[windows_chepstow]

I've found a mini-gold mine of an area - around 250 houses - all without a window cleaner.  It seems the window cleaner that had the area sold it on.  The lad who took over stuck at it for a couple of months, then abandoned the area!

I've decided to get all the customers from this area that I can to pay by standing order.  So far I've had twelve bookings (I only leaflet dropped this morning) and all except one has agreed - without a qualm - to pay by standing order.

I've found Wavie Davies standing order form and it looks simple enough.

Clean a customers house. 

Get the first payment in cash. 

Then fill the form out - get customer to sign. 

Post it to their bank. 

Start receiving money monthly.

Clean the customers house every month, leaving a 'chit' saying you've been.

Is there anything else I should know?

[Crystal Cleaning Services]

You have beaten me to it. I was about to add this thread...

I already have a standing order form that I use for one customer, but thats it. I do advise them all that they can pay by standing order, but no one seems to take it up. I will definately push it to new customers tho.

Would be intersted to see what others think of this, and how well it works.

[Roy Harding]

I dont use a standing order. What happens if you cant do them for some reason, or you go on holiday and miss a clean ect.  " Holiday whats that" Went to Cuba a year ago, must be due another.

[windows_chepstow]

I'd make this Standing Order area priority - so they would get cleaned every month - without fail.  And if for some inexplicable reason I couldn't, I'd give them their money back in cash, then resume cleaning as normal.

Once I'm earning your money Roy (who earns probably more than a doctor - jammy 'so and so') I'll just take long weekends away to New York and stuff. Presently, a wet weekend in Tenby is all I can afford and does not restrict my window cleaning activities.

[AuRavelling79]

I've a few who pay by S/0 - I give them my bank details and they go their bank with them and instruct them to pay me £X per month. I put a slip thru' when I've cleaned.

[windows_chepstow]

Personally I'm not sure I would trust the customer to do it on their own.

Mabye most would, but I bet I'd end up with the odd one who'd 'forget'.  I'd rather fill in the forms with the information provided from the customer - then post them to their banks with my own fair(ish) hand.

I've had another four calls this evening - all who've agreed to do standing order.  It seemed I bored one of them with explaining how the system would work and she brushed me off with, "Yes, we'll sort all that out when you come".

I've suggested this system to some of my current customers and they seem to positive about it.

[Andrew Bishop]

Instead of standing orders try taking payment direct to your account by PC online banking. Then it is under the customers control but its so easy for them most will pay you faster than if they have to post a cheque. We dont do any calling back for payment and most of our customers seem to be out earning the money to pay the window cleaner! 

[bumper]

Bad move,cash is best,got to avoid the taxman,coz he worn't go round collecting his dues.Saying can i pay you next week.my wifes not in,my mum is out,i payed you last time(yeh alright)ive got no money,can i pay you by check.

[AuRavelling79]

Hello Bumper welcome aboard - sorry though, I can't quite grasp what you're trying to say - Is cash best or is it too much hassle for you to collect and where does the Taxman come into this?
Translation please for me cuz I'm obviously Mr. Thicky.

Gotta go the snow's stopped  and I'm off out to work!

[bumper]

well if you have standing orders, the taxman knows how much goes in to your bank, as with cash who's to know only you

[Roy Harding]

Sounds like your on the fiddle Honesty is the best policy. If you ever wanted a bussines loan ect. You cant say to the bank manager, but I earn £££ in cash that I dont declare. If I pick up cash it all goes through the books. If you wont take a cheque from your customers, and ask for cash, they will think that your doing it on the side, and gives them the wrong mesage.

[windows_chepstow]

well if you have standing orders, the taxman knows how much goes in to your bank, as with cash who's to know only you

I do not plan to get a 100% of my customers to pay by standing order.  I doubt I could if I wanted.  My priority is to get the ones from this new area I'm working and from other areas that I find it a pain to travel back to collect.  Oh, and also it's a condition for new cleans I take on from other areas.

As for my current customers - I'll target the difficult ones I find hard to catch in - and others can sign up by standing order if they wish.

Out of the 17 new cleans I've done today (I'm knackered - all by myself - Wor Lass is on the sick with the flu), only six were in.  Five quite happily gave me their bank details and one refused, saying her husband had to do it, 'cos it was his bank account it would come from; I need his signature - so I left the form with her.

I can't take the money from their bank till the 1 April, so I told them I would miss them in March and be around early April.  It's got to be a 'win win' situation being paid by standing order.  No messing about collecting.  No relying on your customers to send a cheque, then having to go to bank; then having to wait for it to clear.

If, after they agree to your quote, you act quite matter of factly and explain how you work with regard to standing orders; most of them seem to say 'yes'. 

Just explain the following:

Unlike a Direct Debit, we have no control over the payment.  The customer signs to start it and the customer can cancell at any time.

Tell them that when you clean, you'll stick a chit through their door, so they know you've been and can check their windows.

Finish by saying they won't be disturbed when they're having dinner/putting the kids into bed/during Bell-Enders etc...

If you're straight with the tax man or not, that's up to you, but we've all got to put a certain amount of cash into our banks, unless we live with Mum and/or Dad, to cover the routine bills and if it reduces my collection times - that's brilliant in my books.

[Stuart Webster]

Bumper, you sound like a man on the fiddle. You give honest window cleaners a bad name. I trust its not just Roy and I that pay our taxes!!

[bumper]

Ive been cleaning windows for 22 years and know a lot of window cleaners,who dorn't declare all there earnings.yes i except cheques but not many.Am i the only 1 out of all the window cleaners on the forum, to fiddle a little tax somehow i dornt think so
                                         Bumper

[Dean Taberner]

Bumper has been active today

[Ian_Giles]

Simpson's window cleaning, could you please stop dragging up old posts unless you have a decent comment to make.

I've deleted several of your backposts now as the pointless nature of some of your replies has been drawn to my attention.

Ian

[Ian_Giles]

Nonetheless the topic itself is a good one, though Windows-Chepstow (Tosh in a previous incarnation) no longer does it.
It's relentless for one thing, and there are some months when you end out paying the customer!

You say about giving out your bank details, but so what? The details in question are on every cheque you write out, they are also there on the front of your bank card and every shop you use your card in also has those details too.
Just as every cheque I receive from my customers has their bank details on...I can't do anything with them though!

Ian

[LWC]

wouldnt it be good just to ave access the money, so when its done, stick the envelope through, come home, click a button and it comes out of their account

i mean for example Orange do this to me every month and every month is different isnt it. but i suppose it is more or less on the same day every month

could that not be somehow setup

as for me, setting it up monthly would not work out as im not always there every month but if you could do something where you just collect it after its been done. stick a card through "windows have been cleaned, money will be collected later" click a button...that could solve all our problems lol...maybe not

[ftp]

I'm going to have to resort to a baseball bat soon.

[Paul Coleman]

wouldnt it be good just to ave access the money, so when its done, stick the envelope through, come home, click a button and it comes out of their account

i mean for example Orange do this to me every month and every month is different isnt it. but i suppose it is more or less on the same day every month

could that not be somehow setup

as for me, setting it up monthly would not work out as im not always there every month but if you could do something where you just collect it after its been done. stick a card through "windows have been cleaned, money will be collected later" click a button...that could solve all our problems lol...maybe not

You are referring to direct debit I believe.  The banks will only accept direct debits from companies that are proven to be of a particular degree of trustworthiness in order to avoid people's accounts being ransacked.  I've no idea what the criteria are but I reckon it's unlikerly that small W/C businesses would qualify.