None of you guys can do the Direct Debit thing; you have to be a MAJOR company to qualify to be able to do DD.
With a direct debit you could for example take £100 out of a customers account instead of the normal payment of £10 for the cost of their window cleaning; you have control over the amount you deduct; so there's a lot of scope for fraud.
However, Standing Orders is a different matter altogether, and I have a few customers who pay me in this manner.
It's easy to set up and advertise, but that's another post, and it's simple if you clean on a calander monthly basis (as I do; mostly), because the customer can easily set up a monthly payment for a monthly clean. But it will get complicated if you have a different cleaning frequency.
Also, what I do when I'm late, so I've received two payments and have only cleaned the once (which has happened), I end up cleaning the windows and then posting the money for the extra payment I've received through their letter box with a letter of explanation.
That feels weird though;
cleaning someone's windows and PAYING THEM.
One of my customers was in when I paid them and he said he was putting the price up for next month!
