Interested In Advertising? | Contact Us Here
Warning!

 

Welcome to Clean It Up; the UK`s largest cleaning forum with over 34,000 members

 

Please login or register to post and reply to topics.      

 

Forgot your password? Click here

A & J Owen Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 2192
customer trying to get out of paying!
« on: September 14, 2010, 07:58:28 pm »
Had a class one today. Last month the brother of this customer asked us to go and clean her windows (she uses us now and then). He confirmed that she'd be back off holiday on a certain day and that we just needed to drop a text to say we were coming. We turned up, cleaned the windows and left a note. He'd advised that from then on they wanted monthly.

Anyway, turn up today and she's in, carry on and clean the windows and she tries to pay for one lot. We say, did you get the note and she says yes but she's not paying because she didn't want them cleaned whilst she was away (they were done Wed she was back on the Friday)!!! We explain situation ie asked to come and she had never said to not do when not in and and she says I'm still not paying. We say, look we've been asked to clean them you have to pay. In the end, she finally paid up when Alan said politely but firmly that we're running a business here and the work has been done and she has to pay.

Nerve of some people (last but one time she tried to short change us).

TomCrowther

  • Posts: 1965
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2010, 08:05:54 pm »
People like that really get my back up. It's a total lack of respect and it's the one thing guaranteed to get me going.

dazmond

  • Posts: 24450
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2010, 08:10:34 pm »
theres a few ex custies who owe me money from years ago.i never forget AND there windows are mingin!!!i got sick of going back and them jumping behind the sofa and refusing to answer the door.

i wrote them off.....but i never forget how much they still owe me.one guy has a 7 series BMW on his drive as well.i warn other windys what their like.



dazmond
price higher/work harder!

C-N-C

  • Posts: 382
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2010, 08:14:03 pm »
Kill them...kill them all ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I hate people like that man....always try it on with my lads to........ they also get off customer's "will you just give that a little clean for me(garage door or bit of facia,expectin free of charge)
But i always go round with the bill or if the guys say a couple of quid,they mostly say"its ok, just leave it then.........people just take us for granted sometime fella ;)
unbeliveable,in it..... ::)
Take care man
Justin ;)

Sean Dyer

  • Posts: 2947
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2010, 08:14:19 pm »
i know what you mean daz i wrote off about £120 of bad debt a month ago it was really winding me up so i just gave up and posted invoice and see what happens but not stressing anymore  they wont have a window cleaner anytime soon!!

i have learned some lessons and wont be so sympathetic in future will be getting paid much quicker!!

C-N-C

  • Posts: 382
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2010, 08:19:02 pm »
Kill them...kill them all ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I hate people like that man....always try it on with my lads to........ they also get off customer's "will you just give that a little clean for me(garage door or bit of facia,expectin free of charge)
But i always go round with the bill or if the guys say a couple of quid,they mostly say"its ok, just leave it then.........people just take us for granted sometime fella ;)
unbeliveable,in it..... ::)
Take care man
Justin ;)

I had 1 were there front room window was always open & playing load music....got that sick of going.......i opened window,turned music off & looked straight at the man of the house,behind the chair & said"how long you gunna stay there"  he stood up & said how much we owe you mate.....LOL ;D

I have to add,im not like that with all my customers....just the odd 1 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
& i dont go back....
I am glad iv only ever lost £3.00 in 4 years...... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D  or it might of bin £2.50...carnt remember now ;D ;D ;D

Take care guys & kind regards
Justin ;)

dazmond

  • Posts: 24450
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2010, 08:21:59 pm »
2 cleans and thats it until payment!so its never a fortune to lose.


i think every window cleaner has to write off bad debts sometimes.luckily for me it doesnt seem to be too often as i can sniff out a messer usually before it even gets to that stage and get paid never to clean their windows again!! ;) ;D ;D


dazmond
price higher/work harder!

Ian101

  • Posts: 7889
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2010, 08:48:22 pm »
Got my 1 bad debtor sorted today 2 cleans £20 total .... her fella died abroad in Afghan so didnt hassle her and let it slide for 3 months but paid me today and a tenner on top for todays clean so all ok and felt good to get her back as she was my 2nd ever customer

bobby p

Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2010, 08:55:24 pm »
i see a messer often-the local postie !     he gave me such a runaround to get my money im sure he was doing it on purpose- this led me to think he is a nut. i saw him today delivering mail and  no eye contact from him

weetot

  • Posts: 2097
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2010, 09:02:07 pm »
All those custys deserve a concrete overcoat on and chucked off a very tall building into very cold deep water.

I dont put up with these folk anymore, their a pain in the rear. ::)
Never take financial advice from people who have no money!

tom2009

Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2010, 09:09:53 pm »
I only do one clean and if they haven't paid they get lots of calls until they do. One the other day said 'It was such a little amount that I forgot' - it was 12 quid!! cheeky tart.

NJWindowCleaning

  • Posts: 521
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2010, 09:22:36 pm »
Name and shame them to there fellow neighbours and any other wc in the area.
And they have the cheek to say" I dont know why my window cleaner didnt come back", when he had the same trouble as you.

I hate it when the customers say its us window cleaners, when its not!!

Nigel Lee

  • Posts: 41
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2010, 10:00:28 pm »
I am extremely laid back with collecting don't even worry until they owe 3 months.  The vast majority will drop it round or send a cheque.  Saves a lot of time that way.  After that period I drop in a SAE on the 4th clean.  I have been at it years so this works for me.  You get to know who you can trust.  The odd one I keep on a tight rope, but I only keep customers like that if its big money.

More often the not you will sum up who is a good risk very quickly after a few years on the job.

d s windowcleaning

  • Posts: 2782
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2010, 10:22:43 pm »
Name and shame them to there fellow neighbours and any other wc in the area.
And they have the cheek to say" I dont know why my window cleaner didnt come back", when he had the same trouble as you.

I hate it when the customers say its us window cleaners, when its not!!
thats the best way to go .
where theres muck theres money

Paul Coleman

Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2010, 11:10:32 pm »
theres a few ex custies who owe me money from years ago.i never forget AND there windows are mingin!!!i got sick of going back and them jumping behind the sofa and refusing to answer the door.

i wrote them off.....but i never forget how much they still owe me.one guy has a 7 series BMW on his drive as well.i warn other windys what their like.



dazmond

I have a few who I couldn't be bothered to chase a good few years ago.  One of them even forgot me and asked me for a service two or three years after I gave her up.  I refused and I told her why.  She didn't even remember it was me who did the cleaning until I told her.

Crystal-clear

  • Posts: 3029
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2010, 11:46:46 pm »
i had a total not a very nice person the other day too.

Do the first clean ,(dirtiest windows ever) get paid everyone is happy do the 2nd clean leave my slip and self addressed envo with the child minder.

he didnt send cheque so i call 1 day before the 3rd clean (mind you this guy probably has a 400k pad)

No answer left message just saying hello , etc , didnt get your cheque for last month was it maybe lost in post. at midnight he texts bck saying

"dont clean windows at" thats it.... no sorry i would like to cancel ill pay you for last time nothing ,

so i call bck no answer leave a message ...
he then texts me back saying stop the attitude and a whole load of crap how there is nothing i can do... i have signed nothing basically he knew what he was doing , i said price once per month he said yes just to get the clean then cancel and now will not pay..

I think all 1st cleans need to be charged double to keep you away from these kind of idiots

but then the problem is you charge good people 2x which i wouldnt wana do , but i dont know wat els i can do , maybe make a contract?will people sign it?

then again this case doesn't happen so often 

R.M. Window Cleaning

  • Posts: 20
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2010, 12:43:18 am »
I think a section on here so all the honest wc can put the address of bad payers so we no where not to go so we dont keep getting screwed over!!!!!!!!!

Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2010, 04:18:11 am »
R M been saying it for years.

gewindows

Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2010, 08:28:27 am »
I think a section on here so all the honest wc can put the address of bad payers so we no where not to go so we dont keep getting screwed over!!!!!!!!!

Why have it on here.

Sort it out yourself.

Cheap and cheerful website with that facility will cost you about  £5 a month.

I look forward to it.

mark mann

  • Posts: 345
Re: customer trying to get out of paying!
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2010, 08:36:07 am »
Kill them...kill them all ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I hate people like that man....always try it on with my lads to........ they also get off customer's "will you just give that a little clean for me(garage door or bit of facia,expectin free of charge)
But i always go round with the bill or if the guys say a couple of quid,they mostly say"its ok, just leave it then.........people just take us for granted sometime fella ;)
unbeliveable,in it..... ::)
Take care man
Justin ;)

love it yeah - had many people say similar things thinking it takes just a minute when in fact it can add another 20minutes to the job and likewise now saying its an extra couple of quid or a fiver and guess what ..they say leave it then..lol
an optimist takes the tartare sauce with him when he goes fishing -