Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: terrymaloy on March 24, 2010, 11:14:47 pm
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Six weeks ago I cleaned the seating in a newly refurbished restaurant.
The bill was £200
When she gave me the go ahead she asked how would I like paying ? I said I prefer cash but a cheque would be fine. Anyway, I finished the job and the owner was nowhere to be seen with my cash :'(
I ended up leaving an invoice with the manager telling them to forward a cheque to my address.
That was 6 weeks ago.
Since then I have sent a reminder, spoke to the manageress, the accounts dept and every time I get the same answer..."Oh I'll pass the message on " or " I'll get it in the post this week "
I've never had this problem before and was wondering what my next step should be ? ???
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Book a meal for you and all your family, ask them to send the bill to your accounts dept when you've finished.
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Visit with another invoice saying payment terms and additional costs if not settled within 7 days.
Shaun
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Had the same with a shop fitting firm but it was for £1200 Terry.
Gave them a 30 day invoice for work done at end of Jan and they've only just coughed up. Been badgering them for the last 3 weeks.
Stay polite for now and just let them know you wont be fobbed off.
Dave.
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Welcome to the world of commercial jobs :) alot of them drag it out for as long as they can, for cash flow reasons and also hoping you'll give up and forget about it! HA!
I have a guy who i clean his resturant twice a year and he always pays me after 3 months! grrr
Tony
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Send a final reminder recorded delivery, stating payment must be made in full within 7 days, otherwise county court summons will be issued incurring further costs.
State that it is the final correspondance you will be sending, if after the 7 days no reply, then go to local county court fill out the papers pay £30 and they will sort it. you will get your £200 + the £30 costs.
Mark
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Send a final reminder recorded delivery, stating payment must be made in full within 7 days, otherwise county court summons will be issued incurring further costs.
State that it is the final correspondance you will be sending, if after the 7 days no reply, then go to local county court fill out the papers pay £30 and they will sort it. you will get your £200 + the £30 costs.
Mark
We all wait for money from other businesses, thats business, but fine, if he does this they wont use him again, they will use another company that will give better terms, sometimes if you start the heavy handed treatment (court action etc) it will cost you the job.
Best approach if you want to work for them again is the nice phone call, stating that you are a small local business that really could do with promt payment, if you speak to the right person it will work, just keep on with the phone calls, be firm but nice.
If you dont want to work for them again then take Marks advice.
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6 weeks? is that all, chillax marn, they'll pay. don't get heavy til around 60 days
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I did a commercial Tuesday Jan 12th.
Got the call Fri morning 8th. Went to quote in the afternoon and submitted by text.
They wanted job done Mon 11th, said I could but would need to know on the Friday 8th so I could rearrange some work (that would not be a problem).
Got the call Monday morning ( ::)) whilst on a job - can I do it Tuesday morning, and cash would be with his workers as I finish.
Got to job, his workers still making a mess (office refurbushers), the new tenants had moved into the offices and were conduction interviews, so I had to work around everyone.
Finished job - no one had my cash (surprise surprise)
Tried to contact him - no answer, message machine full !
Sent invoice, since then sent email to account office, rang up and reminded them I did the job quick time to suit them but now I am waiting, they promise cheque end of last month...... still waiting.
I will see what happens end of March then swing into action
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Why would you want a customer that does not pay when they said they would, they have broken the contract.
All my work is paid on completion and is always agreed before i start. When i started i used to except this from customers but have learnt that it is always a delaying tactic and if you ask for payment on completion they will usually except this.
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Why would you want a customer that does not pay when they said they would, they have broken the contract.
All my work is paid on completion and is always agreed before i start.
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thats in an ideal world. most of my commercial work is 14 day invoice i normally wait a month then give them a quick call. Its very easy to jump in all heavy handed. I would only do this when you have a clear indication there is no intention to pay.
as long as your paperwork is in order its simplz. signed quote to authorise work, which also refes to your terms and conditions.
Regards
Rich
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hi guys i know some good debt collectors ;)
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Hi Fresherholmes,
List of good collectors please. ;)
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Its the world of commercial work late payment ::)
I do that sort of work but thankfully i get paid prompt.
I did turn some work away in the new year as the job was passed from two other people so had a feeling payment would be slow so i to passed the job on..
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All I can say is if that's the first time you have had problems getting paid for a commercial job you have been very lucky. I have had huge problems over the years, I waited 7 months to get paid by a major house builder and another 5 months from one of the largest currier companies.
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You are entitled to start charging interest after the due date, hand deliver a letter to him giving him 7 days to pay, tell him if payment is not recieved in CLEARED FUNDS then you will charge interest from the due date whenever that was, the law allows you to charge at the base rate of the bank of England + 8% you are also able to charge him "reasonable" debt recover costs.
From my experience these guys are just juggling debts make yours a priority to HIM and he will pay, i am not sure that eating in his restaurant and having no intention to pay is legal ::), even if he does owe you money but i like the idea.
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Terry
No offence mate, but why have you waited 6 weeks for your money when they were supposed to pay you cash on completion ?
Stop making phone calls and go down to the restaurant, preferably in the middle of service, and demand your money - and tell them you are not leaving until you get it.
People can fob you off easily on the end of the phone, they are not so brazen when you are standing in front of them.
Steve
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Visit the restaurant at a busy time wearing a clearly logo'd shirt with "debt collection" on it,and demand to see the manager in a very loud voice. :)
John
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Terry Why dont you invite every carpet cleaner within 20 miles of the restaurant for a free meal with you there.Dont pay the bill and tell the owner he has been blacklisted by all the hard working carpet cleaners he is looking at.Might not be legal but i bet you would be flavour of the month up there in the north mate.Regards Alan(swindon)
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You have to consider your reputation aswell as theirs, it's not worth losing your rag over.
Next time you quote a commercial job add 15% to your quote, then offer a 15% discount for payment within 10 days - It's started working for me.
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you have to stick to the rules even if they have not. because if you need to pursue it through the legal channels it could hinder your chances of getting a swift resoluton. First check your paperwork to make sure the are in order send a final reminder hinting that you will pursue more formal avenues to recover said monies.
going to the restaurant at busy times / buying meals and not paying for them may give you a moments pleasure bu you are then putting yourself in fireing line, and as for dressing up as a dept collector thats called fraud.
I have never had much trouble waited for a cnsiderable time but hae always resolved it in a pleasant and business like manner.
My father ( dif ind ) has pursued numerous dpts some of over 100k over 4 decades and never lost a case as his paper workis tidy clear and precise. and in acourt of law its only facts that count. plus it helps having a barristor in the family
Keep it proffesional.
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Just pop round to the restaurant and say you've come to collect your cheque/cash. No need to be nasty or confrontational. You'll see then by their reaction if they're serious about paying you or not.
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I know one guy in my area who was not getting paid by a pizza chain. He stood outside the shop with a banner stating they did not pay their bills and then invited the local reporter round stating he was making a silent protest on behalf of small businesses.He got paid very quickly.
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I have been waiting for a payment since the end of october, and i know they usualy pay after 3 months although they say their policy is 60 days. i have phoned and visited every week for the last few weeks, all the ecuses " its been sent, we will send it next week, etc , even to the point that the head of accounts said face to face i sent it, you better give me your address again ::) ::) Ill cancel it and send you another straight away ::) couldnt give me it there and then, needs 2 sigs.
Well waited another week , nothing went back today ;D a girl comes out " Oh the cheques been raised"
It might have been raised , but I havnt got it , at the top of my voice .
5 mins later, i get my check with apoligies ;D
Persistance pays in the end, unless of course your making special trips.
Geoff
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I'm not suggesting anyone losing their rag, but all this talk of adding interest and going legal is just unnecessary.
Go to the restaurant and ask for the money you should of been paid 6 weeks ago immediately after you finished the job.
She's got paying customers sitting on the seats you cleaned - it's your money, just go and pick it up !
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The trouble is that losing your rag is often what happens, it muddies the water for any legal action later but rarely does it get to court or interest charged its the threat of it that works more often than not, it is frustrating though but if you keep it in writing only after you have first asked for it verbally then you can produce your documentation as evidence if needed.
you could perhaps write to him saying you will come to his restaurant and collect payment giving him an appointment to meet you, but add that you do not want to cause him any unnecessary embarrassment, so he should send a cheque within seven days of you appointment. think he will get the point
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Hi
I had this recently with the largest LA in Sussex.
Did a job back in June carpets and a full clean of a 6 bed mansion. Got paid for the clean but not the carpets. It went on for 7 months with multiple promises for payment, landlords not paying etc.
Finally had enough and drove to their office and said very politely that my invoice is made out to them, doesn't matter if the landlord hasn't paid, my contract is with them, they asked for it and their name is on the invoice.
Also said very politely that sadly if I cannot get paid I would have no choice but to add 7 months worth of fines + interest, I don't want to do it and have never had such a conversation before.
Got my cheque within the week.
I will of course get no work from them again, but they hadn't used me since June anyway.
Best of luck
Regards
Martin 8)