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geefree

  • Posts: 6180
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #20 on: October 27, 2011, 09:08:53 am »
I ask all customers to pay within 3 days, most then pay within the week.

Start as you mean to go on.

why should we wait any longer than a few days ??

I used to have a 7 day period, but they paid within a fortnight..

3 days is more than long enough to wait.


I dont buy beer at asda and pay next month. !!

andyatkinson

  • Posts: 650
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #21 on: October 27, 2011, 09:13:54 am »
I to have a few bad payers and it does not worry me, but does frustrate me a little. When I have to pay my bills and they don't. I  was driving past a bad payer that still owes me some cash. Low and behold there front window was open so I got out the pole and backpack and empted the 16 litres in the bedroom I know from trading the windows, that the bed is at the window.I seemed to sleep well that night, but did they. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Ps  Please to those who will tell me its unprofessional, I just don`t care.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

geefree

  • Posts: 6180
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #22 on: October 27, 2011, 09:17:50 am »
Not suprised you have bad payers ::)

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 26581
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #23 on: October 27, 2011, 09:23:34 am »
I'm with RWC on this one - 5 days does seem a little harsh, I also state 14 days on my invoices - although most companies like 30 days as standard.
Many of my suppliers give me 30 days too.

I give monthly customers, who are unpaid, a second clean with a reminder that previous month is unpaid  - that usually prompts them to settle almost immediately - if it goes another two weeks without payments I'll either write or visit them. I don't resort to treats or revenge - just polite persistence.

My customers are a nice bunch of people on the whole, and they like me for some reason - maybe it because I concentrate on cleaning - rather than stressing terms and conditions

I do this /\
It's a game of three halves!

R W C™

  • Posts: 1649
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #24 on: October 27, 2011, 01:05:55 pm »
I ask all customers to pay within 3 days, most then pay within the week.

Start as you mean to go on.

why should we wait any longer than a few days ??

I used to have a 7 day period, but they paid within a fortnight..

3 days is more than long enough to wait.


I dont buy beer at asda and pay next month. !!

You do if you get it on your credit card  ;D

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #25 on: October 27, 2011, 01:39:22 pm »
I think were too soft after reading these posts! we have no agreement as such as to how quickly we get paid, but we will normally go up to i4 months before start to get worried. most pay at about 4 weeks, just before  we do them again. I view it as an added service we offer.  in our 8 years of window cleaning domestics had 4 bad payers, 1 of them cus moved and couldn't get new address. our worst customer, a 10 weeker front only for 3 quid, owed us 14 months (7 cleans). that bugged me due to length of time more than anything.

as a rule tho, I know how forgetful I get, so give some leeway for month or two..... those that take the pee tho I ask to also pay in advance to make up for their usual debt!

Pittmonkey

  • Posts: 1097
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #26 on: October 27, 2011, 03:45:16 pm »
Thought this might be of interest as a comparison to others.

Listed are total debts written off each year since starting.

07/08 = £74
08/09 = £64.50
09/10 = £125.00
10/11 = £173.00
11/ to date = £53.00

Total = £490.50 4.5 years

All are domestic no commercial. I blame myself for being to lenient with payments. I used to let them get to 3/4 months. But find when they are hit with a 4 month bill ave £40 they don't pay.

Now I only do two cleans and stop even if it's the Queen herself nobody gets a third clean.
Also not collecting invites trouble, I think. But I find it a PITA collecting.

Anyone willing to share their losses. Domestic not Commercial. Just to see if it's my ugly mug they don't like.  :'(
'Success is buried in the garden of failure'

joshem

  • Posts: 163
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #27 on: October 28, 2011, 03:32:43 am »
I agree with richywilts. Always charge first-time clean price. I think, too, that if they've paid good money to get their windows looking nice they'll want to keep them that way... I worry about not being paid for first cleans so from now on I'm going to insist on cash payment on the day or no clean.

david68

  • Posts: 865
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #28 on: October 28, 2011, 06:58:32 pm »
I'm thinking of getting a cheap backpack. for none payers. If they dont pay I go back with a backpack full of filthy water and unclean all the windows again. Getting fed up of doing 1st cleans and having the P taken.

Yep this as been happening to me lately, but i have a back pack ready for this, never get round to doing it though as it costs more money to do it.
David

www.ccwin.co.uk

My learning hobby
www.dbritweb.com

david68

  • Posts: 865
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #29 on: October 28, 2011, 07:01:05 pm »
I'm thinking of getting a cheap backpack. for none payers. If they dont pay I go back with a backpack full of filthy water and unclean all the windows again. Getting fed up of doing 1st cleans and having the P taken.

well charge a 1st clean price, 100% increase!

Don't make any diff. ???
I can charge 1000% extra. But if they don't pay the don't pay. I would be even more out of pocket.

Yep again correct, either way we lose
David

www.ccwin.co.uk

My learning hobby
www.dbritweb.com

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #30 on: October 28, 2011, 08:08:00 pm »
I to have a few bad payers and it does not worry me, but does frustrate me a little. When I have to pay my bills and they don't. I  was driving past a bad payer that still owes me some cash. Low and behold there front window was open so I got out the pole and backpack and empted the 16 litres in the bedroom I know from trading the windows, that the bed is at the window.I seemed to sleep well that night, but did they. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Ps  Please to those who will tell me its unprofessional, I just don`t care.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

That's what happens when you work the Buckskin, South Ham and Oakridge areas :o

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #31 on: October 28, 2011, 08:32:13 pm »
 basingstoke eh? buckskin was my breeding ground, managed to survive and move on lol.

StockClean

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #32 on: October 31, 2011, 09:06:11 am »
Dear Mrs A****,

                           31st October 2011

RE: CANCELATION OF SERVICE

We are writing to inform you that; we have cancelled our services to you with immediate effect; we do not appreciate being verbally abused down the telephone.

When we called to remind you of the overdue payment, we did so because we expect our customers to pay within 5 days, which was made clear to you when you took up the service from us.

We called you on two occasions, the 21st October to remind you of the due payment approaching, to which you responded that you had been unwell, and you would make the payment over the weekend via BACS transfer.

The second reminder by telephone was made to you on the 26th October due to that fact the payment was not made, and remains outstanding. You were very aggravated that we had called you a second time, mentioned that you had guests round and could it wait?

Due to the fact that we had already called the 1st time with regards to the overdue amount we explained that it couldn’t wait and that if we didn’t get the payment soon, we would cease our services to you. On reply we were told to ‘sod off’ and cancel the service, and you hung up.

As per our terms & conditions, http://www.stockclean.co.uk/page13a.html we have the right to charge for a one-off clean, if the customer agrees to a regular service, and cancels after the 1st clean with no complaints or issues with the quality of work provided.

We would normally use our discretion when enforcing this condition, as normally we would only enforce this on regular cleans where the job requires much time on the 1st clean, or if the clean is of a particularly high value.

Since you were verbally abusive to us on the telephone however I have decided to use my discretion and charge you 2.5 times the regular clean price for your rude cancellation and failure to respect our payment terms. When we carried out the window clean at your premises we spent considerable time cleaning the windows, preparing them for the regular monthly service you requested.

Please take this as your final notice:

You have 5 days from the date of this letter to make full payment of £25.00 for the window clean carried out on the 17th Oct 2011. 

Failing this we will make a claim against you via the HM Courts & Tribunals Service for the following:

£25.00 for the overdue monies.
£37.50 for the remaining one off clean balance.
£25.00 for the cost of going through HM Courts

Total £87.50

Please note that the above balance may also be subject to a weekly £2 charge for covering our costs in administration.

Kind Regards


Marc Stock

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 26581
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #33 on: October 31, 2011, 01:58:17 pm »
Marc

Above you say 5 days payment terms; your terms and conditions give 7 days.

If you go the court route be careful all is in order.

Malc
It's a game of three halves!

EWCServices

  • Posts: 81
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #34 on: October 31, 2011, 03:51:14 pm »
I dont have a time limit on paying as long as they pay up,i recently had a guy have to pay for the past year yup 13 cleans on the other hand ive just sacked three customers for messing me about saying they havent had slips through their door and werent paying,its not the first time they have said it and since i had one customer bump me for 4 cleans recently well i went through them like a ton of bricks,told them they should be ashamed of themselves trying to con hardworking ppl like myself out of money and that they can clean their own from now on as they werent worth the hassle.I think i only have two now on a shoogly peg out of 600 odd customers so thats not too bad.
Gutter Cleaner-Repair-Replacement-Conservatory Cleaner-Tenement Gutter Cleaner-Window Cleaner-Silar Panel Cleaning

StockClean

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #35 on: October 31, 2011, 04:07:00 pm »
Marc

Above you say 5 days payment terms; your terms and conditions give 7 days.

If you go the court route be careful all is in order.

Malc

oh yeah good point, ill sort that now.

was just posted 10mins ago so should be ok

Llaaww

  • Posts: 2260
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #36 on: October 31, 2011, 04:34:27 pm »
Thought this might be of interest as a comparison to others.

Listed are total debts written off each year since starting.

07/08 = £74
08/09 = £64.50
09/10 = £125.00
10/11 = £173.00
11/ to date = £53.00

Total = £490.50 4.5 years

All are domestic no commercial. I blame myself for being to lenient with payments. I used to let them get to 3/4 months. But find when they are hit with a 4 month bill ave £40 they don't pay.

Now I only do two cleans and stop even if it's the Queen herself nobody gets a third clean.
Also not collecting invites trouble, I think. But I find it a PITA collecting.

Anyone willing to share their losses. Domestic not Commercial. Just to see if it's my ugly mug they don't like.  :'(

rang a bell for me. similar picture over here, other than all paid this year, but a bit more previous.

To be honest it was more down to me not bothering to go back for it, than bad payers.

I do have to push it for a coupe of jobs, but they won't last long if they keep it up.

stockclean: If i really didn't like them I may send a similar letter, but usually it is quicker and cheaper to just move on to the next one.



 



if it is dirty it is fair game

StockClean

Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #37 on: October 31, 2011, 09:55:25 pm »
Ok website updated, did a few more updates due to some errors that have been pointed out by the good peeps on here.

The letter took me 5 mins to type out this morning, im not all that bothered, but i do feel that i need to stand my ground on this one so will keep ya updated.

rg1

  • Posts: 1356
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #38 on: November 01, 2011, 01:38:19 pm »
i suppose I've been lucky with regard to non-payers. Only had 2 so far and on both occasions I have told them that if they don't pay within the next 5 days, their details will be added to the window cleaners national database for bad payers.

It's worked so far ;)
The pen is mightier than the sword (and a lot easier to write with!)

GB Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 3262
Re: Got told to s*d off!
« Reply #39 on: November 01, 2011, 02:33:16 pm »
@stcokclean

i really like your style mate  ;)

i aspire to be a good as you one day sir!

regards

george