[LBWCS]

I have decided that any customers that don’t pay me on the day or within 48 hours will be encouraged to move to GoCardless. So for those who have already made the move, can I benefit from your experience?
Did you advertise it on payment slips?
Did you speak to them?
Was it useful to have a page on your website to explain it all?
Any help with the conversion process would be appreciated!

[nathankaye]

I printed a letter which briefly explain it and added some Q&As.   I also ran a promotion that if they signed up before  their clean, the next clean would be 50% off!
Ive also explained it on my web site under payments and put a link and also on my facebook page.
But I have found people to be lazy and its easier to text your customers the link as most have smart phones today and can quickly do it.

[Marc Stock]

I have found that Go Cardless has complely transformed my business. It isnt the 'holy grail' of payment collection because it removes a layer of customer interaction, and that can have good and bad consequences for your business.

The good consequences are that for problen payers, the ones that forget, and the ones that are just too busy to remember to make payment its ideal.

The bad consequences is that it removes a layer of customer involvement. As they no longer have to 'interact' with your service by making payment, these customers you would normally have a good working relationship with are at risk of losing a report with you and it makes it easier for them to cancel your service should a problem arise; and in the case of reduced customer involvement in the sale process mitigates any presumed loyalty on both sides. All these switching providers websites are about becouse of the advent of direct debit, and the ease of switching supplier with no need to feel obligated to any particular service.

I dont actively push direct debit. I do offer it as a payment option, i have around 50 people on dd out of nearly 300 customers.

If they become a problem payer, they cab go to dd to continue the service.

I have been using debit and credit card payments through paypal here, that has been amazing for my business as it gives the customer more buying power from you, with credit cards.

My advice is have a range of options. I am discouraging cash now, and making card bacs and dd my preferred option

[nathankaye]

[Stoots]

Just keep on at them, send them a letter, text including the link when due, offer them a free clean etc.

There are benefits to all methods, GC, cash and bacs and I'm happy with a mixture as long as they pay before next clean I'm happy. I very rarely let any go two cleans without payment.

PayPal isnt great but it's better than collecting and cheques well they are a bit of a pain but I suppose if you live next to a bank it's not a big deal.

[LBWCS]

Really helpful, thanks for the replies so far.

[jo5hm4n]

Nathan, i really like your letter, would you mind emailing me your template so i can edit it ever so slightly please?

Email me @ info@quantumshine.co.uk

Cheers
Josh

[nathankaye]

Josh, sorry mate i didn't keep a copy on hard drive. If you email me ur address i can post one out to you for you to copy?  I printed a huge batch and have some spare
1nks.services@gmail.com

[Tom-01]

This is the text I send our customers:

Hi Mike, I hope you're well. Firstly, thank you for your continued custom with regards our window cleaning services. Your windows are due to be cleaned this week. All our customers are now moving over to our direct debit method for payment. We request payment only after each clean - our customers have found this a much simpler way to pay. Please can you text me your email address and I can forward you the details. Many thanks

Those that said they didn't want to I said we would increase the price, some of those signed up, those that didn't we increased the price.

New customers GC is the only option.

[LBWCS]

Is there a way of creating a page on my website so people can sign up on there?
Also, am I right in thinking the direct debit feature means I can ask for the money at any time? Eg £10 clean on the 10th on the month, but also do a clean on 20th of the month. So basically after every clean I can request my money? Not just by set frequencies (eg every month or two months)?

[LBWCS]

I’d be interested in how people with a big customer base (Lee Pryor  for example) found converting on a large scale? Eg texting to informed them worked 90% but emails only worked 50%?

[nathankaye]

Is there a way of creating a page on my website so people can sign up on there?
Also, am I right in thinking the direct debit feature means I can ask for the money at any time? Eg £10 clean on the 10th on the month, but also do a clean on 20th of the month. So basically after every clean I can request my money? Not just by set frequencies (eg every month or two months)?

When you sign up, it gives you a link to use, so cooy and paste it wherever you want.  It takes your customer to fill out a direct debit mandate and you can put your company name and logo on

[jo5hm4n]

Thanks Nath,

Got your letter in the post.  It will no doubt  be useful i'm hoping to convert a load of customers over sometime this year, especially the awkward bad payers, it's that or they will be getting dropped.

Thanks again

[nathankaye]

Thanks Nath,

Got your letter in the post.  It will no doubt  be useful i'm hoping to convert a load of customers over sometime this year, especially the awkward bad payers, it's that or they will be getting dropped.

Thanks again

Sorry it took some time to post, it was sat in van for ages, then with all the snow n different things i forgot to send it.
Hope it helps.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

I’d be interested in how people with a big customer base (Lee Pryor  for example) found converting on a large scale? Eg texting to informed them worked 90% but emails only worked 50%?

Ask him.... it might cost you 400 smackers though- he thinks he's Sir Alan Sugar apparently!!

[Soupy]

I'm at about 30% gocardless. I'm leaving it to 'organic' growth (except for bad payers I insist they convert). I would never insist to a customer a method of payment unless they don't pay on time, I wouldn't be dictated to like that so....

On my slips, that I fire through the door if no-one is home, it says something like "our preferred payment method is direct debit but we also accept.... blah blah".

I had one customer email me yesterday to cancel because she'd read the slip and didn't want to go direct debit. We've been cleaning her windows for years, she's had that same slip many times, once I explained it wasn't mandatory she was fine.

Nowt queer as folk.