Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: James Styles on March 22, 2022, 05:22:43 pm
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Hi guys hope you are all good, how do you deal with non payers.
I have a few who owe £15.00, that’s not a big deal to me I just send a reminder every 7-10 days, if I don’t get it I will dump them.
I have one though which was a one off clean with conservatory roof for £60.00, they haven’t paid yet, it’s only been 4 days but I have a bad feeling they are not going to pay. I feel that for one off cleans I should ask for cash instead of bank transfer to stop this risk?
It’s irritating me as that job was very difficult, took almost 3 hours, I also think I underpriced it, should of been £80, either way with all that graft I put in I want the £60.
It’s not a small amount either like £10 or £15 I can take that on the chin.
I’m going to send a reminder after 7 days have passed but what should I do if they don’t pay up?
I’d knock on & carry on sending reminders but what else could I do.
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Hi guys hope you are all good, how do you deal with non payers.
I have a few who owe £15.00, that’s not a big deal to me I just send a reminder every 7-10 days, if I don’t get it I will dump them.
I have one though which was a one off clean with conservatory roof for £60.00, they haven’t paid yet, it’s only been 4 days but I have a bad feeling they are not going to pay. I feel that for one off cleans I should ask for cash instead of bank transfer to stop this risk?
It’s irritating me as that job was very difficult, took almost 3 hours, I also think I underpriced it, should of been £80, either way with all that graft I put in I want the £60.
It’s not a small amount either like £10 or £15 I can take that on the chin.
I’m going to send a reminder after 7 days have passed but what should I do if they don’t pay up?
I’d knock on & carry on sending reminders but what else could I do.
3 hours for £60 never worth doing in the first place , I think you need to times that by either 2 or 3 .
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Hi guys hope you are all good, how do you deal with non payers.
I have a few who owe £15.00, that’s not a big deal to me I just send a reminder every 7-10 days, if I don’t get it I will dump them.
I have one though which was a one off clean with conservatory roof for £60.00, they haven’t paid yet, it’s only been 4 days but I have a bad feeling they are not going to pay. I feel that for one off cleans I should ask for cash instead of bank transfer to stop this risk?
It’s irritating me as that job was very difficult, took almost 3 hours, I also think I underpriced it, should of been £80, either way with all that graft I put in I want the £60.
It’s not a small amount either like £10 or £15 I can take that on the chin.
I’m going to send a reminder after 7 days have passed but what should I do if they don’t pay up?
I’d knock on & carry on sending reminders but what else could I do.
3 hours for £60 never worth doing in the first place , I think you need to times that by either 2 or 3 .
Yeah tbh I underestimated the job, I thought would take 2 hours max, the roof was really bad plus the windows had some stubborn Staines, lesson learned, I just want to be paid for my work though I worked damn hard on that house.
I’m going to charge more for roof cleans from now on they are such a pain.
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Why do you think they won't pay?
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It’s easy to criticise but at 2 hrs that’s well underpriced - having said that your prices are yours but as you can see you need to factor in no payers into your pricing
For me after a couple of reminders the debt is written off you spend way too much time chasing silly amounts when it an be spend more productively
Darran
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Why do you think they won't pay?
Just a feeling I have, the vibe got from them plus that they haven’t sent the money yet. Hopefully I’m wrong.
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It’s easy to criticise but at 2 hrs that’s well underpriced - having said that your prices are yours but as you can see you need to factor in no payers into your pricing
For me after a couple of reminders the debt is written off you spend way too much time chasing silly amounts when it an be spend more productively
Darran
Yeah to me £80 for two hours wouldn’t be bad but I did underprice it at £60 for sure, I’m still building my round but I am learning to go bit pricier, especially with costs going up.
I wouldn’t mind writing off £15.00 but for me £60 and the work I put in would be hard to swallow, it’s the cheek of it too.
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Learning curve and lesson learned hopefully. Regards non payment, don't jump the gun just yet. Leave it until a week has passed, that's ample time for them to get round to paying. Regards your other non payers, pester them until they get sick of you and then dump. You've done the job so you deserve to get paid. I can't understand those that let it go. If Sky came round and fitted a dish they'd be after their money no matter what so why shouldn't we?
I had a good customer up until last week. Been in my books for 5 years and all of a sudden he doesn't pay for 2 cleans. Numerous texts were sent plus a phone call. Texts never answered but phone call was and he promised to BACS payment. Payment never arrived so I went round to the house, knocked the door and he shat himself. He went back in the house in a fluster, couldn't find any cash. He said can you wait and I'll go to the cash point. No problem I'll wait I said. He owed £40 but gave me £50. The trust has gone now so he's dumped. I don't know why he's become a bad customer (ex).
To OP, chase any debts and don't write them off. You've earned it!
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It’s easy to criticise but at 2 hrs that’s well underpriced - having said that your prices are yours but as you can see you need to factor in no payers into your pricing
For me after a couple of reminders the debt is written off you spend way too much time chasing silly amounts when it an be spend more productively
Darran
Yeah to me £80 for two hours wouldn’t be bad but I did underprice it at £60 for sure, I’m still building my round but I am learning to go bit pricier, especially with costs going up.
I wouldn’t mind writing off £15.00 but for me £60 and the work I put in would be hard to swallow, it’s the cheek of it too.
Some people can see that you're inexperienced and play on it. Be confident.
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Learning curve and lesson learned hopefully. Regards non payment, don't jump the gun just yet. Leave it until a week has passed, that's ample time for them to get round to paying. Regards your other non payers, pester them until they get sick of you and then dump. You've done the job so you deserve to get paid. I can't understand those that let it go. If Sky came round and fitted a dish they'd be after their money no matter what so why shouldn't we?
I had a good customer up until last week. Been in my books for 5 years and all of a sudden he doesn't pay for 2 cleans. Numerous texts were sent plus a phone call. Texts never answered but phone call was and he promised to BACS payment. Payment never arrived so I went round to the house, knocked the door and he shat himself. He went back in the house in a fluster, couldn't find any cash. He said can you wait and I'll go to the cash point. No problem I'll wait I said. He owed £40 but gave me £50. The trust has gone now so he's dumped. I don't know why he's become a bad customer (ex).
To OP, chase any debts and don't write them off. You've earned it!
I will keep pestering the other few who owe with payment reminders, I think even after they do pay I will dump them as it’s taken almost 2 months & about 4 reminders & they haven’t even replied.
I guess it’s something I’m gonna have to deal with while building. You are right though I’ve cleaned those houses so I will be keep on pestering for the money I’m owed.
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always a good idea to use a card reader for one offs if they are home .
this is what i do . if they ask to pay bank transfer, I just say no need to as I have a card reader.
when starting out , its easy to underprice stuff, especialy if you need the work , so dont be to hard on yourself.
Its much easier to price with confidence once your schedule gets fuller ;D
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Might just be waiting till the end of the month to get paid.
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We ve all underpriced conny roof jobs before now...lesson learned there mate....for a one off conny roof clean that was really dirty(whos not a regular window cleaning customer)would be min £120 and be done in under 2 hours and I would fully expect to get paid there and then if they were in(I also have a card reader)or at least within 14 days after the clean if not...
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I tend to chase them with reminders for a few months and then I just leave them till christmas and send them all a debt letter.
I must have lost about 2k in non payers since I started lol. I've got 4 or 5 right now that Dont look like they want to pay.
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I tend to chase them with reminders for a few months and then I just leave them till christmas and send them all a debt letter.
I must have lost about 2k in non payers since I started lol. I've got 4 or 5 right now that Dont look like they want to pay.
I've had to write off around £1500 in 29 years of window cleaning....
This year £20 up to now...usually its £50-£100 a year these days...
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
He is new if you d bothered to read his posts.....if you have a light work week one offs can be OK if you charge a premium....I charge at least 50% more for one off add on jobs
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
I agree.
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If you went round offering this and people knew you’d be snowed under for 6 months then off to bed with the hedgehogs 🦔 for another 6,even to start off with you want work that is regular start as you mean to go on.
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
He is new if you d bothered to read his posts.....if you have a light work week one offs can be OK if you charge a premium....I charge at least 50% more for one off add on jobs
He’s been posting for over 3 years. Is 3 years still new?
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
He is new if you d bothered to read his posts.....if you have a light work week one offs can be OK if you charge a premium....I charge at least 50% more for one off add on jobs
He’s been posting for over 3 years. Is 3 years still new?
If the year you started begins with a 2 you're new.
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are you new to this game? One offs are worthless and useless. It is where all the bad payers, cheapskates gather. I stopped doing one offs 2 years ago and one of the best decisions ever. Don't forget to use Gocardless
He is new if you d bothered to read his posts.....if you have a light work week one offs can be OK if you charge a premium....I charge at least 50% more for one off add on jobs
He’s been posting for over 3 years. Is 3 years still new?
If the year you started begins with a 2 you're new.
Nonsense.
So someone who’s been cleaning since 2000, that’s 22 years, is still new? That’s likely half of their working life.
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Nonsense.
So someone who’s been cleaning since 2000, that’s 22 years, is still new? That’s likely half of their working life.
If you haven't used a chamois - you're not a real window cleaner.
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You can’t appreciate how much easier and quicker it is WFP if you’ve not been trad.
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You can’t appreciate how much easier and quicker it is WFP if you’ve not been trad.
If your bumhole hasn't done the 50p - 5p - 50p - 5p dance at the top of a 25ft ladder in a blowing hoolie - you're not a real window cleaner.
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🤣 yeah if you’ve not been up 3 old fashioned floors on a ladder with one leg stretching across the window sill on a windy day you’ve not done your apprenticeship lol,I remember the days if I opened my mouth I could hear my heart beating.
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🤣 yeah if you’ve not been up 3 old fashioned floors on a ladder with one leg stretching across the window sill on a windy day you’ve not done your apprenticeship lol,I remember the days if I opened my mouth I could hear my heart beating.
Nigel didn't know you had one of those .... o sorry getting confused with a brain ;D
Darran
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Ah Dazza I see your back again I thought you disappeared a few weeks ago 🤣
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I avoid domestic non payers by insisting on DD for regular customers , and for one off jobs they pay in full upfront to book it in (card payment over the phone
Usually)
Commercial I invoice thru Xero and you can set invoice reminders. I then chase any that are longer by adding late payment fees to their invoice. That nearly always gets them to pay
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You can’t appreciate how much easier and quicker it is WFP if you’ve not been trad.
If your bumhole hasn't done the 50p - 5p - 50p - 5p dance at the top of a 25ft ladder in a blowing hoolie - you're not a real window cleaner.
Half crown - 6d - Half crown - 6d at the top of a 25ft ladder... ;D
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It’s no different to free climbing at that height tbh 1 slip and you’d be finished,3 Victorian floors up pointed railings below you no chance the amount of times I look back and think very lucky really.
I walk in to the odd plant pot now 🤣🤣
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I got stuck on a balcony roof when my ladders blew over years back. ;D
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It’s no different to free climbing at that height tbh 1 slip and you’d be finished,3 Victorian floors up pointed railings below you no chance the amount of times I look back and think very lucky really.
I walk in to the odd plant pot now 🤣🤣
when I look back I cringe !
I do however have pins in my wrist from a fall. that was in 1993! after that I learnt fast !
I did 13 years on a ladder until I went wfp in 2005.
I poop myself now if I need to use a ladder ! although I havnt needed one for about 3 years
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The £60 has been paid now :)
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I don’t clean any windows from a ladder I just have a short one to get on a flat roof for glass roofs etc,not worth it the general public couldn’t careless if you fell off and spent the rest of your life pushing yourself about.
I know a roofer he fell 15ft smashed his heel to pieces can’t pin it just has to heal off work for 6 months,his phone never rang to ask him how he was got to think about no 1.
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Took on a new customer this week. They signed up to go cardless then cancelled it before I could take the payment : ;)
I should never have cleaned it, went against all my better judgement as the place was an absoloute doss hole. I couldn't even get mad at that one just laughed at myself I should have know better. Well I do know better, as I was cleaning it I was thinking she aint paying....
When I think about it id say I've lost on average £20 a month to non payers. I just see it as a business cost, it happens and always will happen.