GoCardless

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

There has been a lot of debate on the GoCardless front on here.  Several like myself love it yet some still believe their clients to think it's the devils work and think their customers will never sign up for it. GoCardless is now the ONLY payment accepted.  (Yes i have a couple of old dears that think them modern microwaves are still a fad and they pay cash) But I simply wont allow any other option for new business. 

I use the method of texting a link.  This is a typical day at present in my inbox. 



Still think they wont sign up? 

 

[cardiffwinclean]

I’ve been trying to push this for at least the last 6 months, and my “windows cleaned” slips only mention “pay by gocardless”. Yet still I don’t have a great percentage signed up, perhaps only 40%. Any tips?!


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[Iron Giant]

Its not an easy road to get people signed up but all new clients added to my rounds have to sign up to GC via my website before the first clean commences, As for longterm clients that were paying by bacs got a letter saying that the bank details they held were no longer valid as I was closing the account so they had to sign up to GC moving forward. 

Other lads have sent text reminders with a link to sign up to GC which has worked really well. 

 

[El Sombrero]

I've approximately 50% of my customers on GoCardless and the rest are going to get moved on to it asap, any customer that I take on from now will only be able to pay this way. A big mistake was accepting cash, the main problem with this is starting to become apparent to me in that customers are beginning to 'forget' to leave money out.

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

I am really struggling in gocardless sign ups Customers would rather cancel than sign up to Gocardless

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[Cristian]

Looks like it depends whereabouts in the country you are if Gocardless will work on all yer customers. I have mentioned it to quite a few folk where I live and they all said no way, another Direct Debit. Even though I tried to explain to them how it worked it was just never going to happen. So lose business or take Bacs, card payment or cash, well I'm in this business to make money so I will take the latter rather than lose customers. 

 

[adamangler]

Don't think it matters how they pay as long as it's hassle free and  as long as they are good payers.

I have about 10% on GC, 80% is Bacs...as long as they pay within a few weeks its no big deal.

The only time I think 100% go cardless makes sense is to a big business where the cashflow is more important.

 

[Iron Giant]

To clarify I am a sole trader with around 350 clients not a big business and i got sick of chasing money on average 6 hours a week for over 14 years, GC is definitely the way to go I have over 220 clients on GC and I know when a lot of money is coming in and its a lot a sooner than a few weeks. 

With new sign ups it shows commitment from them to me and i am not wondering if and when they are going to pay, In almost 4 years or so  of using GC I have lost 2 longterm clients who wouldn't sign up who were became problem payers so no great loss. I have GC sign ups of a wide age range from 20yrs old to people in their 70's 

 

[johnny bravo]

i collect locally on a thurs night, & sat night between 6 / 7pm.      if i cant be bothered ill just leave and get double next clean,  this may make them pay via bacs or gc

 

[dmw]

I still collect 5 while 7 on a Thursday and Friday, and increasingly taking BACS payments.

I'm I'm still pondering with GC.

It would save me 4 hours a week, but on the other side of the coin I do meet my customers

and have built a good rapport and good freindships over the years, which leads to add ons

and when it's increase time they're less likely to dump you to your face, plus it does well with

tips, this time of year.

So I'm still deliberating on this one, after all it took me 25 years to go Wfp, so I'm not one for
rushing [emoji3]

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[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Less likely to drop you at price hike time if using GoCardless.  They are not handing out physical cash so the hike is not as noticeable.

Also you collect 4 hours a week?  That's 192 hours a year.  8 (24 hour days)  or 24 work days (8 hours) of standing their with hat in hand saying 'please sir......'  you aren't being paid for this.  That's the part I can't stomach.  

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I am really struggling in gocardless sign ups Customers would rather cancel than sign up to Gocardless

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Matters not where you are. Matters how you pitch it.  I know lads from John Ogroats to Lands End that successfully use GoCardless. 

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Wish that was the case I even try offer the window cleaning at a lower rate for Gocardless sign ups and they still prefer the extra few quid :/

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[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Wish that was the case I even try offer the window cleaning at a lower rate for Gocardless sign ups and they still prefer the extra few quid :/

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Cause you are accepting them telling you NO. They are telling you how YOU will run your business.  YOU are being dictated to YOU do not have control over YOUR companies financial matters.

I am now fully GC as yesterday I converted the last of the due hard 'I'm not paying direct debit' when she called to find out why her windows weren't done  this month.  I told her she refused to pay D.D. so we can't do her windows any more she needs to go else where.  She was horrified. 

She is now on GC.  

I have the call recorded on my phone app and will type up a transcript of it for you later so you know how I swung her round.  

It really is just a matter of explaining it to people properly. 

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Maybe I don't have loyal customers to commit to Gocardless as previous attempts to sign them up they just say no thanks and get the next man in the area to do them instead :/ which means I would keep losing customers as there's not a shortage of windys in my area

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[adamangler]

Maybe I don't have loyal customers to commit to Gocardless as previous attempts to sign them up they just say no thanks and get the next man in the area to do them instead :/ which means I would keep losing customers as there's not a shortage of windys in my area

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I think it like anything else. Ive turned down lots of custys as they wanted to pay cash only and refused to pay online.

It's only the same principle, if your customers won't convert no matter what you try then you have to decide to put up with it or start replacing them.

Personally I don't mind a mixture as long as they pay some way or another but it's nice to at least get a decent percentage on go cardless at least.

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Gocardless is the plan of course but so far last 7 months I've been self employed only have 2 customers who miss a payment or 2 but they do pay up the following month and most pay bacs which is fine I only do 2hrs collecting 1 day a week and tbf most unpaid always pay that collection day

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[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Theres no shortage of window cleaners anywhere.  There are two more on estate I live on.  

if youre happy with how you get paid then so be it.  

'Hello Sky TV / Mortage / Car Insurance / Mobile phone Electricty / Gas' etc  hoe can we help?'

'Sign me up please'

'Sure, whats your account number?' 

'Oh no, i'm only going to pay cash i dont do online banking'  

Total b@ll@€£s  

It is ALWAYS up to YOU. 

  I sign them to GC on the door when quoting.  No alternatives. 

When converting the old custys I had no issue with the die hards telling them they were welcome to go elsewhere if they dont want to pay GC.   

But that was MY choice I was ready to loose a couple for the overall good of the business.  

7 months in you may not mind colllecting and thats sound but 10 years in how I wish I could have back all those wasted hours, days weeks and months standing at the door with my hat in hand. 

 

[CM Cleaning Services]

Hear what your saying Green I am trying in the new year taking a hard stance on New customers Gocardless option only :/ will update you with my results ..... any tips to get a better response to Gocardless id welcome

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[Iron Giant]

Anyone whether it's a walk up, email enquiry, text or Fb once they have accepted my quote they get provided with the information to my payments page and usually sign up pretty quickly.

As mentioned before no sign up no clean, only mention GC as a payment option on your website as well. And make sure your payment page is well laid out with plenty of info about how it works and the security of GC and the direct debit system.

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[Dr Von Samstein]

I had been thinking about this recently. I currently have no GC payers. 

My monthly phone bill has a £5 discount because I pay by direct debit, but who would ever pay £5 per month for the privilege of physically walking into a shop and handing over your cash. So they take what they want, add £5, and tell you pay their way and you get £5 off per month.

I was musing writing a nice letter to all of my customers and explaining admin costs are going up as a result of the business growing but we are trying to keep price as low as possible for you. There will be a £3-£5 increase (not sure which I would go for) to everyone but you can stay at your current price with no increases guaranteed until next year by signing up for GC now. I figure if they sign up, I'm happy with the price already. If they don't want to I'm getting my money the same way as before but getting a big pay increase for my troubles.

Do you think it would work? Anyone done anything similar?