[Clearview]

I have approximately 400 customers and around half of them pay me online. A newish customer always texts me to ask if ive received her payment & confirm with her that the money made it into my bank account... Its a huge pain in the backside.  How do i tell her tactfully that i don't send individual customers confirmation of payment?  I would have thought it would be obvious that i would contact her if she was outstanding... Apparently not.

[nathankaye]

Do just that!!

Let her know that you have always received the payment and if ever you do not, then you would text and enquire. So if dont here from you then to assume you have it.

[Clearview]

Do just that!!

Let her know that you have always received the payment and if ever you do not, then you would text and enquire. So if dont here from you then to assume you have it.

Yeah, i'm going to have to. I dont know why but the whole thing seems a bit awkward to me. Then again,  if i sent a confirmation text to every customer it'd take all night!

[JandS]

No it wouldn't take all night if you set your text messaging up correctly.

[Don Kee]

Do just that!!

Let her know that you have always received the payment and if ever you do not, then you would text and enquire. So if dont here from you then to assume you have it.

Yeah, i'm going to have to. I dont know why but the whole thing seems a bit awkward to me. Then again,  if i sent a confirmation text to every customer it'd take all night!

Wait until she texts, check your planner or how ever you mark your debts off when she does and just text her back yes or no if she's paid...cant be that hard can it?

I have one customer that does the same every month. Quick check on cleaner planner app to see if its come through or not (although I do mark my debts off most evenings)  and and 2 seconds to say "all recieved, thanks!"

This post has taken longer to type out than it would to do all that!

[AuRavelling79]

I have a couple of custies who text just to say they've paid and I just reply "thanks". I don't check there and then though. No biggie.

If I later found that it hadn't gone through (never happened yet) then I would text to say I'd just checked and payment hadn't been received.

They're so far and few between I don't mind - a bit like those who text me at about seven and a half weeks to ask if I know when I'm gonna be there. I text back whatever I can tell them - usually I can be specific to the day "conditions permitting". The onus is on them to contact me though, not me contact them.

[Soupy]

No it wouldn't take all night if you set your text messaging up correctly.

You've got to keep it scale-able. Today it's 400 next year it might be 4000.

If she wants a receipt set up a system for sending out receipts.

[Stoots]

I generally don't like recieving texts from custys on an evening. That's the only thing with being self employed you are constantly in work mode 24 hours a day.

I have been considering getting a second phone just for work and switching it off outside office hours.

Turn it on when I get up, reply to any messages and check voicemail etc. Come in from work, send gate reminders for next day and send payment reminders then turn the bloody thing off and relax in peace.

At the moment  when using my personal phone it will ring whilst Im playing the snake game sat on the pot or get a can I skip this clean text when I'm trying to watch Corrie. It's annoying and stops me from switching off.

[dazmond]

I generally don't like recieving texts from custys on an evening. That's the only thing with being self employed you are constantly in work mode 24 hours a day.

I have been considering getting a second phone just for work and switching it off outside office hours.

Turn it on when I get up, reply to any messages and check voicemail etc. Come in from work, send gate reminders for next day and send payment reminders then turn the bloody thing off and relax in peace.

At the moment  when using my personal phone it will ring whilst Im playing the snake game sat on the pot or get a can I skip this clean text when I'm trying to watch Corrie. It's annoying and stops me from switching off.

really?do you get mithered off your customers that much in the evening?i hardly get any texts whether its morning,afternoon or evenings.

[Soupy]

I don't give customers my mobile number.

[Stoots]

I don't give customers my mobile number.

They get mine when I send them reminders. But it is also on my payment slips. Its also on my website, flyers and business cards. it's on my van and it's in facebook.

A separate number would probably my help

[Stoots]

I generally don't like recieving texts from custys on an evening. That's the only thing with being self employed you are constantly in work mode 24 hours a day.

I have been considering getting a second phone just for work and switching it off outside office hours.

Turn it on when I get up, reply to any messages and check voicemail etc. Come in from work, send gate reminders for next day and send payment reminders then turn the bloody thing off and relax in peace.

At the moment  when using my personal phone it will ring whilst Im playing the snake game sat on the pot or get a can I skip this clean text when I'm trying to watch Corrie. It's annoying and stops me from switching off.

really?do you get mithered off your customers that much in the evening?i hardly get any texts whether its morning,afternoon or evenings.

I have to send gate reminders or payment reminders so sometimes get replies to them. But also get calls from my website and it's usually something I don't want to do.

[Slacky]

Ask her if she texts the electric board, gas, water, council, telephone to see if they've received her payment. If she answers 'no' then you have every right to explain to her thats she a pain in the ass and that you'll no longer clean for her if she continues to harass and stalk you.


Thats what I'd do.


That or Id ask Susan's old man to pop round and 'sort er out'.

[Soupy]

I don't give customers my mobile number.

They get mine when I send them reminders. But it is also on my payment slips. Its also on my website, flyers and business cards. it's on my van and it's in facebook.

A separate number would probably my help

Text local (I use it through Cleaner Planner).

Sends text messages they can't reply too.

Bliss.

[robbo333]

I should have thought of a separate phone! 
I think I'll get another phone for friends and family.
It should be far easier to give my friends the new number, rather than my custies. My number is on van, leaflets, website, pay slips etc.
Also I have nearly 300 custies and only 2 friends! 

[C & S]

As what soupy said above.
Textlocal is great, I use it from my laptop as I dont use cleanerplanner.
The custies I text get sent first thing in the morning.  They cannot text back to this message not this time and all that rubbish.
Sure they can still text you on your mobile number but since using it I get VERY little who do so.
It cost something like 1p to send a text.
Also on a sunday when I am going through my debt list text reminder I will schedule it for the next day.

[Stoots]

As what soupy said above.
Textlocal is great, I use it from my laptop as I dont use cleanerplanner.
The custies I text get sent first thing in the morning.  They cannot text back to this message not this time and all that rubbish.
Sure they can still text you on your mobile number but since using it I get VERY little who do so.
It cost something like 1p to send a text.
Also on a sunday when I am going through my debt list text reminder I will schedule it for the next day.

Sounds great but i would rather know if I can't do the job than turn up and find a locked gate.

For example what if a customer has moved and they wanted to text you back to tell you or more likely they are in holiday and can't unlock the gate. If you dont know you turn up to a locked gate and get the hump with them or dump them lol and there was genuine reason such as having work done on house etc. Sometimes they have good reason to reply.

Of course you could just do fronts if gate was locked so hmmm might work.

You say you can automate debt reminders ? That would save me some time from going thru them manually