back home and now it's gone 6pm. Some may have to pick their kids up from a career or play group etc and then deal with all the hassle that comes with kids and then sort the kids tea out and get them into bed. If it's anything like myself, it can be anywhere from 8 - 9 pm before I can actually sit down from doing many tasks like above and others, before I can actually do what I need to do.
So expecting them to be skipping around the room because their windows have been cleaned to their delight and they are super excited that they sit down to make paying their window cleaner a priority, is a tad bit unrealistic mate!
So what can you do? First have a little more realistic idea of how soon you will be paid and chill a little.
2nd, look into GoCardless as an only option and that way, (since you like control) you will be in charge of collecting payment 5 working days later. Yes! 5 working days, not actually 5 days.
This may give a more realistic expectation
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I can't wait until you've got a couple of hundred customers and you look and see several hundred quid outstanding - your really going to poo yourself then ;D
Chill young padawan - money comes to he who waits - but does not if you wait for 3 cleans
Darran
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I never chase payment. Most pay within 30 days, some let it roll over.
Aslong as I get my money within 1-3 cleans I’m happy.
Remember we used to have to go out collecting every Friday night! I got to the stage where two evenings a week I was collecting.
Now I just post through the invoice and it appears in my bank account. For me, the few later payments are worth getting my evenings back.
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Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
my payment terms state "please pay within 14 days of clean",most do,the ones that dont get a text reminder after this time or they pay double next time....
im usually owed between £500-£1500 at any one time....i just see it as money in the bank,itll come in eventually.....
the problem you have is you need the money NOW!( i expect).....once your in front with your bills and you have a few grand behind you then you wont worry so much.....
outstanding/rolling debt is part and parcel of running a business....
PLEASE DO NOT SEND A TEXT PAYMENT REMINDER AFTER A FEW HOURS OF CLEANING A CUSTOMERS WINDOWS!
itll be a sure way to annoy a new customer and youll come across as desperate for the money(even if you are you dont show it!)and could lead to losing the job altogether.....
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James as long as it comes eventually it doesn’t matter, I leave it a week to 10 days to give them a nudge, it’s quite nice letting it build up, especially if your going on holiday and remind them just before you go, I’m £1200 owing at the moment,and that’s domestic
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James as long as it comes eventually it doesn’t matter, I leave it a week to 10 days to give them a nudge, it’s quite nice letting it build up, especially if your going on holiday and remind them just before you go, I’m £1200 owing at the moment,and that’s domestic
Hi Jonny, I saw your Mrs reeling in today. I didn't want to pip my horn in case she thought I was perving 😛
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Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.
James, if you have been going for 3 or 4 months then how have you gone on on other days ? Has this situation not happened to you before ?
Most have been paying cash and the ones who did pay online did within hours
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I’m glad I made this post as I obviously have so much to learn.
Bloody hell me thinking of asking for measly £15 payments and some guys are waiting on over a grand! :o
If I didn’t post this I’d of sent a polite reminder for sure, from now on I will wait a week before sending a text if no payment has been made.
I guess in some way I worry that I won’t get the payment at all, it’s like I feel anxious for the money to come in or I have little patience.
I need to change this.
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once your rolling money is always coming in, as you get more work the outstanding amount will increase but so will your income - as long as you don't let it get out of control by being too lax its nothing to worry about
don't let anyone get to the 3rd clean without paying for the previous 2
Darran
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I have a simple system
I send all my reminders once a week on a Sunday evening.
Everyone outstanding for 7 days or more gets a text.
Same every Sunday.
If a customer becomes due for their next clean with payment still outstanding they get skipped. (quite rare)
If the next clean rolls around and they still haven't paid (they have probably had half a dozen reminders by this point) they are removed from the round and told why and that if payment is not received in 14 days they will be passed on to debt collection.
These customers are then dumped regardless if they cough up.
One clean, one payment. This way you don't get taken for a mug, Ive been had for two, three and even four cleans before in the early days.
And yes don't panic, my rolling debt is £500 to £1500 regularly and the other week it was over 2 grand for the first time with two of us working. God knows how much some of the big boys must have rolling over each month.
I'm happy when I see mine drop below a grand and the only time I see it drop under £500 is if if I go away for a week or two.
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^^^^^^. I'm not telling - but it would fund Daz on a dozen 5* all inclusive holidays to Mexico :-\
Darran
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I’m glad I made this post as I obviously have so much to learn.
Bloody hell me thinking of asking for measly £15 payments and some guys are waiting on over a grand! :o
If I didn’t post this I’d of sent a polite reminder for sure, from now on I will wait a week before sending a text if no payment has been made.
I guess in some way I worry that I won’t get the payment at all, it’s like I feel anxious for the money to come in or I have little patience.
I need to change this.
Well sometimes you won't get paid at all, I've lost about £200 this year in non payers. It happens, unfortunately unpaid invoices go with running any business and worrying about it won't change it. It used to bother me, but now I see it as another messer off the books and space for a better one.
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I have to say we only have 2 maybe 3 non payers a year - 60 to 100 quid
did get caught for 10K 3 years ago on a commercial clean :-[ - that hurt but life goes on
Darran
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I’m glad I made this post as I obviously have so much to learn.
Bloody hell me thinking of asking for measly £15 payments and some guys are waiting on over a grand! :o
If I didn’t post this I’d of sent a polite reminder for sure, from now on I will wait a week before sending a text if no payment has been made.
I guess in some way I worry that I won’t get the payment at all, it’s like I feel anxious for the money to come in or I have little patience.
I need to change this.
Well sometimes you won't get paid at all, I've lost about £200 this year in non payers. It happens, unfortunately unpaid invoices go with running any business and worrying about it won't change it. It used to bother me, but now I see it as another messer off the books and space for a better one.
What do you do when you don’t get paid? Do you just write them off and take it as a loss or do you take any legal action?
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small amounts write it off not worth the time and aggro IMO
larger stuff - court action
Darran
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I have to say we only have 2 maybe 3 non payers a year - 60 to 100 quid
did get caught for 10K 3 years ago on a commercial clean :-[ - that hurt but life goes on
Darran
Wow 10k :o
Was you not able to fight it legally?
That’s a massive amount to lose out on
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unfortunately he was a middle man, basically project management company for someone else ( can't say who or what they do ) but at the start of works the company had a over 200k cash - then when payment was due nothing - just before court they went into voluntary liquidation owing 2.5 million - turns out he has 7 other companies - tough sh!t on me
Darran
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If you're wondering why a customer hasn't paid you within 4 hours of you cleaning their windows it might be because they're visiting their terminally ill partner/mother/sister/child in hospital or might just have received a similar diagnosis earlier that day themselves.
Your customer's lives do not revolve around your payment schedule.
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The biggest Ive been caught for was £1K.
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unfortunately he was a middle man, basically project management company for someone else ( can't say who or what they do ) but at the start of works the company had a over 200k cash - then when payment was due nothing - just before court they went into voluntary liquidation owing 2.5 million - turns out he has 7 other companies - tough sh!t on me
Darran
Ouch! Sorry that happened man, what a w****r!
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Bungle you pib you’re horn all day long mate, she already knows your a perv
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Friday afternoons is our debt focusing day. We still collect although more and more are paying online.
I have my bank details and instructions on the back of my window cleaned slip for BACS payments.
Most of our customers have been with us for years now so we don't really have a lot of outstanding debt. Most pay online within the week. There are a couple I have to remind them payment is due.
We've had the debt dramas in the past when we were new but as others have said, it takes time to get rid of the dross. Its part of the 'joys' of owning a business.
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Friday afternoons is our debt focusing day. We still collect although more and more are paying online.
I have my bank details and instructions on the back of my window cleaned slip for BACS payments.
Most of our customers have been with us for years now so we don't really have a lot of outstanding debt. Most pay online within the week. There are a couple I have to remind them payment is due.
We've had the debt dramas in the past when we were new but as others have said, it takes time to get rid of the dross. Its part of the 'joys' of owning a business.
i work similar to you spruce however my "debt focusing " day is a monday evening,it has been for years now,this is when i send my outstanding payment text reminders and i still do some collecting and find mondays much better than friday evenings,i only do an hour or so 2 or 3 times a month now as most pay by BACS or on day of clean these days....
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I’m glad I made this post as I obviously have so much to learn.
Bloody hell me thinking of asking for measly £15 payments and some guys are waiting on over a grand! :o
If I didn’t post this I’d of sent a polite reminder for sure, from now on I will wait a week before sending a text if no payment has been made.
I guess in some way I worry that I won’t get the payment at all, it’s like I feel anxious for the money to come in or I have little patience.
I need to change this.
Well sometimes you won't get paid at all, I've lost about £200 this year in non payers. It happens, unfortunately unpaid invoices go with running any business and worrying about it won't change it. It used to bother me, but now I see it as another messer off the books and space for a better one.
What do you do when you don’t get paid? Do you just write them off and take it as a loss or do you take any legal action?
I have in the past filed a few small claims online and won.
But I had one that refused to pay even after a had filed a small claim. When I realised that I would actually have to take a day off and attend court and present a case I realised this was just not feasible for a £10 -£20 job.
So these days I factor in non payers into my running costs, it's not ideal but if you accept you may lose say £20 a month then you can accept it
It might sound daft when starting out but when you have 500 customers losing a tenner here and there isn't really the end of the world and not worth fretting over
I use to also take revenge but I can't be arsed with that nowadays either it's not worth it.
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Some of my customers wait weeks to pay, even though my ‘windows cleaned today’ slips state ‘please pay within 3 days’.
It’s part of this game I’m afraid. You’ll get the money eventually, so don’t worry.
I take the same view as Daz, I don’t really care as long as eventually they pay....
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Friday afternoons is our debt focusing day. We still collect although more and more are paying online.
I have my bank details and instructions on the back of my window cleaned slip for BACS payments.
Most of our customers have been with us for years now so we don't really have a lot of outstanding debt. Most pay online within the week. There are a couple I have to remind them payment is due.
We've had the debt dramas in the past when we were new but as others have said, it takes time to get rid of the dross. Its part of the 'joys' of owning a business.
i work similar to you spruce however my "debt focusing " day is a monday evening,it has been for years now,this is when i send my outstanding payment text reminders and i still do some collecting and find mondays much better than friday evenings,i only do an hour or so 2 or 3 times a month now as most pay by BACS or on day of clean these days....
Same here Daz. I only really collect one round of about 60 houses now, always a Monday and these days just one night a month.
I find Fridays a lot of customers were out for tea so Monday’s more productive.
I actually enjoy collecting this one night and it gives me chance to upsell some fascia/gutter cleans too.
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Friday afternoons is our debt focusing day. We still collect although more and more are paying online.
I have my bank details and instructions on the back of my window cleaned slip for BACS payments.
Most of our customers have been with us for years now so we don't really have a lot of outstanding debt. Most pay online within the week. There are a couple I have to remind them payment is due.
We've had the debt dramas in the past when we were new but as others have said, it takes time to get rid of the dross. Its part of the 'joys' of owning a business.
i work similar to you spruce however my "debt focusing " day is a monday evening,it has been for years now,this is when i send my outstanding payment text reminders and i still do some collecting and find mondays much better than friday evenings,i only do an hour or so 2 or 3 times a month now as most pay by BACS or on day of clean these days....
Same here Daz. I only really collect one round of about 60 houses now, always a Monday and these days just one night a month.
I find Fridays a lot of customers were out for tea so Monday’s more productive.
I actually enjoy collecting this one night and it gives me chance to upsell some fascia/gutter cleans too.
And that's an important point, especially if someone is short of work and is looking for add-ons. I believe the reason why we have so many loyal customers is because we took the time to collect and develop a business relationship.
Although paying online is so much easier, I fear we are going to loose face to face contact with our customers who we may never see from one year to the next.
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James as everyone has said be patient :). You have to give them at least a week really before you can remind them again. But by all means you can get around collecting if you have time in the beginning why not.
Also one other thing try and be tight even when you start to stabilize don't start to rely on one particular part of the round because people will cancel sometimes try and generate yourself a nice little cushion and dip into it for times like this generally just be tight and later on you'll be fine
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I’m still struggling with patience on waiting for payments lol
It’s been a few days and I have 3 who still haven’t paid online, I’m itching to send a reminder but trying to wait a week lol
I don’t have a big round at the moment so I want them payments, can’t wait until Im earning a lot more as then I won’t be as bothered but it does bother me at the moment.
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
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You will always be waiting for payments. Better get use to it.
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
It’s going well I’m at 57 customers now, have to say though when canvassing posher areas/bigger houses I find they all have window cleaner I’m finding more success in more “common” type roads
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You will always be waiting for payments. Better get use to it.
When I have a bigger round/more income it won’t bother me as much but at the moment it does as my round is small.
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
It’s going well I’m at 57 customers now, have to say though when canvassing posher areas/bigger houses I find they all have window cleaner I’m finding more success in more “common” type roads
Yep, many will but that doesn't always mean they are happy with their cleaner.
Nope, I'm not saying under cut or put down their cleaner, just leave them your flyer or business card and ask them to call if their situation changes.
You may find that not everyone will have one and once your in the street cleaning, it can soon build from word of mouth.
I'm getting enquiries from five bedroom houses in affluent areas which are saturated with shiners and I'm sure many do on this forum as well.
Keep at it buddy, you'll get to a hundred soon
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
It’s going well I’m at 57 customers now, have to say though when canvassing posher areas/bigger houses I find they all have window cleaner I’m finding more success in more “common” type roads
I actually prefer what you refer to as “common” type roads. You can clean multiple houses without moving the van and as a result get a higher hourly turnover than in some of these more affluent areas.
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
It’s going well I’m at 57 customers now, have to say though when canvassing posher areas/bigger houses I find they all have window cleaner I’m finding more success in more “common” type roads
Its a trust thing James the wealthier they are the more cautious they are of unknown door sellers, the fact that you're starting on a budget wont help either, a nice van that's wrapped/ logoed certainly helps, that said the majority of my so called wealthy customers came from recommendations, remember just because they are wealthy doesn't mean all their friends and family are.
Get another 30 or 40 customers on your list and you will be surprised how quickly it will be before you're turning work away.
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How's the round building going?
Have you been successful in targeting more affluent areas?
It’s going well I’m at 57 customers now, have to say though when canvassing posher areas/bigger houses I find they all have window cleaner I’m finding more success in more “common” type roads
I actually prefer what you refer to as “common” type roads. You can clean multiple houses without moving the van and as a result get a higher hourly turnover than in some of these more affluent areas.
Yeah they are easy and quick to do aswell, don’t get me wrong I’m not having a dig when I say common type roads just didn’t know how else to describe them, I am living in a flat on a worse road then them at the moment lol
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My worst paying customers are the most wealthy. I deliberately don’t go for the big properties ‘cos come the winter when the big custies cancel your round gets hit for six. Easier to skip a £10 job than a £50 one.
It’s all down to pricing at the end of the day and hourly rate.
Middle classes for me.
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Retired baby boomers are the best for me.
Loads of money and simply can’t spend it quick enough.
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You get none payers in all classes.
Its more about the individual, some people just have more morals than others, some think it's ok to rip off the window cleaner or have better things to do than rush to send payment.
Others on the other hand can't wait to pay you and apologize if they forget to pay you the same day.
I've had customers call round to my house and hand me the money or post cheques through my door because they couldn't pay online and felt bad about me waiting. (Usually older generation)
You get good and bad all over, some of the poorest people will surprise you with their morals and a lot will live up to the stereotype and rip you off.
On the harassing customer for payment thing I lost one not long ago as I text her whilst she was on holiday twice (she was gone for a month) she said I was harrasing her lol. I wasn't I was just sending out my weekly reminders and had no idea she was away.
But people are weird, best to have as little to do with them as possible. Text for the gate and get them on go cardless, be polite but don't engage and don't give them a reason to become a Messer.
A lot of this game is mental, it will mess with your head if you let it, from non payers to skipping cleans and losing work...it will all drive you insane if you feed into it. Just go out clean windows, come home send some texts for gates/reminders and turn your phone off...that's another thing don't get into back and forth texts all night when chasing payments etc.
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Your gonna have to get used to the waiting James,
I’ve just been paid £45 by a customer who owed three lots of £15. On a 6 weekly round. So I waited Atleast 18 weeks, though actually much longer as I’m always late.
It’s part of the game mate, you’ll learn to accept it by default in time!
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I never chase payment. Most pay within 30 days, some let it roll over.
Aslong as I get my money within 1-3 cleans I’m happy.
Remember we used to have to go out collecting every Friday night! I got to the stage where two evenings a week I was collecting.
Now I just post through the invoice and it appears in my bank account. For me, the few later payments are worth getting my evenings back.
were the same as you , the bigger you get the bigger the debt in the uk we are running at around a 6k all the time with 4 vans out daily , we now do not do a 3rd clean anymore just a second one then they get a letter , if they need 2 letters the gone once they have payed we have also been caught for 6k last year on a solar farm , and this year looks like were going to get nipped for 4k off a management company thats going bust in london
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Who was the solar farm contractor?
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My worst paying customers are the most wealthy. I deliberately don’t go for the big properties ‘cos come the winter when the big custies cancel your round gets hit for six. Easier to skip a £10 job than a £50 one.
It’s all down to pricing at the end of the day and hourly rate.
Middle classes for me.
i find wealthy customers with larger houses hardly ever skip(due to longer frequency cleans)and pay within a couple of days of the clean usually.....
i think its good to have a mixture of smaller jobs and larger jobs........
regardless of class,house size,car(s) on the drive is irrelevant IMO.....as long as they pay in a reasonable amount of time(14 days)and im happy with my hourly rate on that job then everything is fine and dandy.... :)
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GoCardless
GoCardless
Oh, did I mention that GoCardless is a great way of getting paid and its a doddle to do. Not only this, but so far, I've not had any complaints about only offering this as a payment option.
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Who was the solar farm contractor?
cant say as its going to court in a few weeks then i will tell the world
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Who was the solar farm contractor?
Solar Steve 😂😂😂😂
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James
People pay at different times. Some pay on the day, cash, (I like those), some pay at the end of the week, some pay at the end of the month when they get paid. This is window cleaning, this is the business you are now in, get used to it! If it really bothers you, then find a solution to the problem! If you don't like it, then get out and do something else.
As for 'Common' houses, in my opinion, these will be your best earner. You want small houses, semi detached, well kept, no conservatories, side gate, good parking and lots of them.
Good luck.
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GoCardless
GoCardless
Oh, did I mention that GoCardless is a great way of getting paid and its a doddle to do. Not only this, but so far, I've not had any complaints about only offering this as a payment option.
Seriously Nathan do never tire of waffle ? you only make your new customers pay by Go Cardless and the others that you built your round with over many years pay how they like, there's not a chance that you would be this strict with your payment options if starting from scratch so if you cant be genuine with your advice then maybe you should keep it to yourself.
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GoCardless
GoCardless
Oh, did I mention that GoCardless is a great way of getting paid and its a doddle to do. Not only this, but so far, I've not had any complaints about only offering this as a payment option.
Seriously Nathan do never tire of waffle ? you only make your new customers pay by Go Cardless and the others that you built your round with over many years pay how they like, there's not a chance that you would be this strict with your payment options if starting from scratch so if you cant be genuine with your advice then maybe you should keep it to yourself.
Oooooooooooo...... thats telling him. ;D
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GoCardless
GoCardless
Oh, did I mention that GoCardless is a great way of getting paid and its a doddle to do. Not only this, but so far, I've not had any complaints about only offering this as a payment option.
Seriously Nathan do never tire of waffle ? you only make your new customers pay by Go Cardless and the others that you built your round with over many years pay how they like, there's not a chance that you would be this strict with your payment options if starting from scratch so if you cant be genuine with your advice then maybe you should keep it to yourself.
Sean, Sean, Sean oh poor little Sean! In your own little world, with the comforts of yester years.... How you doing buddy, are you feeling lonely yet buddy and want a bit of banter with someone on here again....... 😂
Over the years I have tried cash, cheques, online banking, regular standing orders and PayPal! They all rely on the customer being arsed to sit down for five minutes to sort it out and you all know how much they like to pay their window cleaners straight away ::)roll
So I have tried all the rest and card readers as well and concluded the best way of getting paid is doing it yourself via direct debit. I have used this as an only method for quite a while now and as I've said, no knock backs and that's even from snooty customers. Truth be told, I have been recommended to their friends etc because of my welcome packs and the fact that they pay by direct debit. You seriously think if I was starting from scratch with this knowledge that I would mess about with other options 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Oh my existing customers,,,,,, aawwwww Sean, do you want an update on how many I've switched over. I didn't think you cared that much about my business mate. That's sweet of you
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More silly waffle, Nathan the majority of my customers have been DD for many years but I didn't force them to do it when they didn't know or trust me to be reliable and capable of doing a decent job, its like you make it up as you go along.
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James
People pay at different times. Some pay on the day, cash, (I like those), some pay at the end of the week, some pay at the end of the month when they get paid. This is window cleaning, this is the business you are now in, get used to it! If it really bothers you, then find a solution to the problem! If you don't like it, then get out and do something else.
As for 'Common' houses, in my opinion, these will be your best earner. You want small houses, semi detached, well kept, no conservatories, side gate, good parking and lots of them.
Good luck.
I’m sticking with window cleaning I enjoy the job and being my own boss plus my round is growing nicely, I did state it won’t bother me as much when I have a lot more customers it’s just at the moment it’s bugging me relying on payments having to wait on customers to pay, especially when I’ve worked hard for that money.
I agree with you on the small houses from my experience so far, they are quick to do and as you say there’s so many on each street, just today while out cleaning I picked up 3 new customers who were neighbours of the houses I was doing ;D
The ones I am waiting on paying still haven’t paid and one of them was a first clean that was absolutely filthy, I worked I disagree off on that house, he owes me £30 as I charged double for first clean, I just have a feeling I ain’t gonna see that payment, he signed up for every 4 weeks but I’m not doing it again til I get paid and if he is trying to rip me off that’s brutal as I spend nearly two hours on that house.
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Who was the solar farm contractor?
cant say as its going to court in a few weeks then i will tell the world
We’ve had trouble with a couple.
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More silly waffle, Nathan the majority of my customers have been DD for many years but I didn't force them to do it when they didn't know or trust me to be reliable and capable of doing a decent job, its like you make it up as you go along.
😂 😂 😂
Yes I hold a gun to their head and force them to use a payment method used by companies for many many years!
Or is it the hard sales tactic that gets them to agree or I walk....... 😂 😂. Come on Sean, get real!
I simply say the price is £x for 4wkly or £x for 8wkly and payment is via direct debit.
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I’ve just found one customer who hasn’t paid for the last five cleans and is due again tomorrow ;D
Might have to dump that one. Supposed to pay online too.
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I don’t know some of you cope with so much money owed :'(
I had £0 owed last month , I must have my customers well trained. And they all pay DD
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More silly waffle, Nathan the majority of my customers have been DD for many years but I didn't force them to do it when they didn't know or trust me to be reliable and capable of doing a decent job, its like you make it up as you go along.
😂 😂 😂
Yes I hold a gun to their head and force them to use a payment method used by companies for many many years!
Or is it the hard sales tactic that gets them to agree or I walk....... 😂 😂. Come on Sean, get real!
I simply say the price is £x for 4wkly or £x for 8wkly and payment is via direct debit.
Get real, not joking Nathan when I say that you and reality have been strangers for many years, do you even clean windows ? it just that nothing you say on your so called round building journey ever adds up.
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Not always but unless they have just moved in a filthy first clean can be a bad sign, messers are a part of building a round James, thing is they tend to tackle and be found by newbies so once established you will find they will be few and far between. just be thankful we are not in the building trade as they can get taken for a lot more.
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I'm glad you pay a lot of attention on this forum Sean.
I'm confused now, as to what doesn't add up?
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Not always but unless they have just moved in a filthy first clean can be a bad sign, messers are a part of building a round James, thing is they tend to tackle and be found by newbies so once established you will find they will be few and far between. just be thankful we are not in the building trade as they can get taken for a lot more.
Yeah i know you are right but it really winds me up that I got those disgusting windows/frames/sills looking sparkling for him to not pay me that’s not on, i grafted hard on that house, is there basically nothing I can do if he don’t pay up when I send future reminders?
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I'm glad you pay a lot of attention on this forum Sean.
I'm confused now, as to what doesn't add up?
How many of your customers have you switched over Nathan ?
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I'm glad you pay a lot of attention on this forum Sean.
I'm confused now, as to what doesn't add up?
How many of your customers have you switched over Nathan ?
You can't answer a question with a question, no more new info matey. What doesn't ever add up on this round building journey?
On the same note, perhaps the fact I communicate well with my potential new client on arranging a quote, or the information pack they receive when they accept the quote, could make them think I run a business rather than topping up the beer money ::)roll ::)roll
Or it could be my wonderful charm and like ability that makes them think I'm going to be reliable, maybe? Or they've checked out my reviews and seen the wonderful praise I get on a regular basis.
.
.
Either way, they are more than happy to pay via direct debit Sean....... Perhaps you just look dodgy mate ;D like I said, I have gained customers because they like the payment terms. Maybe like this review from the other day:
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1563322241_aviary-image-1563322319591.jpeg)
Oh, and if they don't like me and I'm not reliable etc, they simply cancel the direct debit..... Its not rocket science is it!
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Not always but unless they have just moved in a filthy first clean can be a bad sign, messers are a part of building a round James, thing is they tend to tackle and be found by newbies so once established you will find they will be few and far between. just be thankful we are not in the building trade as they can get taken for a lot more.
Yeah i know you are right but it really winds me up that I got those disgusting windows/frames/sills looking sparkling for him to not pay me that’s not on, i grafted hard on that house, is there basically nothing I can do if he don’t pay up when I send future reminders?
Yes you can file a small claims online.
Or just go knock the door, people have a much harder time refusing to pay to your face.
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James
People pay at different times. Some pay on the day, cash, (I like those), some pay at the end of the week, some pay at the end of the month when they get paid. This is window cleaning, this is the business you are now in, get used to it! If it really bothers you, then find a solution to the problem! If you don't like it, then get out and do something else.
As for 'Common' houses, in my opinion, these will be your best earner. You want small houses, semi detached, well kept, no conservatories, side gate, good parking and lots of them.
Good luck.
I’m sticking with window cleaning I enjoy the job and being my own boss plus my round is growing nicely, I did state it won’t bother me as much when I have a lot more customers it’s just at the moment it’s bugging me relying on payments having to wait on customers to pay, especially when I’ve worked hard for that money.
I agree with you on the small houses from my experience so far, they are quick to do and as you say there’s so many on each street, just today while out cleaning I picked up 3 new customers who were neighbours of the houses I was doing ;D
The ones I am waiting on paying still haven’t paid and one of them was a first clean that was absolutely filthy, I worked I disagree off on that house, he owes me £30 as I charged double for first clean, I just have a feeling I ain’t gonna see that payment, he signed up for every 4 weeks but I’m not doing it again til I get paid and if he is trying to rip me off that’s brutal as I spend nearly two hours on that house.
Hi James, unfortunately this sort of thing happens in this game, and it can leave a sour taste. It says enough about their character for them to do this to you, and also about yours if you can let it go. I find that the best feeling about this is when you've established yourself and month by month those filthy windows that you worked so hard to get all sparkly will return to their filthy state, while you are cleaning all around them!
I have had this happen to me more times than I can remember, and some of these non-payers have even had the neck to ask me to clean for them again without batting an eyelid, clearly believing that I had forgotten how they treated me! How you respond to them when that happens is up to you, but boy, you can feel empowered when you a) agree to take them back on after receiving full payment up front/in advance or b) ever so politely telling them to go to a hot place forever!
I actually had a message this morning around 6am from a lady whose windows I cleaned in February 2017 but never got paid, asking me to call to her tomorrow! I have evidence that between then and now, she had been asking on a local social media page for a window cleaner, where my name was recommended by several existing customers of mine! She avoided contacting me then (I wonder why) but I believe she now thinks enough time had passed for me to forget.
Like you, I used to fret and take it personally. I smile about it now, probably because I'm in a better position to take the hit and pick and choose who I work for. One day you'll be in the same position. Keep going and you will get to where you want to be, and don't waste your time, energy or joy on these kinds of people.
John
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James, do you have a card reader to take payments at the door via card, If they say they have no cash?
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I’ve just found one customer who hasn’t paid for the last five cleans and is due again tomorrow ;D
Might have to dump that one. Supposed to pay online too.
have you reminded them?i never let a customer rack up 5 cleans with no payment.
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Not always but unless they have just moved in a filthy first clean can be a bad sign, messers are a part of building a round James, thing is they tend to tackle and be found by newbies so once established you will find they will be few and far between. just be thankful we are not in the building trade as they can get taken for a lot more.
Yeah i know you are right but it really winds me up that I got those disgusting windows/frames/sills looking sparkling for him to not pay me that’s not on, i grafted hard on that house, is there basically nothing I can do if he don’t pay up when I send future reminders?
knock on his door with a card machine.....
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James, do you have a card reader to take payments at the door via card, If they say they have no cash?
No I don’t have a card machine mate
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James, do you have a card reader to take payments at the door via card, If they say they have no cash?
No I don’t have a card machine mate
Thats easy to fix. This link will get you £14 off the on off price to purchase one from SumUp. The details are on the link n website as they don't charge a subscription/monthly fee but just take a very small percentage per fee. You use it with your smartphone via mobile date and blue tooth and the money goes into your account 2 days later.
http://r.sumup.io/gRDgB
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Who was the solar farm contractor?
Solar Steve 😂😂😂😂
Course it is!
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Must admit I got ‘had’ last week. Priced a job up, 3 bed semi with extension. £18 every 4 weeks, first clean price £30.
They hadn’t been cleaned for a couple of years which always sets alarm bells ringing. Done the first clean, bit slow to pay but transferred online after 5 days. Browse on rightmove today and there it is up for sale. 😂 ah well, glad I put the first clean price up, won’t bother going back whether it sells or not.