Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: LWC on December 02, 2008, 07:31:43 pm
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For years and years i have been a "im not going collecting" guy and have sworn by the SAE
But lately i just cant carry this amount of outstanding payments as it gets bigger and bigger each month with people thinking they can pay later and later.
So i did a test today, ticketed anyone who was out.
Result...all payments in bar one.
Loads of dollar in me pocket, took me an extra hour...but for no stress of wating for money is well worth it in my opinion...going to be doing this more often i think.
And a couple of tips which i doubt very much woulda come in the post.
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ticketed?
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I actually like collecting !!
Mind you im still establishing myself with custies etc, so its nice to chat and get to know them!
And like LWC says ..less stress and all that cash in your pocket ;D
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ticketed?
Put a ticket through...?
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i've gone mostly back to collecting, quicker cash flow, ;)
daz
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In this economic climate definitely collecting is best. Most of the customers that I have lost is due to me letting the bill mount up. While custies will come up with a single payment, hitting them for 3 cleans makes them stop and think. £10 is OK £30 and it's "can you leave them for a bit mate". And they rarely come back.
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In this economic climate definitely collecting is best. Most of the customers that I have lost is due to me letting the bill mount up. While custies will come up with a single payment, hitting them for 3 cleans makes them stop and think. £10 is OK £30 and it's "can you leave them for a bit mate". And they rarely come back.
i've also found this to be true, esp in winter , and even more so , in this economic climate.
daz
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ticketed?
Put a ticket through...?
So when you say all payments in bar one does that mean internet banking?
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No they weren't in when i went to collect so will try again tommorow.
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In this climate i would say collecting is not best at all,if you have custies that are a bit strapped for money give em a bit of time to pay if you ask me.If your knocking on the door every month and a month soon comes round they will be more inclined to say can you take me off your books as i can`t afford it,i put tickets through and never badger them to pay on time i find this works better,most businesses give you 28 days to pay.If your wanting to look more pro this is the way to do it.
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In this climate i would say collecting is not best at all,if you have custies that are a bit strapped for money give em a bit of time to pay if you ask me.If your knocking on the door every month and a month soon comes round they will be more inclined to say can you take me off your books as i can`t afford it,i put tickets through and never badger them to pay on time i find this works better,most businesses give you 28 days to pay.If your wanting to look more pro this is the way to do it.
Been doing this for years NWH, i think that people are starting to get the attitude "ill just give it to him next month"
I said the other day a customer said to me "i didnt send the money as i know your not desperate" ... was taken a back by that.
End of day dude, we do the work we want the money that day. Do plumbers or elcetricians come round your hous fix the problem then leave without their money...nope...
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And at end of ... if they cant afford us they shouldnt have us...
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In this climate i would say collecting is not best at all,if you have custies that are a bit strapped for money give em a bit of time to pay if you ask me.If your knocking on the door every month and a month soon comes round they will be more inclined to say can you take me off your books as i can`t afford it,i put tickets through and never badger them to pay on time i find this works better,most businesses give you 28 days to pay.If your wanting to look more pro this is the way to do it.
Been doing this for years NWH, i think that people are starting to get the attitude "ill just give it to him next month"
I said the other day a customer said to me "i didnt send the money as i know your not desperate" ... was taken a back by that.
End of day dude, we do the work we want the money that day. Do plumbers or elcetricians come round your hous fix the problem then leave without their money...nope...
Most companys businesses give you at least 28 days to pay,most terms and conditions state this.All i`m saying is it looks like you need the money though,i think this is where the he`s only a window cleaner stems from no offense LWC i know you make the effort to look serious about what you do.
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before joining this forum i used to collect every night and hated it being in so late every night and had just had a wee girl so felt i was missing out on a lot then after reading a lot on here about everyone not collecting i thought i would give it a try so got a few thousand envelopes printed up and started to try it out first few weeks wer bad but i thought it would be next few weeks wer ok next few weeks better again but after that it started going really bad had to go back to collecting wasnt getting enough cash in bank charges went through the roof and lots off bills wer mounting up so now call at every house as im doing them i ticket every customer and leave them all an envelope then collect over them all that night any i dont get post a cheque well most of them if you want steady money and lower bank charges youl always have to collect and customers like to see your face now and again if their always out at work when you clean the windows
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No offense taken bud, but at the momment i can honestly say i DO need the money, ive never had it like this where people are just not sending the money. My customers have been brilliant in the past and i havent had to worry about getting the money as steay flow of aroun £50 in cheques cam in a day.
But honestly now im getting either none or the odd one here and there.
I went round with my reminder letters which worked really well for those outstanding.
My tickets say when im coming round, and everyone was absoultly fine with me.
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I just couldn`t do it as there is to many miles between jobs in most cases,if you have a compact round i can see the benifit but only then.Collecting can only be done in a way which will suit the individual WC,collecting works for some but not for others i suppose.
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Yes thats right, ive always put it off beacuse i live 30 mins from most of my work, but i think im going to wait around till after 5 then go out collecting on my way home.
I wouldnt come home and then go back out as that would be a waste of fuel, but im gonna try and fit it in around the travelling home.
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dont get me wrong some places wer brilliant but all together it wasn for me i prefer the cash
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dont get me wrong some places wer brilliant but all together it wasn for me i prefer the cash
The trouble is if you have to much cash in your pcket you end up spending it lol. ;D
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I think for those odd few who i know are good payers and are out of the way ill be leaving the SAE's, but i bet it'l save me a packet in stamps n envelopes.
Im having a good cull of my work this month, ive got far too many customers who arent worth the hassle. Ive never ot rid of any customers in 5 years and im still going to most that i picked up when i started, but im moving on now and piddly little £7/8 houses where they never send the money are a waste of my time.
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no my wife does the only time i see it is when the customer gives me it :'(
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no my wife does the only time i see it is when the customer gives me it :'(
does your wife know about this? ;D
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;D ;D ;D ;D
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Yes thats right, ive always put it off beacuse i live 30 mins from most of my work, but i think im going to wait around till after 5 then go out collecting on my way home.
I wouldnt come home and then go back out as that would be a waste of fuel, but im gonna try and fit it in around the travelling home.
Best way, wednesdays i work late, or if i am finished i leaflet, canvass, quote whatever, or even have a brew somewhere, then go collecting, you can drive round see who is in and stop there, then round about 6-7 call at everyone, home in no time!!
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No they weren't in when i went to collect so will try again tommorow.
why collect every night round here we do thursday and friday this is when most have been paid and have money
this is when i collect, and sometimes sat , after work
daz
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I hate collecting as it takes up my Thursday evenings but see it as a neccessary evil, as cheques are taking 2-3 weeks on average.
I try to see the positives, ie check custies are happy , read the body language when they pay up. You can sure spot whose struggling, or gonna sod you about in the near future. So I look to replace them straight away.
Also pick up con roof cleaning and other jobs during general chat. It makes me laugh when some of em tell me the credit crunch is a load of old balls, and its the media stirring it all up. (I don't look to replace these ones!!}
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I think im going t set a day like you lot do
Wednesday i think, so ill print off my debts liston window cleaner pro wednesday morns and stay out late wednesday night.
Gives me a break from the wife 8) 8) 8)
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I think im going t set a day like you lot do
Wednesday i think, so ill print off my debts liston window cleaner pro wednesday morns and stay out late wednesday night.
Gives me a break from the wife 8) 8) 8)
a lot of people who are paid weekly get the money on thursday or friday
if you let em know when you are coming though they set it side for you....get em trained :)
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I think im going t set a day like you lot do
Wednesday i think, so ill print off my debts liston window cleaner pro wednesday morns and stay out late wednesday night.
Gives me a break from the wife 8) 8) 8)
a lot of people who are paid weekly get the money on thursday or friday
if you let em know when you are coming though they set it side for you....get em trained :)
some would but a lot dont,stand for ages on doorsteps waiting for them to find money,still its thier heat dissappearing out the front door
looks like just you and me at home :) bet its cold up there mate? freezing here, even though sun is really bright its flipping freezing, i drove out to my round at 8 but still -3, sack that :) im not that skint! thats the annoying thing with domestic, its hard in rain/cold, gonna try get some commercial / indoor stuff for this weather next year....
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problem is you get the indoor stuff it becomes due when its fine you end up cleaning it,then the week after its like this sods law,hope they are wrong about the rain turning to snow tonight and it just lashes it down to clear this ice
Me too, could do with getting a good run at it coming up to Christmas.
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THOUGHT YOU WERE BANNED LWC
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THOUGHT YOU WERE BANNED LWC
he posted it before his ban you numpty ;D
LOL, but he is back - in disguise!
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i collect 2 nights a week wed and thur, my work just would not suit sending envelopes (JUST WOULDNT WORK).. i have to say though at the moment i am really having a great number of people who just dont want to pay :-(
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Just come back from my Thursday collecting.
Most people good, came to door quickly, made small talk and paid. Lost one job, probably because it was 4 two cleans, and I put it up by a quid, because the bloke was a real numpty when paying the last time.
Same old 2-3 twitchy curtain idiots, tele on you, can see shadows peeping out, you walk off muttering and you look back and catch them looking at you out of top windows, and they dart backwards.
So tempting to put a wheelie bin into the lounge, sometimes dont you think?
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I hate collecting and so basically don't do it. I think I have a fairly good idea of my custies and treat them accordingly. My basic rule is if they are in I ask for payment (cash or cheque). If they are out, I put a note through to say I've been and if it's less than £10 and it's monthly I leave it until next month. If it's £10 or more I leave a SAE and my note has details of how they can pay by internet banking. Works fairly well, although I have noticed a few taking a bit longer to pay. None of this justifies me going collecting. My custies are too spread out and all time spent collecting is "work time". Each to their own situation and customers.
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Just come back from my Thursday collecting.
Most people good, came to door quickly, made small talk and paid. Lost one job, probably because it was 4 two cleans, and I put it up by a quid, because the bloke was a real numpty when paying the last time.
Same old 2-3 twitchy curtain idiots, tele on you, can see shadows peeping out, you walk off muttering and you look back and catch them looking at you out of top windows, and they dart backwards.
So tempting to put a wheelie bin into the lounge, sometimes dont you think?
i dont mind collecting me and have always done it but i get where your coming from, you can end a collect feeling really angry with a lot of people... IM ON THE PHONE CAN YOU COME BACK TOMORROW, i think well you have stood up walked to the door so you can put your hand in your pocket and pay...
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Well can say colecting is going very well
Thurday evenings collect now, done away with SAE's. apart from odd few who i know will post, and its going well
And everytime i go out you get the odd extra quid here and there which wouldnt of come in a envlope.
It was also nice to catch up with the custies, most of them invited me in and had a chat with em.
I LIKE COLLECTING LOL!
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its another job on its own, cups of teas?... you will not be home until midnight. ;)
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i used to do sae, but last june i started collecting again.... but it was taking up so much time, the stress of being out in the evenings collecting was starting to get to me and my family...
i now do sae ,... apart from the ones in my village....
i am getting busier all the time 28 new customers this year, and an estimated gradual increase of 5 new a week....and this on top of my full round....the collecting would soon no longer be possible anyway...
late payments do get on my nerves so i totally understand why you lot collect.
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Well can say colecting is going very well
Thurday evenings collect now, done away with SAE's. apart from odd few who i know will post, and its going well
And everytime i go out you get the odd extra quid here and there which wouldnt of come in a envlope.
It was also nice to catch up with the custies, most of them invited me in and had a chat with em.
I LIKE COLLECTING LOL!
far to much time and chasing your own tail when it comes to collecting. i have just introduced basic terms and conditions and since then a few of my problem payers have been on the phone wanting to set up standing orders as they don't want no late payment charge.
to me collecting is going backwards. its not efficient and is time wasting. i have been pro active in addressing my slacking custys and now they will be charged for any late payments and asked to go onto standing order if it happens more than twice.
going out collecting is a job in itself and a complete waste of productive time
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its not just me then, most people have been paying fine up till now, cheques regulary dropping throught the post, hardly any coming through now though!
can someone post one of there reminder letters to give me some idea what to put?
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I personally hate collecting, but I think it's a necessary evil. I've tried the SAE thing and it didn't work for me. Many customers; even the good ones; were just too slow to post the cheque.
Just like the majority of commercial work I do; slow to pay.
I still do SAE, but only for my rural domestic customers; who seem really good at posting the cheque!
But I've two estate areas; each is about five days work and well paid; though tough going; and in both places I can basically park up and walk round collecting. I normally do this on a Saturday morning about two-or-three times per month.
It works for me and stops me stressing about getting the bills paid.
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Same here,
I did go to 2025 hrs last night though :o :o :o
Dean
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Just back from collecting. Drove 30 mile round trip for about £60.00. Went out far too late, after 6.30. Lesson learnt dont try Oaps after about 7 or they wont answer the door in the dark. Thursday evenings are def better than Fridays. Many people were out.
Still better than relying on cheques through the post, as my outstanding payments were beginning to mount up big time, and cos of xmas and poor weather got cash flow probs at the moment.
People just aint posting cheques like they used to.