My windows are okay this month ?

[scottish cleaning service]

Yesterday a customer of mine came out and said my windows aren't dirty and you cleaned them two weeks ago. It was over three weeks ago, so I was in no mood to argue so I said I'll come back next week and she said that's fine. She struggles with health problems and has retired with no hobbies. I was pretty annoyed that she had upset the rest of my plans for the day. So I decide to do my two new customers and one was a first clean. Glad I did because first clean took nearly an hour and would have upset my plan for the rest of day. In the end yesterday turned out fine and I made my 4pm restaurant appointment. Sometimes we can bite back when in fact the customer has done us a good turn like happened to me yesterday. Even manage to order my new bathroom pvc window with satin glass that I'm going to fit next month. ?

 

[spruce]

How long do you allow customers to pay??

We only clean once now. If they don't pay after reminders then we don't do them again. We used to allow 2 cleans but I've toughened up on that these past few years.

After all, the job isn't complete until you have received payment.

We were also in the same boat as you when we first started. Lots of customers we got were messers - other window cleaners rejects. We put up with lots of nonsense with regards to payment and skipping cleans. We now have a full schedule.

We now give 2 options for new starters. Either 6 or 12 weeks. A price is given for each and I ask them which they prefer. If they cancel a 6 week clean then they are reminded what the price is of the 12 week clean we agreed when we took them on. If they hesitate then we know we don't want them on our books.

 

[Davidpatrick1978]

We only clean once now. If they don't pay after reminders then we don't do them again. We used to allow 2 cleans but I've toughened up on that these past few years.

After all, the job isn't complete until you have received payment.

We were also in the same boat as you when we first started. Lots of customers we got were messers - other window cleaners rejects. We put up with lots of nonsense with regards to payment and skipping cleans. We now have a full schedule.

We now give 2 options for new starters. Either 6 or 12 weeks. A price is given for each and I ask them which they prefer. If they cancel a 6 week clean then they are reminded what the price is of the 12 week clean we agreed when we took them on. If they hesitate then we know we don't want them on our books.

Too right I’m like that if they don’t pay after the 1st clean by the time the 2 nd one come unless there a real valid reason I’m booting um still learning the ropes I am but learning fast

 

[spruce]

Too right I’m like that if they don’t pay after the 1st clean by the time the 2 nd one come unless there a real valid reason I’m booting um still learning the ropes I am but learning fast

Window cleaning is a two-way street. You have to earn the trust of the homeowner who is employing your service, but they have to earn your trust as well. If they can't be bothered to pay you timeously for the service they agreed to, then they aren't worth keeping as a customer imo.

 

[spruce]

I honestly can't say we have had much bad debt over the years when compared to other business models, but I still need to limit our exposure by ensuring we get paid very soon after the job has been done. So debt is something I focus on.

 

[Shinyboy]

We only clean once now. If they don't pay after reminders then we don't do them again. We used to allow 2 cleans but I've toughened up on that these past few years.

After all, the job isn't complete until you have received payment.

We were also in the same boat as you when we first started. Lots of customers we got were messers - other window cleaners rejects. We put up with lots of nonsense with regards to payment and skipping cleans. We now have a full schedule.

We now give 2 options for new starters. Either 6 or 12 weeks. A price is given for each and I ask them which they prefer. If they cancel a 6 week clean then they are reminded what the price is of the 12 week clean we agreed when we took them on. If they hesitate then we know we don't want them on our books.

Same.. I will only clean once. Why go back and do a second clean if they haven't paid for the 1st clean. Are some hoping there get paid on the second clean? More than likely not. Inless there is a very good reason they didn't pay. But I won't do a second clean.  I've just this second  deleted a mate of mine as I'm sick of his late payments. 

 

[Tuffers]

Same.. I will only clean once. Why go back and do a second clean if they haven't paid for the 1st clean. Are some hoping there get paid on the second clean? More than likely not. Inless there is a very good reason they didn't pay. But I won't do a second clean.  I've just this second  deleted a mate of mine as I'm sick of his late payments. 

You've deleted a mate of yours? Have you told him why?

 

[P4dstar]

Generally speaking people ain't working for free. It doesn't happen that the customer doesn't pay you for the very first ever clean and you go back, if you do then you get what you deserve IMHO. What happens is a new windy goes out and cleans for someone, they pay cash once or twice no problems. One time this new windy rocks up and no ones about. They leave a slip or email an invoice or whatever they do. The customer thinks F%!k it, I'll pay him next time, he probably just forgot I pay him cash. Or they pay you once, twice, ten times.... then they fall late and you wonder if there's something wrong because they've never done that before so you send the usual reminder the night before and the customer replies and apologises saying they will pay for both. These types of circumstance happen over and over with a few customers and because you're a new windy you keep the customer around because you know you get paid in the end.

Once we've been at it for a while it's easy to forget what it's like being a newbie and how these things often come about. Most people will pay you in the end either way. If I were to start again I'd drop people like that in a heartbeat but I also understand why people don't.

 

[Shinyboy]

You've deleted a mate of yours? Have you told him why?

Yes I've told him I'm not doing his cleans anymore. He's ok about it. I'm just  Fed up with his storys. Are pay you nxt clean.  Nxt clean comes (4 weeks) oh I forgot to pay you are pay you nxt week. That week comes and then it's oh are pay you on nxt clean and it keeps going on like this. I'm a business not a mug. 

 

[Jaygti]

I don’t care if customers build up 2 or 3 cleans. 
I wouldn’t let a new one go past one clean but once established I don’t care. 
 As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the one thing all my customers have in common is that I trust them all to pay up. Otherwise they are long gone. 
 One of mine, a £25.00 house always pays up when he gets to £75.00 owed. He transfers £100. So sometimes he’s ahead. 
 
 I’m generally owed anywhere between £200-£1200 at any one time. 
 

 

[Davidpatrick1978]

Yes I've told him I'm not doing his cleans anymore. He's ok about it. I'm just  Fed up with his storys. Are pay you nxt clean.  Nxt clean comes (4 weeks) oh I forgot to pay you are pay you nxt week. That week comes and then it's oh are pay you on nxt clean and it keeps going on like this. I'm a business not a mug. 

I’ve learned to keep freinds and business separate it’s become much easier to handle 

 

[Markyboy 50]

I don’t care if customers build up 2 or 3 cleans. 
I wouldn’t let a new one go past one clean but once established I don’t care. 
 As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the one thing all my customers have in common is that I trust them all to pay up. Otherwise they are long gone. 
 One of mine, a £25.00 house always pays up when he gets to £75.00 owed. He transfers £100. So sometimes he’s ahead. 
 
 I’m generally owed anywhere between £200-£1200 at any one time. 
 

I’m with you mate. I don’t care if they owe a few times. Always get paid in the end. If I missed off the ones that owed for last time then some months I might only be cleaning half of my customers. 

 

[steve garwood]

I don’t care if customers build up 2 or 3 cleans. 
I wouldn’t let a new one go past one clean but once established I don’t care. 
 As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the one thing all my customers have in common is that I trust them all to pay up. Otherwise they are long gone. 
 One of mine, a £25.00 house always pays up when he gets to £75.00 owed. He transfers £100. So sometimes he’s ahead. 
 
 I’m generally owed anywhere between £200-£1200 at any one time. 
 

Bang on! It’s only having the windows cleaned, nothing essential. I have several customers who pay after 3-4 cleans, no probs 

 

[Part Timer]

Every customer is reminded its owed after 7-10 days. We have a few that pay after 2nd or 3rd wash but they are longstanding customers. Newbies are 1 wash only.

 

[spruce]

Every customer is reminded its owed after 7-10 days. We have a few that pay after 2nd or 3rd wash but they are longstanding customers. Newbies are 1 wash only.

Debt is all about risk. Some people are prepared to risk more than others. That's ok. I have found with another local windie who let his debt build up to 5 or 6 cleans, that doing this upset his customers. I know of a couple of older customers (both in age and length of time he had cleaned them) he lost due to letting the debt build up.

 

[Pjj]

Debt is all about risk. Some people are prepared to risk more than others. That's ok. I have found with another local windie who let his debt build up to 5 or 6 cleans, that doing this upset his customers. I know of a couple of older customers (both in age and length of time he had cleaned them) he lost due to letting the debt build up.

I believe once the the windows have been cleaned it’s up to the customer to pay up it’s not the cleaners responsibility to chase the debt , I don’t believe the cleaner is at fault the customer knows they owe the money so it’s there fault they should have paid up after the works completed rather than complaining about THERE debt building up 

 

[Part Timer]

Debt is all about risk. Some people are prepared to risk more than others. That's ok. I have found with another local windie who let his debt build up to 5 or 6 cleans, that doing this upset his customers. I know of a couple of older customers (both in age and length of time he had cleaned them) he lost due to letting the debt build up.

The people I allow to build any debt can more than afford to pay a year upfront so a £50-£60 bill isn't going to be a hardship. Every month I will send a text statement about how many washes are owed. I tell them it's for my records and once it gets to 3 washes I ask them to pay, which they do with usually a wash or 2 extra to cover the next washes. It's learning who you can do this with though is the hard part.

 

[Davidpatrick1978]

I believe once the the windows have been cleaned it’s up to the customer to pay up it’s not the cleaners responsibility to chase the debt , I don’t believe the cleaner is at fault the customer knows they owe the money so it’s there fault they should have paid up after the works completed rather than complaining about THERE debt building up 

To right Paul suppose this is we’re go cardless comes in handy but I’m still only using cash or bank transfer got all paid up for the moment till the ones I know who will play up again the more I pick up the odd one il drop ?

 

[steve garwood]

I believe once the the windows have been cleaned it’s up to the customer to pay up it’s not the cleaners responsibility to chase the debt , I don’t believe the cleaner is at fault the customer knows they owe the money so it’s there fault they should have paid up after the works completed rather than complaining about THERE debt building up 

It’s ‘their’ ??

 

[Iron Giant]

I don’t care if customers build up 2 or 3 cleans.

Different kettle of fish if that's 100+ jobs owing 2 cleans, as with all businesses it's about effective cashflow management you have to be on top of it, I will have in excess of 100 jobs owing at any one time but I know it's coming in because of Direct Debit along with the ones I trust with bacs and cash

If it's 50-100 jobs that will pay you once they remember and you ain't the top of their priorities then that can be an issue no matter how long you've been established you can't be lax with outstanding debts other businesses aren't so we shouldn't be either 

 

[spruce]

I believe once the the windows have been cleaned it’s up to the customer to pay up it’s not the cleaners responsibility to chase the debt , I don’t believe the cleaner is at fault the customer knows they owe the money so it’s there fault they should have paid up after the works completed rather than complaining about THERE debt building up 

This is true. It's their debt that is building up. This is before Covid and we found back then that the majority of our older customers insisted that they paid by cash and we collect.

It just seems that this was always the tradition in our area. Our window cleaner always came around on a Friday night to collect from us before I ventured into window cleaning myself.

Friday night was the night that the milkman collected, the wheelie bin men collected and ourselves. We would often cross paths.

When we didn't collect from them it became our fault.

We still have a few who won't do internet banking. So it's either we collect from them or we drop them.