Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Alistair@AWC on January 16, 2009, 01:18:53 pm

Title: Slow Payers
Post by: Alistair@AWC on January 16, 2009, 01:18:53 pm: Hi Guys,

I have noticed my total outstanding debt on george slowly increasing over the last few months as people get slower at paying their bill.

I've been trying to think of a sentence I can put on their bill when they reach 3 months that basically says PAY ME NOW without being too offensive and avoiding the words 'debt' & 'arrears'.

Is there anything you use that works or anybody got any good ideas???

Regards

Al
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: laddermonkee on January 16, 2009, 01:49:27 pm: I know a bloke who has a big yellow van, and it is sign written in big black letters DEBT COLLECTERS.COM. so when he goes to collect a bad debt he parks right outside the debtors house so that the neighbours can see. they aren't long paying up.Whether it is ethical or not i don't know.
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: johnny_h on January 16, 2009, 03:38:24 pm: print a statement of account from george and next time you do it hand it to them or post it saying you'll be back later tonight to collect the whole amount till its settled you'll have to suspend their account
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: Paul Coleman on January 16, 2009, 03:40:39 pm: Quote from: laddermonkee on January 16, 2009, 01:49:27 pm
I know a bloke who has a big yellow van, and it is sign written in big black letters DEBT COLLECTERS.COM. so when he goes to collect a bad debt he parks right outside the debtors house so that the neighbours can see. they aren't long paying up.Whether it is ethical or not i don't know.

Never mind ethical. I thought that practise was made illegal at least 30 years ago. Tempting though, isn't it? :)
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: Paul Coleman on January 16, 2009, 03:46:27 pm: I used to work for a company that had three warnings of late payment. I know how their system worked because I once bought a bathroom suite from them for a friend (I got VERY good staff discounts). My friend paid me and I banked the money and pocketed three months interest (it was worth having in those days) until I paid them.
The reminders were polite letters with a small cartoon character on them. Can't remember exactly but I think the first one was something like one cartoon character wagging a finger at another. Second warning was something like smacking the other one's wrist. The third one was one character whacking the other over the head with a hammer.
It all looked quite comical and got the message across while giving the debtor a giggle too.
I thought it was a good idea (which may mean that it wasn't) :)
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: peter holley on January 16, 2009, 03:59:20 pm: dont let it build up to three months....if they havnt paid, leave them out when your next in the area, but leave a polite reminder slip with an envelope.... ;)
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: simon knight on January 16, 2009, 05:12:05 pm: 3 months? 3 weeks is my maximum.
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: geefree on January 16, 2009, 05:39:06 pm: me too... always have money in within 2 weeks... if not i hound them.... my slip says payment within 7 days. thats a whole week for them to pay up... long enough.

also i tend to get the mobile number of each customer, and if there are any strays lingering, i simply text them... saying hi have you forgotten about me with a smily face.

works a treat.

;)
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: Alistair@AWC on January 16, 2009, 06:05:54 pm: Thanks guys but no one has actually answered my question ;)

Lets not dwell on the fact of whether or not you would allow it to get to 3 months, we all choose to run our businesses differently.

Has anybody got any suggestions as to politely say pay me now???

Regards

Al
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: simon knight on January 16, 2009, 06:18:23 pm: You don't have to be sensitively polite Alistair....of course don't be rude either ::)

If it was me I'd phone them up and say: "Look you've had the service and it's not unreasonable that you pay...I've given you plenty of time. If you're in the situation where you can't pay perhaps we can come to some arrangement."

The last sentence will be a pride thing to most people and a cheque will go into the post the same day.
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: peter holley on January 16, 2009, 06:21:52 pm: please pay me, then i can pay him ,so that he can pay you! ;D
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: Alistair@AWC on January 16, 2009, 06:37:21 pm: P Holley,

LOL I like that one - although I think it would be lost on most of my customers ;D

Simon,

I'm not really interested in phoning around my customers, they all pay me in the end its just a handful are starting to test my patience - I just want suggestions of a sentence to write to give them a nudge!
Title: Re: Slow Payers
Post by: peter holley on January 16, 2009, 07:23:23 pm: REMINDER
sorry i missed you again today
i have attatched a stamped addressed envelope for you to make your payment for window cleaning
last months clean ON 1-9-09 £
todays clean£
total£

PAYMENT BY RETURN OF POST WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED
THANKYOU FOR YOUR VALUED CUSTOM