[Mrs Nicholls]

Hi
Thank you all with your replies relating to my issues lately, its good to get a different perspective on things.

Just wondered how you guys deal with collecting payments. Many of my customers leave a cheque (in an envelope) for the cleaner to collect, but im finding that im having to wait til the end of the week or longer for cleaners to return them to me to bank, and then there is the clearance times.

What are the alternatives? Some of my customers arent in a position to do online banking, or setting up direct debits and standing orders.

Also sometimes the clean durations change from week to week, so would be differeing amounts.

Posting brings up the SAE (cost of stamps) and relying on customers to remember to pay.

any other suggestions?

Thanks
Lisa

[mark dew]

Posting brings up the SAE (cost of stamps) and relying on customers to remember to pay.

sorry to have no alternative but why should you shoulder the cost of SAE?
It is your customers legal duty to pay you and how they do it is up to them. If they don't want to pay for a stamp then THEY should make other arrangements.
As for relying on customers to remember to pay, i have no answer to that except to explain your situation and give them a time frame. If they go over this then give them a call to remind them.
I used to collect money but now just leave them a "please post cheque to:"
slip. I have dropped a couple who were still slow but most will come round very quickly.

[Tim Downer]

Hi Lisa

Have you not thought of getting a direct debit set up for your customers?? You would just need a couple of bank details on a simple form and you get your money direct to the bank!!

Obviously when a problem occurs and the clean is missed you would need to refund the money or whatever arrangement you come to agree on......but a direct debit/standing order sounds like the way to go if you are having problems.

Kind Regards

Tim

[Lesley J]

we use standing  orders and it works very well, we also charge extra for cheques because the bank charges us for paying in cheques, internet banking is also good.Lesley

[Fox]

Lisa

I am sure I read on here somewhere before your cleaners collect keys from the office daily, why can't they drop payments off with the keys?

Fox

[Mrs Nicholls]

Hi Fox

Well they are supposed to collect on a daily basis, but i have relaxed the policy a little bit, to stop the loggerheads we keep coming to.

im allowing keys to be collected last thing the day before and to be returned the day of the clean.

I would still prefer the keys where i can see them and use them / return them to customers if required. For example, bit extreme but what if a customer turned up requesting their key there and then, due to emergency or somethingm, and i havent got it locked up where i said i would? big trust issue i would think.

I'll find a solution on of these days

[steve doyle]

Lisa,

you answer your own question very well.


I would get all keys back and issue daily, If that is your policy stick to it, what are the loggerheads? or is it just your staff wanting an easier job?

The system your allowing could backfire in a huge way. Your staff will not pick up the pieces.

Dont take this the wrong way, but you seem to have the answer to most questions you ask. It seems the common problems you have are from other people. I Think you might benifit from asking who is in charge of what? Your customers seem to dictate your job to you and so do your staff. Maybe you can decide how you want things to be for the good of your business and you, and enforce them.

This isnt intended to be an insult, just something constructive which you may or may not after consideration feel worthy of some thought.

[Mrs Nicholls]

Hi Thanks for your reply, i didnt take it as an insult its ok.

i think the cleaners have a good argument sometimes though, coming all the way to the office to collect keys to go all the way back to where they came from to clean, its not a massive area, prob 15-20 mins each way sometimes.

But then i think, they took on the job, knew they had to collect keys even if they arent in the immediate local area (some have a small commute to work- who doesnt), so why the hassle.

for example one cleaner lives in Shawbury - about 7 or 8 miles away from base (my office/home), and cleans at some rural areas which are about 10 - 12 miles from base.

so, she would have to do 8 miles to base collect key then 12 miles to job, then 12 miles to base drop of key and payment, and 8 miles home. Would this then become milage allowance for inbetween base, job and base, but not the commute from her home to base and back at the end of the day?

At the moment as she wont pick up and drop off on the same day and its only this job on this particular day, so shes just commuting back and to from her own house to job and back. She wouldnt be entitled to an allowance would she? she is complaining about this, and no matter what i say she still writes it on her timesheet, and then i cross it out, every week.
I thought normal commute no employee travel is allowed just the jobs inbetween.
Would it better business sense to pay miles rather than time it takes to get places?

[Bertie Boo]

Lisa, IMHO you should be paying the cleaner for all time and expenses incurred whilst travelling during her normal working hours. If you tell her to start at 9 and finish at 5 then you should pay for all of it (time and petrol) HOWEVER as i see it your employees have no right to tell you that they cannot be bothered/dont want to/cant see the point of travelliong from home and to you to get a key then go back agian etc, because this is YOUR business and you are paying them to do the job. I cannot see the problem.

That said, you need to set in stone what exactly consitutes the journey 'from home to work', in otherwords i dont think it is fair that anyone should be told that their working day starts at 9am BUT they have to at the first job -or your base- by that time if it is a case that one day the first job is like 2 miles away from the cleaners house and another day its a job 12 miles away. You need to set a boundry AND STICK TO IT!!!!!!! Why not say 3 miles maximum and anything after that is considered YOUR time and YOUR travelling cost?

As you know, i work alone. Each and every day is spent criss-crossing and over-lapping the area in which i work and i often drive past loads of clients houses in order to go to another because my working day is dictated prinicpaly the day that the client wants and when i can fit them in. The travelling is one of the last things i have to factor in as it is far, far easier to make longer, overlapping journeys, than it is to try and do all the jobs in one area on the same day.

What i am trying to say is that your staff need to know that this job (and i am sure many others too) is all about having to accept that you spend a lot of time going from A to B via X Y and Z, just to go back again.

If they are saying that the travelling time does not allow enough time to do the cleaning then you must evaluate this statement carefully to see if they are telling the truth. If there is no impact on the job then they need to be aware that you are paying them for the travelling and the time so they can d**n well go where you send them.

As for whether or not you pay their travelling time and expenses from their home to the first job and then from the last job to home is up to you.......my suggestion would be to not pay the travelling time BUT consider paying the petrol (you will have to do the maths first) because there are few -if any- perks for your staff in this role. One thing i will say though - if you pay it for ONE member of staff you must pay it for ALL members otherwise you know what will happen, you'll have a mass fall-out.

Another word about keys (and i am sure you dont need me to say this, but....) FFS make sure none of your clients are 'aware' that you are having issues over keys as you will loose them faster than i dont-know-what. All it takes is for one of them to overhear one of your staff having a good old bit ch about you and your procedues (and i bet you a pound to a penny they do bi tch) and that will be the end of that. The client wont want to take chances when it comes to their house keys....

Wishing you all the best Lisa 

Stephen

[Mrs Nicholls]

We are holding our annual meeting in october, and i think this is one of the issues that will be addressed there.

obviously they get their breaks inbetween the jobs, and a longer break for lunch should they work over a 6 hour day.

I usually start their day from when they get to my house, and when they return to shrewsbury or my house after their jobs. Their journey to my house and back to their houses after is a commute according to inland rev, and not allowed.

i wonder if my biz partner will be interested in all this at the meeting lol.

anyway, i wonder if i sell her the biz for couple hundred cos - my excuse- cant be bothered with the stress and hassle anymore- if she'll take it? then i can rebuild with all my original customers (who arent keen on her) and staff and start afresh. Sounds good to me 

[murky]

I think I would, get out and start again.

As previously posted you are answering your own arguments.

However, everyone goes to work every day from the removal man to an office worker they have get to work somehow and they dont get paid for it do they, so why do your staff want to be paid for going to work?

Murky

[Mrs Nicholls]

Hi Murky

I think i just need a few points of view from others with more experience so i can make better judgements.

thats why it seems im answering myself. I didnt realise i was actually lol

my thoughts are sometimes erratic