i had been doing this woman's windows for two months. i priced £15 and she said fine. after two months she hadn't sent the money on so i stopped doing them and knocked everytime i was passing but no answer. been going on about 6 months now and still no money. Today i was working in the road and i saw another window cleaner knocking at her door so i went over and had a word. He told me she owed him three lots and wont answer his calls or door. i just feel like going round and smashing her windows.
I just decided to bite the bullet and accept that i had lost the money. The total for the three cleans was only £15.
im sure many of us would like to know, how do you go about applying for a court order or whatever it is for non paying customers?
Bang on there Window Pain if its only a few quid you don't really hurt but like Tosh says you still remember it even years later.hi vince i will tell you how these" people" think, because your only a window cleaner you don't" think" so therefor it dosn't matter, in other words your not important, it's only when you corner them and let them know in no uncertain terms, that actually you are "important"that they pay up.
A friend of mine is a heating engineer, Corgi registered and all that. He can tell some horror stories about getting ripped off for thousands of pounds. Some of it deliberate fraud.
When I take on a new customer I always get their phone number. I would guess most of us do. If you know a taxi driver,or a postman or other shift worker who is likely to be out and about at 4 in the morning get them to give your customer an early morning call about their unpaid window cleaning bills. Make sure they use a phone box and not their mobile.
After being woken up a few times they usually find the money.
I really don't understand how these people think. If you havent got the money then getting your windows cleaned is not a high priority. So why do they?
http://www.is4profit.com/businessadvice/smallclaimscourt/3_howsmallclaimscourt.htm
Click on above and down load form N1.
Then fill in details leaving her details empty, then post it through door with note requesting her to complete her details and when you will be back to collect, also leave phone number if call back time is note OK... this ploy has worked for me several times..
But if it fails and you are prepared to loose the money find some local thug and give them the debt you don't get the money but they usualy pay (feels good)
If you don't pay for a taxi, yu have taken a percunary advantage and can get done for it. Why is it not the same for us? DAIThat's an interesting question Dai.