[Smurf]

Anyway the point I'm trying to make regardless is that window cleaners could quite easily ask for annual payments upfront too.

[Spruce]

When The Bank of England increases interest rates and people are paying more for their mortgages there will be even more broke customers!

Last time I heard they were worried about the economy slowing and were considering cutting interest rates some more. The banks were saying that they would charge us interest on our saving accounts rather than give us interest - poor as it is.

[Spruce]

To go one step further say the ideal manageable average size domestic round for a solo cleaner is 300 customers that's £36,000 turnover per year on a average 5 weekly cycle.  That works out cleaning 60 properties a week at £12 per pop all paid upfront without the need to go chasing payments. Sounds simple don't it 

Sounds like the motor trade. All we are asking you to do is sell one car a day and deliver one. It couldn't be easier! 

[Smurf]

To go one step further say the ideal manageable average size domestic round for a solo cleaner is 300 customers that's £36,000 turnover per year on a average 5 weekly cycle.  That works out cleaning 60 properties a week at £12 per pop all paid upfront without the need to go chasing payments. Sounds simple don't it 

Sounds like the motor trade. All we are asking you to do is sell one car a day and deliver one. It couldn't be easier! 

Indeed 

[Craig downey]

Don't domestic wheelie bin cleaners ask for payment upfront for so many cleans?
Just curious why don't window cleaners do the same as is no different surely on lower paid work?

 Say for example at the lower end of the domestic job scale 10 cleans per year x £12 is only £120 for the customer to pay upfront which is not a fortune is it now. 

To go one step further say the ideal manageable average size domestic round for a solo cleaner is 300 customers that's £36,000 turnover per year on a average 5 weekly cycle.  That works out cleaning 60 properties a week at £12 per pop all paid upfront without the need to go chasing payments. Sounds simple don't it 

No way I would pay that sort of money upfront, my wheelie bin cleaner also didn't ask for and cleans upfront

[dazmond]

You are probably right wibble. I am getting a reputation as too nice of a guy who will do sweet fa if they decide not to pay.

I think it comes down to basic human deceny, which some of my younger customers seem to lack.

I have very little problem with the older ones. Who usually pay cash before I have even finished the job. Which is worrying when they finally pop their clogs and I have to resort to having more youngsters

And dazmond, that just sounds crackers to wait 3 months for payment.  I mean for me that is totally unacceptable for any customer to do that. I dont care who it is.

i only bill some customers after ive cleaned their windows 3 times mate if their monthly lower priced jobs(£7-£12)and they pay online/send cheque.its only a few here and there though.

cash flow is really good in this game even though my "rolling debt" is usually around the  £500-£800 mark at any one time.it comes trickling in every day and then i clean more work!and the debt goes up again!

its all good though.i dont worry about it.

ive only had to write off £6 this year up to now!

[paulben]

our bin cleaner charges £3.50 a bin once every 14 days 3 bins = £10.50 or £10 if pay up front. Bigger discount if you pay more .Trouble is when I am paid upfront when I do job feels like I am doing it for free if giving a discount would be worse . Had one job that used to pay 6 months up front at a time

[Clever Forum Name]

Will pay online tonight.....Ok says me 

[Clever Forum Name]

Oh and to the OP.

I started to go onto these "new builds" in the 2014.

I have lost more money in one year on these new builds compared to all my other areas for the whole time i have been window cleaning.

The only thing to do is to get them on go cardless. When i pick up new customers on new builds, i tell them its the only method we accept for new customers. 9 out of 10 do it.

[Dave Willis]

We have some massive new build estates round my way, thousands of houses. I clean a grand total of 1 
I refuse to work on them.

[Clever Forum Name]

Another cleaner said "It's the nature of the beast" he is right, you can earn more money and houses are far easier to clean but....

Getting paid is hard.
Constant worry of damage to van and tyres due to unfinished roads.
Constant grit on poles and hoses.
Parking is hard.
Customers moving between cleans and not even telling you.

Etc Etc

[dazmond]

Oh and to the OP.

I started to go onto these "new builds" in the 2014.

I have lost more money in one year on these new builds compared to all my other areas for the whole time i have been window cleaning.

The only thing to do is to get them on go cardless. When i pick up new customers on new builds, i tell them its the only method we accept for new customers. 9 out of 10 do it.

what if they have no money in their account?can they default on the gocardless payment?

 retired folk are usually the best quickest payers.usually in and pay by cash/cheque on day of clean!

[SeanK]

Oh and to the OP.

I started to go onto these "new builds" in the 2014.

I have lost more money in one year on these new builds compared to all my other areas for the whole time i have been window cleaning.

The only thing to do is to get them on go cardless. When i pick up new customers on new builds, i tell them its the only method we accept for new customers. 9 out of 10 do it.

what if they have no money in their account?can they default on the gocardless payment?

 retired folk are usually the best quickest payers.usually in and pay by cash/cheque on day of clean!

That's because the older generation have a sense of shame, something that a lot of younger ones don't seem to have,
my parents would have died of shame if somebody had called to the door and they couldn't pay them.
You see it on ITV's the Chaser, with the exception of teachers its nearly always the younger generation who will take a minus offer and take money from the team.

[Smurf]

Sadly it’s only going to get tougher for the families that rely on the steel industry for a living in those areas affected in the country.
It's not just the direct workers in the plants but other business as well that could lead to thousands of job losses and devastate whole communities.

This is a national crisis in the making and the last thing on anybody’s mind in this situation is window cleaning. Same goes for anybody that circumstances changed due to losing their job or ill health that can’t pay their bills.

[SeanK]

Was just thinking the same Crapinon, I live in an area that used to have a large Goodyear plant which employed many
thousands plus it had many businesses that also relied on it.
When it closed it had a horrendous effect on the community and I would say it still hasn't fully recovered after 25 years.
That's the danger of having one big employer in an area.

[Smurf]

Indeed

[Clever Forum Name]

Oh and to the OP.

I started to go onto these "new builds" in the 2014.

I have lost more money in one year on these new builds compared to all my other areas for the whole time i have been window cleaning.

The only thing to do is to get them on go cardless. When i pick up new customers on new builds, i tell them its the only method we accept for new customers. 9 out of 10 do it.

what if they have no money in their account?can they default on the gocardless payment?

 retired folk are usually the best quickest payers.usually in and pay by cash/cheque on day of clean!

You don't get paid basically. I use cleaner planner. So the debt goes back onto the debt list as unpaid.

[Johnny B]

With the impending demise of the older generation of customers with integrity and principles, we can look forward at some point in the not  too distant future for someone to post up a thread entitled 'Anyone noticing an increase in broke window cleaners'.

John