[from edge2edge]

With the ever increasing madness that is this credit crunch is it time to insist on cash when doing private jobs.your thoughts please guys/gals  Alan (swindon)

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

There will be some who would hesitate to reply because of the implication that be being paid cash means you won't be declaring it to HMRC.

If on the other hand you think that cash is OK because unlike a cheque it won't bounce then that is another matter.

In domestic situations you know where the person lives if there is a problem. I take the view that if somebody is so strapped for cash that there is a possibility of the cheque bouncing then having their carpets cleaned is probably not on their list of priorities of how to spend what little money they have.

THe only time I do clarify this is when I know I am dealing with somebody who is about to leave a rental property and I won;t know where they are going to.

In these instances I will ask for cash (and as I shall be issuing a receipt there is a perfectly valid audit trail from there to the cash paid into my bank account) or insist upon cheque and cheque guarantee card. Of course some of you may be able to take payment by credit or debitcard which would also guarantee payment.

Oh and just make sure you are not paid in forged notes if you do take cash.

[carlton care]

Did I read this correctly..........................when was there ever a time to choose anything ahead of cash. Even my commercial work has in the vast majority of cases been cash. The main exception being work from social services and even there we often get paid in cash.

Banking is time consuming and with them now taking as long as 10 days to clear cheques, something I avoid like the plague.

[garyj]

You're lucky, in 10 years of commercial work I have never been paid cash, in fact for carpet cleaning commercial work I don't even get paid on the day just presume it will be invoiced and paid in 30 days.

When I started domestic carpet cleaning most paid in cash but on the whole hardly ever see cash now and nearly all pay by cheque.

[Mike Osbourne]

If I thought I was so unlikely to be paid by a client, especially commercial, I would be looking for a different type of client.


Sure some take a looong time to cough, but if up front I thought it was that dodgy I'd walk away.

If I think I have a potential residential messer, I would take a non refundable deposit.

In these times, find better Clients.

[spencer davies]

Good money is achieved when I clean carpets commercially, so I don't mind waiting 40-60 days.

Although I have a £1200 roll top bath and taps in our house, as a bad customer had wound up his business again owing me £900, didn't fancy 5-10p in the pound, so he offered the bath and two kitchen flat screens instead.


S

[Mike Osbourne]

In times like these it's good to have credit on tap

[elliott cleaning]

What happens when you already have roll top baths (and taps :) in your bathrooms??
You win some / you lose some.  The secret is never to extend credit beyond what you can afford to lose

[markpowell]

I have never had a cheque bounce on me yet.
I dont think you could ever demand cash and look professional.
Mark

[Mike Osbourne]

Mark

I was going to say that.

But thought better of it.

[clinton]

 

Sometimes the customer asks when your at the house when you are working in the lines of would you like cash or a cheque

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I had a customer this year that I asked for cash after his wife said that they were moving out of the country for 6 months and also moving home at the same time, he looked at me like thunder and I explained why I asked for it and then he was OK but I was ready to put the sponge and bucket in the back of the van!

Shaun

[Straker Cleaning]

I use the green angle and offer to help them 'recycle' some of that paper in their wallets   

[Paul Brennan]

I too have always been of the opinion that asking for cash gives the wrong impression, however I am now having to pursue 2 domestic defaulters (one for £850), one commercial defaulter and a woman who bounced a cheque on me despite my having worked for her on three previous occasions without incident.

Incidentally, I know where all of them live, but that does not really make a huge difference if they refuse to pay up.

[Spot On cleaning]

Personally, i have been asking for cash for months now due to this credit crunch. If you feel uncomfortable in doing this, simply add £30 to £40 to the price that you want then reduce it to this price for cash. You get what you want and the custy think they are getting a bargain.

The thing is, you have done the work, then why shouldn't you get paid straight away. In the past i find that many people can't be bothered to go to the cash machine, but would rather write a cheque. My petrol bill in running my machine can be high if my earnings are high, so that's another reason for asking for cash.

Dave

[Robert Watson]

This reminds me of a sale trick a closer told me.
Before you say the price, ask, How will you be paying madam? cash, cheque, or credit card?
Most people would say cash thinking it would be cheaper, not that it is.
Don`t use it myself, but I`m sure it would work
Rab

[spencer davies]

Already sold the flat screens 

Hopefully get rid of the bath this week, made £400 on the tv's. I would probably have
got nothing going down the correct channels.


S

[covenant]

I have a mobile eftpos machine that takes card payments there and then, goes into my account that evening.  I did this when I had a bad cheque.  It didn't cost much and now most clients pay this way as they are used to it when they go shopping.

[Jim_77]

How much does the bank charge you for that per month?  Do you add a certain % on top of the quote for the transaction or just factor it in to your pricing?

Do you use it for any other business or just carpet cleaning?

[covenant]

It cost $30 a month and 1% for credit cards which I pass on but to use the debit card on it costs 50 cents and that I justtake.  With a lot less going to the bank and rubber cheques its money well spent.