[paul kitchiner]

I was wondering how a lot of you go about getting your money from customers that aren't in. I used to do go collecting but have now started with SAEs for customers outside my 10 mile radius as found I was out most nights. This has worked ok but still have to ring or tex people to jog there memory which makes you feel bad when you ring them even tho you are owed it. What do you do?

[monkeyboy950]

Pay my folks 10% of what they collect,and play FIFA until wife comes home from work

[Crystal-clear]

u gota do what u gota do m8t your round!



on 2 monthlys best to let it go about 2 weeks before its due again or a week before texting to remind

on monthlys i never remind as you are there in no time most will then pay you double with the next sae.

[GB Window Cleaning]

I was wondering how a lot of you go about getting your money from customers that aren't in. I used to do go collecting but have now started with SAEs for customers outside my 10 mile radius as found I was out most nights. This has worked ok but still have to ring or tex people to jog there memory which makes you feel bad when you ring them even tho you are owed it. What do you do?

same as you but i dont feel bad   i put my business hat on when i call them! i must sound like a scripted robot  

[Paddy Woods]

Do standing orders ,custy's love it once they get over the initial nervousness
It's brillant as they feel bad owing or going looking for change! & u hve reg income 

[Ryan @ Transparent, Carlisle]

I am out collecting within 10mile thursdays n fridays. Im usually out til 9 on fridays as I collect niteclubs. Get indian n few beers on way home. Love it n wouldnt stop doing it.

I can sometimes take more money on a.friday night, than I do during day.

[Pope vader]

this is a problem i am having at mo, as am spend the same on fuel to collect as i am when working, as basically doing the same route,  so decided to collect online payments only,   got a feeling it isnt going to work,  but the ones who still dont pay online will either get dumped or prices put up to cover fuel

[CLEANCARE WC]

I havent collected for over a year. I have always provided printed SAE and have been offering BACS payments for the past year. I wonder how much time and money I wasted collecting for 10 years? something for you guys who collect to think about.

[Window Washers]

not collected for years either, this is unpaid labour, something every other worker would moan about.

Cheque or standing order K.I.S.S

[northstar161]

Never collected either. Payment reminder triggers for BACS customers go into tickler file as recommended in the GETTING THINGS DONE book.

For chq customers they get two cleans credit then they get chased with 3 reminder letters; getting sterner each time. If it goes to 3 they have to pay in future with standing order. The latter has never happened to date and have 90 customers.

Rest are standing order.

[northstar161]

Sorry; the above should read: Cheque customers without an email address or mobile phone number get 2 cleans credit. If they have an email address / mobile phone number then payment is chased every 7 days.

[dazmond]

yep collecting is still part of running my business.its only around an hour a week.sometimes an hour and a half.compact estate work mainly.i dont have a problem with it as the work collected is within 5 miles.park up and walk round the whole estate/s

SAE and BACS are payment methods that are becoming more common.coupled with a lot paying on the day of clean when out working so its not a problem.

in fact i like to see how my customers are doing.it keeps me in touch with them and brings me extra work.it puts a "face" to my business and is generally good for customer relations.

why any window cleaner "dreads" collecting money is beyond me!!its the best part of the job!!!

[david wood]

i never used to mind the collecting so much its when your calling back at the same house 10 times for 3 pound.i dont charge that any more and havent collected in years and if i do have to collect one it means there dropped

[gr cleaning solutions]

Like dazmond ill collect once or twice a week and all my work is within ten mins from my house

[david wood]

i think it depends on what sort of jobs and prices you have not many people are going to send you a cheque for a couple of pound and do you even want them to at that price

[Pope vader]

the problem with that dave is  that around here most of the good areas are badly priced as they have either been knocked that many times, it get cheaper each year or they have had the same wc since the dawn of time and he still charges £6 for a 5 bed house

[woody1]

I leave sae and phone to remind them after two weeks, as when i was collecting i would some times go back to the same house 4 times so in the end i was making no money on that job due to fuel costs.

[dazmond]

2 cleans then no clean until payment.i never collect more than twice(usually once)as i catch them next time im cleaning.if they are persistently late paying and wont send cheque or online payment they get dumped after payment!!!

[carl stanton]

as said not collected in years now,
who pays bills at the door after a bill drops in the post
put my bank details on the back of mini invoice
ask for ref
mention that it cost for a cheque, to me (boo hoo) this helps people think about bank transfer
i was even sad enough to do a youtube vid on bank transfer/ bacs 

[Helen]

not collected for years either, this is unpaid labour, something every other worker would moan about.

Cheque or standing order K.I.S.S

Beggars belief that anyone will work for nothing (i.e. collecting)
K.I.S.S back