Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Wrekin C S on February 15, 2008, 04:32:18 pm

Title: Collecting
Post by: Wrekin C S on February 15, 2008, 04:32:18 pm
I know a lot of you use the standing order method to get your money in but for those of you that go out and collect do you go The same day/evening or leave until fri evenings or weekends?
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: LSB on February 15, 2008, 04:41:31 pm
i leave sae with some , and pay my retired father 15% of what he collects from the others , normal collecting hours 6pm - 8pm .
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: TennetClean on February 15, 2008, 05:22:16 pm
Wrekin, you need to give up collecting ASAP.  What a complete and utter ballache.  Just leave SAE and let them send you a cheque.  BEst thing I ever did was stop collecting

Nobody pays you for that time, and you've lost your friday evening.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Rob_Mac on February 15, 2008, 05:25:55 pm
Mugs game collecting

Listen to Tennet and leave your envelopes and you will have to pop to the bank 3 or 4 times per week with your cheques.

Damn sight easier than collecting and them not being in - wasted journey

Rob ;D
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: birdymiller on February 15, 2008, 05:30:50 pm
I get around 20 cheques a week through the post, and go collecting mainly on friday evenings 5-7pm(bit too cold tonight).
Nothing finer than letting it build up for a bit then going and collecting £200 in an hour cash.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Highrise on February 17, 2008, 10:24:21 am
Swings and roundabouts with collecying money....

I would start leaving S.A.E with a slip saying Whilst you were out today your windows have now been cleaned....
Please send chq payment within 7 days. Many thanks...

And when you go round to clean your customers windows you will find some in anyway who will pay you chq or cash, Stop wasting you time going round collecting, Wait till all the chq come through your door.... You'll love it then  8)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: mgba_78 on February 17, 2008, 10:39:44 am
Its not often we go out specifically to collect, we phone up the night before we know we are going past or get the money left in a agreed place.

Although when we have been collecting its nice to have collected a big bag of cash over an hour or so, i think last time we did we collected over £500 in cash, nice  ;D ;D

Plus if you get sent a load of cheques you then have to go to the bank and wait 5 working days for them to clear, i much prefer the cash  ;)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Wayne Thomas on February 17, 2008, 12:41:48 pm
I get my customers to pay by cheque (SAE), postal order, online banking through website, BACS. There's no need to go collecting which is a waste of fuel and unpaid time. Also, going collecting can be frustrating, especially if customer is trying to avoid paying. If I haven't been paid after the second wash I leave their windows with a bill to include a late payment fee to minimise debts to write off. Get your customers to pay you, not you chase them for cash payments, that way you get a good idea of who are the persistent late paying customers... which is handy when your workload gets too busy and you need to lose a few customers.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: bumper on February 17, 2008, 03:34:46 pm
I dornt have to many cheqs going in my account ,i like cash so the tax man dornt know, what he dornt  know dornt  hurt  ;)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Grafters Cleaning Services on February 17, 2008, 05:29:08 pm
I dornt have to many cheqs going in my account ,i like cash so the tax man dornt know, what he dornt  know dornt  hurt  ;)
i hope for your sake the taxman isn't reading this thread

anyway back to topic........
i use SAE but have now setup online payment via paypal but i will only use as a last resort owing to the cut/% they want, but i think this will be the future
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: suds window service on February 17, 2008, 08:16:42 pm
do you pay for the stamps ?
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: AuRavelling79 on February 17, 2008, 08:27:10 pm



Tennet "Flying Mallet" Clean, you may be too direct for many of our tastes but you've got this one summed up correctly!
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: TennetClean on February 17, 2008, 08:36:27 pm
flying mallet , lol I like that.

I know I lack tact, but seriously some guys on here take the biscuit.

About the stamps, yes you put stamps on the envelopes, 2nd class ones are fine.  The reason for this is that it encourages them to pay faster (one less barrier - cant find a stamp!) also they wont throw an envelope out that has a stamp on it because it has obvious value.

Believe me, the 22pence or whatever is well worth it.  You dont have the bother of collecting and you'd pay that in petrol anyway.  Also, beleive it or not, customers dont like you bothering them in the evening for money, they will much prefer to post you a cheque.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: suds window service on February 17, 2008, 08:47:41 pm
right sae it is from now on as your right it is a pain going out on a night
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: L.J.Thorpe on February 17, 2008, 08:54:39 pm
flying mallet , lol I like that.

I know I lack tact, but seriously some guys on here take the biscuit.

About the stamps, yes you put stamps on the envelopes, 2nd class ones are fine. The reason for this is that it encourages them to pay faster (one less barrier - cant find a stamp!) also they wont throw an envelope out that has a stamp on it because it has obvious value.

Believe me, the 22pence or whatever is well worth it. You dont have the bother of collecting and you'd pay that in petrol anyway. Also, beleive it or not, customers dont like you bothering them in the evening for money, they will much prefer to post you a cheque.
as much asit sticks in my craw i actually agree  :o as of april any customer who aint in gets an env WITH a stamp....and before anyone drags up old posts i know i said never put a stamp on BUT you can claim tax back on em and it stops em finding an excuse also new pricing in april will cover the costs
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: TennetClean on February 17, 2008, 08:58:35 pm
Quote
as much asit sticks in my craw i actually agree

see it aint so bad to agree with ol' flying mallet.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: L.J.Thorpe on February 17, 2008, 09:07:29 pm
dont push ya luck luck tuppence ;D ;)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: bumper on February 18, 2008, 06:22:06 am
Stamps i dornt pay for stamps  i dont earn enough  im under what they call the threshold  ;)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: simon knight on February 18, 2008, 09:22:22 am
I dornt have to many cheqs going in my account ,i like cash so the tax man dornt know, what he dornt  know dornt  hurt  ;)
i hope for your sake the taxman isn't reading this thread


...yeah the taxman will be hunting for a guy called "Bumper" ::)
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Count Phil on February 18, 2008, 09:43:52 am
If you do go the sae route, (like I did - best thing ever!) tell them!!!

I know its obvious what you want them to do with the sae but they are thick. Write on your bil, 'Please send a cheque in the envelope provided'.

Trust me, do not overestimate the intellect of your customers. As long as you tell them it works brilliantly.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: simon knight on February 18, 2008, 10:02:53 am

You're right there!

The vast majority of mine are pay-on-the-day but with the few i do leave sae's it always seems to need a phone call a couple of weeks later to prompt them to send a cheque.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: pjulk on February 18, 2008, 12:26:03 pm
I only get about a 1/4 of my customers in when im working the rest get a SAE.

The best thing i did giving up collecting i used to hate it.


Paul
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: LSB on February 18, 2008, 05:06:26 pm
i also put the customers address  ( only door no. and road ) on the back of the envelope , so i know who has sent it !
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: Wrekin C S on March 11, 2008, 05:49:52 pm
Good advice chaps! Sorry for the late reply been out collecting lol :P
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: windowwashers on March 11, 2008, 05:55:20 pm

You're right there!

The vast majority of mine are pay-on-the-day but with the few i do leave sae's it always seems to need a phone call a couple of weeks later to prompt them to send a cheque.
please dont say you also leave a stamp aswell :-\
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: pingu on March 11, 2008, 06:20:39 pm
I have 6 customers that like to pay cash and the rest put the money into my bank account...On  Mon, Wed, Fri I log into my internet bank account....check the money in and take them off the debt list in George...Has not given me any problems so far.

Of course those who are 'late payers' will always be late payers regardless of whatever method is used. ;)

Cheers
Dave.
Title: Re: Collecting
Post by: dan hughes on March 11, 2008, 08:01:02 pm
I like cash too. ;)