Customer not paying

[James102]

As above I think she was after a free clean and by finding fault has got it , I think ime right in saying from a trading standards point of view you have a legal right to put right any issues and she should pay , I wouldn’t accept her saying she has cleaned it herself if that was the case why did she get you in to clean it ? I would chase payment just to prove a point but it would be an instant dump and never go back

So she's replied n said she would pay this week I sent a reminder today n she was like I was waiting for a rearrange clean of the windows previously she already said don't bother so now I have to go back to rectify it to get paid when she actually said she cleaned them herself

 

[scottish cleaning service]

So she's replies n said she would pay this week I sent a reminder today n she was like I was waiting for a rearrange clean of the windows previously she already said don't bother so now I have to go back to rectify it to get paid when she actually said she cleaned them herself

Do the clean take the money and don't go back.

 

[Chris34]

So she's replies n said she would pay this week I sent a reminder today n she was like I was waiting for a rearrange clean of the windows previously she already said don't bother so now I have to go back to rectify it to get paid when she actually said she cleaned them herself

That's great, just shows that if you keep your cool and don't act like you're panicking, act very business like and it will normally work. Always allow a bit of time for them to come to you.

I had a customer at Christmas who I thought I might have issues with, he didn't pay and I left it a good while before contacting him again. He eventually paid and just made up some excuse.

The key is to stay on good terms with them. The minute you start making demands is the minute you could get their backs up, you don't want to give them a reason not to pay you. Everyone knows it's not right, but if you're smart you will realise that getting paid is worth more than lowering yourself to their level.

Go do the clean, make sure she is happy, spend an hour there if need be, get the money... then don't go back. It will be a lot easier anyway as you've already cleaned it.

 

[spruce]

That's great, just shows that if you keep your cool and don't act like you're panicking, act very business like and it will normally work. Always allow a bit of time for them to come to you.

I had a customer at Christmas who I thought I might have issues with, he didn't pay and I left it a good while before contacting him again. He eventually paid and just made up some excuse.

The key is to stay on good terms with them. The minute you start making demands is the minute you could get their backs up, you don't want to give them a reason not to pay you. Everyone knows it's not right, but if you're smart you will realise that getting paid is worth more than lowering yourself to their level.

Go do the clean, make sure she is happy, spend an hour there if need be, get the money... then don't go back. It will be a lot easier anyway as you've already cleaned it.

I agree. But this just sounds like a money problem @James102
She had to have the job done but hasn't the money to pay for it.

 

[James102]

I agree. But this just sounds like a money problem @James102
She had to have the job done but hasn't the money to pay for it.

Cheers mate

 

[James102]

How much does she owe you, was it a big job? Sometimes it's just not worth all the hassle for a small amount, with these types of people it can be like banging your head against a brick wall.

I think £18

 

[spruce]

Cheers mate

It's a tiny minority of people who do this. It takes a lot of gumption to shrug it off and get on with life. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. Most of them who mess around with payment have done it so often that it becomes a way of life, and it doesn't bother them. They have most probably learnt the art from their parents. Don't let people like these give you an ulcer.

We've just got caught for an amount of £12. We will let the neighbours know why we aren't cleaning the house any longer.

But you get the many more good people. New clean yesterday, payment in the bank yesterday evening. Happy days!

 

[Part Timer]

It's a tiny minority of people who do this. It takes a lot of gumption to shrug it off and get on with life. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. Most of them who mess around with payment have done it so often that it becomes a way of life, and it doesn't bother them. They have most probably learnt the art from their parents. Don't let people like these give you an ulcer.

We've just got caught for an amount of £12. We will let the neighbours know why we aren't cleaning the house any longer.

But you get the many more good people. New clean yesterday, payment in the bank yesterday evening. Happy days!

Whilst I can agree with a lot of this I think the OP was this was a filthy first clean. If they'd been a good customer for a while then I totally agree with you, but in this case I would have pursued her to court as she was taking the p!ss and we shouldn't let these type off with it.
I wonder if she would have "volunteered" to pay if he hadn't chased her. Personally I wouldn't go back until she paid me for the first wash as she might just be after another "free" wash.

 

[spruce]

Whilst I can agree with a lot of this I think the OP was this was a filthy first clean. If they'd been a good customer for a while then I totally agree with you, but in this case I would have pursued her to court as she was taking the p!ss and we shouldn't let these type off with it.
I wonder if she would have "volunteered" to pay if he hadn't chased her. Personally I wouldn't go back until she paid me for the first wash as she might just be after another "free" wash.

I think it's getting more difficult to chase these types of small claims in the small claims court.

Don't get me wrong, we chase bad debt where we are still able, but honestly, I'm not going to court over a small amount. (We found where a bad debtor moved to 18 months later and got payment.) I agree, it's not right, but I'm too old to spend my energy on small amounts of bad debt. But that's me.

Everyone must run their business the way it's right for them and their personal feelings.

 

[Pjj]

I think it's getting more difficult to chase these types of small claims in the small claims court.

Don't get me wrong, we chase bad debt where we are still able, but honestly, I'm not going to court over a small amount. (We found where a bad debtor moved to 18 months later and got payment.) I agree, it's not right, but I'm too old to spend my energy on small amounts of bad debt. But that's me.

Everyone must run their business the way it's right for them and their personal feelings.

Yes it’s becoming far more hassle now you cannot go straight to court you have to go to arbitration, time is organised they don’t show up so gets rescheduled this happens 3 times at least it’s never worth it for a few quid , I don’t agree with them getting away with it but feel it’s better to knock on the door at awkward hours than go the court route

 

[Part Timer]

Yes it’s becoming far more hassle now you cannot go straight to court you have to go to arbitration, time is organised they don’t show up so gets rescheduled this happens 3 times at least it’s never worth it for a few quid , I don’t agree with them getting away with it but feel it’s better to knock on the door at awkward hours than go the court route

And then they get you done for harassment or demanding money with menaces, as I said for long term customers that have hit hard times then write it off. For first cleans that try to rip you off I feel it is our duty to stop these people doing it again and again. If that takes me hours then so be it, with written proof they can't get out of it.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I believe its all part and parcel of our career. Today I got a text from an old customer who wants me back. The only problem there was a balance of £40 so I said I would if he paid the balance. He did and I will go back because I clean both sides of him. Turns out there was a mistake with the money and its sorted out now. I find 99% of people I work for are fine but every year there is one that needs to be let go because of payment issues.

 

[Pjj]

And then they get you done for harassment or demanding money with menaces, as I said for long term customers that have hit hard times then write it off. For first cleans that try to rip you off I feel it is our duty to stop these people doing it again and again. If that takes me hours then so be it, with written proof they can't get out of it.

There is no law to stop you knocking there door at 8 am Sunday mornings ??? if they want to call the police or make a complaint I would encourage that and Evan make the call for them they soon change there tune then . It certain wouldn’t be viewed as demanding money with menaces , but I agree about good customer not being able to afford it , but a one off it’s still not worth the time and effort for a small amount of money , but when passing early or late in the day they would get a call , we are still owed a lot of money from a client after 3 court cases and CCJ in place and no nearer getting the money the totally this person owes is well over 250k with six firms our bill is only a couple of grand but still riles me , I doubt we will ever see a penny of it as the guy is always one step ahead of the law .

 

[Part Timer]

There is no law to stop you knocking there door at 8 am Sunday mornings ??? if they want to call the police or make a complaint I would encourage that and Evan make the call for them they soon change there tune then . It certain wouldn’t be viewed as demanding money with menaces , but I agree about good customer not being able to afford it , but a one off it’s still not worth the time and effort for a small amount of money , but when passing early or late in the day they would get a call , we are still owed a lot of money from a client after 3 court cases and CCJ in place and no nearer getting the money the totally this person owes is well over 250k with six firms our bill is only a couple of grand but still riles me , I doubt we will ever see a penny of it as the guy is always one step ahead of the law .

There is a law if you do it regularly and the Police would say to you it's a civil matter, so you would have to take it to a legal stage but if you continue to knock on their door it will be classed as harassment.
The fact you're talking about a Commercial job, with someone with a legal team, is totally different. We, as an industry, need to stop the rip off merchants. If it costs us time, and money, should be irrelevant as if we don't attempt to stop it these people will continue to rip newbies off.

 

[Chris34]

I agree with Part Timer, it's not about the money it's about protecting our line of work and showing that we won't be walked over.

Personally I find persistence, patience and being nice is the best approach. A director of a big national contract cleaning company told me years ago, if you're nice to people they find it hard to not be nice to you. I've used that advice all my life since and it works. I think the moment you start making demands is the moment you're giving them the opportunity to be angry against you and in that situation they're going to find it easier to not be nice to you.

There is a way of doing it nicely but also not in a begging type of way. Like being nice but also serious about it.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

One way to stop it happening, just ask for money upfront. I did this with a restaurant that was opening and they had to go to cashline for money and I just sat in van.?

 

[johnny bravo]

i will always ask for Payment now before i do a first clean . I tell them i have been established over 20 years . direct them to my Fb page for comfirmation . If they dont trust you Why should you trust them . All newvies have paid b4 clean now. If they dont pay its simple i dont clean them .

 

[Millsy]

If we haven't been paid on the first clean or the last clean, then they don't get cleaned again. This goes for established customers as well.

We need to gain the trust of new customers, but they also have to prove to us they are trustworthy. Good customers can turn into bad payers, so I'm not going to let any of my customers run their window cleaning tab up.

I’m the same, I advertise as pay on the day but send a text after 7 days. If they haven’t paid by the time it comes to the next visit then I strike them from my round. I don’t have time to chase bad payers and certainly don’t need the stress.

 

[Yogi1872]

There is no law to stop you knocking there door at 8 am Sunday mornings ??? if they want to call the police or make a complaint I would encourage that and Evan make the call for them they soon change there tune then . It certain wouldn’t be viewed as demanding money with menaces , but I agree about good customer not being able to afford it , but a one off it’s still not worth the time and effort for a small amount of money , but when passing early or late in the day they would get a call , we are still owed a lot of money from a client after 3 court cases and CCJ in place and no nearer getting the money the totally this person owes is well over 250k with six firms our bill is only a couple of grand but still riles me , I doubt we will ever see a penny of it as the guy is always one step ahead of the law .

Do you know the guys address ? Roughly where hel be at times?, someone ripping the piss with a 2 grand Bill shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. If I wasn't willing to do anything myself, I'd be paying the local lunatic £50 quid to go get my money.

 

[johnny bravo]

ive a bad habbit of not marking down who has paid usually cash after the clean . i have the adresses to put a tick next to them when paid. same when paying via bacs etc.
I sometimes forget to tick off the cash payees as i carry on working along the street. i then leave that area and carry on. days later when catching up with online payments i see gaps with no ticks next to customer.

I must have lost hundreds over the different years .
Only myself to blame i know . i used to remember all payees but cant now. Need to keep to a routine of marking off.
I usually allow 2/3 cleans on decent customers. some of these are delaying payments also. You get sick of reminding them
Its One miss clean only now

 

[scottish cleaning service]

ive a bad habbit of not marking down who has paid usually cash after the clean . i have the adresses to put a tick next to them when paid. same when paying via bacs etc.
I sometimes forget to tick off the cash payees as i carry on working along the street. i then leave that area and carry on. days later when catching up with online payments i see gaps with no ticks next to customer.

I must have lost hundreds over the different years .
Only myself to blame i know . i used to remember all payees but cant now. Need to keep to a routine of marking off.
I usually allow 2/3 cleans on decent customers. some of these are delaying payments also. You get sick of reminding them
Its One miss clean only now

I'm the same but I save with payment fees so balances out. Needing a new van so every penny is a prisoner now and I just dump the none payers now but I have over 2 weeks work now and picking a new customer up each few days.