[Gilbert Sprous]

I was wondering what the norm is for invoicing over the holidays.  I do not charge by the hour, I have a monthly invoicing system.  I would estimate that about 70% of my contracts close for 2 full weeks during the holidays or around 10 days, from the 25 December until the 2 of January and depending on how those days fall it will come to around 10 days.  Do most of the cleaning companies go ahead and invoice for the full amount or do you reduce your invoices for December and Jan.  This year it was the 24th until the 4th because of the way the days landed but some of the places I clean for closed from the 19th until the 4th.  Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

Cheers

[Joe H]

What do your contract documents say?
I would have thought it would have been agreed from the outset.

[Gilbert Sprous]

The T and C s state that if we work a bank holiday it would be at normal price plus 100%.  The contracts state a amount per month.  There is no language that states that there will be a reduced rate in December or January.  This month I only had one contract inquire about it, and when I informed him it was fixed into the monthly price they discontinued service.  We have a contract but not really worth chasing.  But to say I only had one inquiry of all the contracts I service it is not a big issue, I was just wondering what the rest of you do.  If you have it in your T and Cs I would like to know how that one portion is worded.  Maybe I need to relook that.

[Fox]

We invoice throughout the year unless agreed before hand, our quotes state that the price is for 52 weeks (quotes done on a weekly price) and that all bank holidays and shut down periods have been taken into consideration.  When a client specifically asks I tell them that we produce a price for the whole year and divide it by 52 for ease of invoicing.  If a client wants not to be invoiced for the two weeks at Christmas and one at Easter the weekly price rises accordingly.  I have never had any problems with this.

Fox