Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Clean Cloth on September 16, 2022, 07:51:22 pm

Title: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Clean Cloth on September 16, 2022, 07:51:22 pm
I mostly get paid cash but am trying to get more to move over to bank payments.
Most of those that do pay by bank transfer pay on the day or next day but I have a couple that have not paid in 3 weeks. I clean all my customers every 28 days.
When do you expect to be paid and what is the longest you leave it before chasing it?
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Shrek on September 16, 2022, 07:53:39 pm
I hardly get any cash at all , some pay on the day , some pay on a Friday , some pay on the 15th and I have received 99% by the last day of the month
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Stoots on September 16, 2022, 08:05:21 pm
As long as they have paid by the time the next clean is due I don't mind.

I remind every Sunday to all outstanding 7 days or more.

If next clean is due and they haven't paid I skip the clean and continue to remind weekly.

If another clean becomes due and they still haven't paid that's when I remove them from the round .

Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Clean Cloth on September 16, 2022, 08:06:16 pm
I see.

I want to add that one customer, I used to clean for him/them for a couple of years before Covid and he never had money on the day, said he would drop in it into my place which is the next road over, 2 minute walk. He never did drop the money in and I would go round and ask for it a few days later, sometime I had to go back the next night when they had some cash.
I stopped cleaning their windows in 2020 but still clean a few neighbours, he approached me and asked if I could clean their windows again (his wife is ill etc). I said I do not collect anymore so you can pay by bank transfer, I sent him a text when I had cleaned them and told him I would text him when the first payment arrives.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Clean Cloth on September 16, 2022, 08:11:36 pm
As long as they have paid by the time the next clean is due I don't mind.

I remind every Sunday to all outstanding 7 days or more.

If next clean is due and they haven't paid I skip the clean and continue to remind weekly.

If another clean becomes due and they still haven't paid that's when I remove them from the round .

That seems like a good system. What sort of reminder do you send? I have opened a Starling business account and have not explored it but they may have reminders that can be sent.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: windowswashed on September 16, 2022, 08:29:07 pm
Most pay within a couple days and the rest tend to pay around the end of each month.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Smudger on September 16, 2022, 11:18:01 pm
I see.

I want to add that one customer, I used to clean for him/them for a couple of years before Covid and he never had money on the day, said he would drop in it into my place which is the next road over, 2 minute walk. He never did drop the money in and I would go round and ask for it a few days later, sometime I had to go back the next night when they had some cash.
I stopped cleaning their windows in 2020 but still clean a few neighbours, he approached me and asked if I could clean their windows again (his wife is ill etc). I said I do not collect anymore so you can pay by bank transfer, I sent him a text when I had cleaned them and told him I would text him when the first payment arrives.

I really wouldn't be doing with all that - you have done the work - payment should be prompt - I know you get the odd one that "forgets" etc.. but really having to go back all the time - just get rid

Darran
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: KS Cleaning on September 17, 2022, 01:38:02 am
Depends what type of round you want to build. If you want to have a really compact round you have to allow for a little bit of leeway. If you build your round on stand alone’s then it’s zero tolerance.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: dazmond on September 17, 2022, 12:20:20 pm
I always have rolling debt(usually it's anywhere between £500 - £1500 at any one time).it's currently just below £500 due to a commercial job just paid yesterday...

14 days without payment then I send a text reminder on longer frequency jobs...on cheaper 4 weeklies I will sometimes only send a text reminder after the second clean or third clean....

Most customers pay before their next clean...👍
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: dazmond on September 17, 2022, 12:37:47 pm
I mostly get paid cash but am trying to get more to move over to bank payments.
Most of those that do pay by bank transfer pay on the day or next day but I have a couple that have not paid in 3 weeks. I clean all my customers every 28 days.
When do you expect to be paid and what is the longest you leave it before chasing it?

Less than 15% of my customers pay cash these days...its mostly BACS and a few card payments
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Stoots on September 17, 2022, 02:38:38 pm
As long as they have paid by the time the next clean is due I don't mind.

I remind every Sunday to all outstanding 7 days or more.

If next clean is due and they haven't paid I skip the clean and continue to remind weekly.

If another clean becomes due and they still haven't paid that's when I remove them from the round .

That seems like a good system. What sort of reminder do you send? I have opened a Starling business account and have not explored it but they may have reminders that can be sent.

I send text reminders.

I do it with text local via cleaner planner.

You literally click on debts, highlight all outstanding payments and send a bulk text. The process takes 10 seconds.

Once I've done that I then forget about it for another week. I don't keep checking to see if people have paid I just do it once a week on a Sunday evening.

I'm the same as daz, rolling debt is between. 500 to 1500. Averages around 1000
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Granny on September 17, 2022, 05:53:54 pm
We have "payment within 3 days please" for domestic, text  reminder after about a week.
I don't like hassling people too aggressively.
We had a log burner installed and I would hate to be as insecure as the woman looking for payment, she phoned about a dozen times, then sent an email at 10 at night saying "seeing as your phone has been switched off (I left it at home) can you please settle this account for today's work!"
It wasn't even the main amount that had all been paid up.
Smacks of desperation and extreme distrust to me.
I think hassling too much can be counter productive for customer relations.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: james peters on September 18, 2022, 09:27:19 am
I think this is a case of personal expectations on how we have been brought up, and  whether we are laid back or organised.

for me personally... anyone who does work for me is paid on completion , or on the day . ... therefor I expect the same from people I work for   ( prompt payment.)
If I have to remind customers more than a few times , I stop calling..... my job is to clean their windows  and that is what my price reflects.
I dont want to be texting customers , iits time used that I dont get paid for .
I have set my stall out and so I rarely get anyone paying later than a few days
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: dazmond on September 20, 2022, 08:32:49 am
We have "payment within 3 days please" for domestic, text  reminder after about a week.
I don't like hassling people too aggressively.
We had a log burner installed and I would hate to be as insecure as the woman looking for payment, she phoned about a dozen times, then sent an email at 10 at night saying "seeing as your phone has been switched off (I left it at home) can you please settle this account for today's work!"
It wasn't even the main amount that had all been paid up.
Smacks of desperation and extreme distrust to me.
I think hassling too much can be counter productive for customer relations.

I stipulate 14 days on my slips....personally I think 3 days sounds desperate! ;D
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: dazmond on September 20, 2022, 08:36:21 am
I think this is a case of personal expectations on how we have been brought up, and  whether we are laid back or organised.

for me personally... anyone who does work for me is paid on completion , or on the day . ... therefor I expect the same from people I work for   ( prompt payment.)
If I have to remind customers more than a few times , I stop calling..... my job is to clean their windows  and that is what my price reflects.
I dont want to be texting customers , iits time used that I dont get paid for .
I have set my stall out and so I rarely get anyone paying later than a few days

Some customers pay me when they get paid at the end of the month...others are on holiday or whatever and pay me when they return....personally I think it's unrealistic to expect EVERY customer to pay me on the day of clean.it simply never happens..

Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Smudger on September 20, 2022, 03:29:01 pm
If they do go cardless then it’s automatic

Darran
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: james peters on September 20, 2022, 05:41:31 pm
I think this is a case of personal expectations on how we have been brought up, and  whether we are laid back or organised.

for me personally... anyone who does work for me is paid on completion , or on the day . ... therefor I expect the same from people I work for   ( prompt payment.)
If I have to remind customers more than a few times , I stop calling..... my job is to clean their windows  and that is what my price reflects.
I dont want to be texting customers , iits time used that I dont get paid for .
I have set my stall out and so I rarely get anyone paying later than a few days

Some customers pay me when they get paid at the end of the month...others are on holiday or whatever and pay me when they return....personally I think it's unrealistic to expect EVERY customer to pay me on the day of clean.it simply never happens..

thats true... I generally know that if a reliable customer pays  a week or two later that they are away.... I dont have customers that have to wait until pay day.  my customer profile is someone who has  lots of surplus money.   having said that it has taken me decades to build such a round.
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: Splash & dash on September 20, 2022, 07:47:45 pm
I think this is a case of personal expectations on how we have been brought up, and  whether we are laid back or organised.

for me personally... anyone who does work for me is paid on completion , or on the day . ... therefor I expect the same from people I work for   ( prompt payment.)
If I have to remind customers more than a few times , I stop calling..... my job is to clean their windows  and that is what my price reflects.
I dont want to be texting customers , iits time used that I dont get paid for .
I have set my stall out and so I rarely get anyone paying later than a few days

Some customers pay me when they get paid at the end of the month...others are on holiday or whatever and pay me when they return....personally I think it's unrealistic to expect EVERY customer to pay me on the day of clean.it simply never happens..

thats true... I generally know that if a reliable customer pays  a week or two later that they are away.... I dont have customers that have to wait until pay day.  my customer profile is someone who has  lots of surplus money.   having said that it has taken me decades to build such a round.

My customer base is the same as yours but many pay  their bills at the end of the month although they are loaded . 
Title: Re: How long do you expect bank payments to take
Post by: DJW on September 21, 2022, 05:24:46 pm
My customers are so rich, they send a driver round with the money.