Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: reah on February 26, 2005, 02:05:03 pm
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hi all i am thinking of putting a sae when i have cleaned if my customers have not been in when i have cleaned them and paid.Has any one done this. I have looked at the cost verse collecting.I have a good friend that has cleaned for some 20 years and has done this for many years any advice would be welcome.
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I have done this for 20yrs the front is SAE and I use self seal envelopes, on the back of the envelope where you lift the flap, I have a ready made stamp wich prints this.
Name
Your Bill is £ :
Please make cheques payble to J Blogs
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Yes i do this all the time, works out approx 100 1st class stamps every 6 weeks ish. Been doing it a year, get the odd customer that takes the pee.
Justin
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I just leave the envelope customers allways pay the postage. :)
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Thanks guys that gives me the confidence to go ahead with this. I have ben telling my customers i will possibly be doing this they all said great idea saves having to go out on a friday night nearly all are good payers.Again thanks.
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I just leave the bill, they always send the cheque.
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We leave an SAE (1st class) with a printed letter with the amount etc, all done properly and looking professional.
Havn't had a problem yet.
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My customers pay the postage and provide the envelope - I leave a slip which looks like this and says:-
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Please return this slip with payment
Date *Inc cleans unpaid for from_________________
( According to my records - please check if in doubt)
(Space for their name and 1st part of address)
Your windows have been cleaned. As you weren't home please send a cheque for £___________*
to: (My name address postcode.) Thank you very much for your custom.
(My name and phone number)
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The asterisk by the amount marries up with the asterisk by "Inc cleans unpaid etc" and I allow established customers two months before either dropping a stamped addressed envelope through with a reminder or calling personally, but out of about 200 customers I only have to do this once every two months or so.
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i leave a pre-printed bill that states these things:
windows cleaned today..... DATE
amount owed.......... £........
when due next............... Frequency
Who to make cheque payable...........
please put your address on back of cheque.
i've been doing this for over 10 years.
had absolutely no problems with it.......
i do not leave a stamp or envelope - never have.
the one thing i do very carefully is explain to the client that i do not collect money and they must send me payment.
i make sure they understand that at the out set.
if someone said they wouldn't send payment (never happened so far) - i wouldn't take them on........
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We do similar depending upon amount outstanding, if it's less than £10 we just leave a note saying the windows have been cleaned today, then either go back later to collect or get it next time. However if its more than £10 we leave a note saying:
"LIONHEART CLEANING"
Your windows have been cleaned today.
Amount Outstanding: £______:______
Please make cheques payable to “LIONHEART CLEANING”
Post to: XXXXXXXXX
Tel: XXXXX XXXXXXX
The reason for the £10 level is due to banking charges for cheques 25p per cheque, which on a £5.00 cheque is equal to 5% of your earnings, we do the same if people are in and want to pay by cheque, minimum £10.00 and we'll deduct it from your next clean.
We never leave envelopes or stamps and never get anyone who gets more than 2 payments behind.
Works okay for us.
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i do sae if its more than 2 miles from my home base. works well for me everyone pays me ok and it saves a fortune on time and petrol
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Yep
i have a slip which says
your windows have been cleaned today, sorry we missed you for payment
You can either wait and catch us next clean, pay online (nochex and paypal) or send a cheque to :
if the bill gets to 3 X cleans, then i allways write Below, please send a cheque for the 3 cleans
i never leave a stamp, thats some of my profit gone ::)
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If I had a customer who was never in.....I used to call the customer up the day before I cleaned the windows and they would leave the money / cheque in an envelope on the window sill of the back bedroom, weighted down with small stone.
Worked for me.
Tim
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This is the only way I work (unless they happen to be in...which is rare)..printed receipt (with personalised details) into a printed (with logo) envelope, pre 1st class stamped..(don't use 2nd)...paid up before next one is due, or get's a slip, asking to contact the office if problem.
After all......going back (and they still might not be in !)...for me, at 12 miles away (at least)..is not an option.I don't want to go to work twice in one day.
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Thanks guys that gives me the confidence to go ahead with this. I have ben telling my customers i will possibly be doing this they all said great idea saves having to go out on a friday night nearly all are good payers.Again thanks.
Reah,
How's the cheques going? Good? Bad?
Give us an update!
Regards.
Tosh.
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Hi tosh realy slow but determined to carry on. Thanks for asking. I have put through a very polite reminder to accounts that are over 3 weeks behind payment. I did get a lovel lady that gave me a £10.00 tip on friday she said that if she new i was coming she would have bought an easter egg.I felt very embarresed there are some realy nice pepole out there i even said that i do not celebrate easter but she was determined to tip me.I realy hope that the cheques work out a present im owed £418.00. keep you updated thanks Reah.
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I have just started getting people to pay direct into my account either online or through their bank, I'm quite amazed the number of customers who have taken to paying this way.
It's great, money hits the bank quicker than a cheque, plus I don't get any banking charges unlike banking cheques (25p) or cash (50p/£100).
I just give them my account details and get them to use the first line of their address as the reference. I then check the account on line each day to see who's paid, if I could get everyone to pay like this it would be perfect.
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I have done this for 20yrs the front is SAE and I use self seal envelopes, on the back of the envelope where you lift the flap, I have a ready made stamp wich prints this.
Name
Your Bill is £ :
Please make cheques payble to J Blogs
Surely having the cheques made out to Roy Harding would be more beneficial ;)
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I had a new customer "forget" to leave out the money, so I declined to clean her windows the next time.
She then posted a check for the 1st clean I had completed, and also for the 2nd and 3rd cleans too!!
Stick with the check payment - customers soon cotton on and it works for me great.
I don't even leave stamps now as everyone is so well trained ;D
Cheers
Steve
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Reah,
There's a current thread about collecting your cash.
How's your cheque method working? I would love to have an update.
Cheers, Mate.
Regards
Tosh.
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Hi tosh thanks for asking some were good most realy bad.I need the money to go in each each week so could not wait for a couplre of months for people to get used to the idea so i gave up.In a way its not to bad i generaly get a lot of tips so there is the extra income and it is nice to see clients.
Alot more have paid in advance say six cleans etc so its not all doom and gloom.
I think it would have worked if i perserverd but i needed the cash.Thanks again Reah.
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Reah,
That was exactly the same as my experience, which is why I took a keen interest in your post; to see how it worked out for you.
I think you have to be in the position where you're earning a good bit more than your expediture and be able to take a 3 week, extremely restricted cash flow. One or two weeks to get the cheques in and a week for them to clear.
I'm getting towards that position; and may do one collection a week - on a Friday and leave a note saying 'Couldn't catch you in - post a cheque to blah blah, etc'. Rather than my present Friday evening, Saturday morning collection routine.
But I think the lads who operate a cheque system, who finds it work for them is the best; obviously.
It must be a matter of 'educating' your customers. Could be a new thread in there somewhere.