People who just won't pay

[rugbywolf]

Had a shop change owner without them telling me, they owed £120 when I found out, and neither the new or old owner wanted to pay.

I could spend hours trying to track down the previous owner and lay awake at night thinking about it, but I just shrug it off. No amount of stress is worth £120, and I'd rather make it back cleaning than discussing.

It's up to you of course, but my life has improved since I stopped trying to shake down every last penny. You write it off anyway, and sleep better at night.  :1f609:

First thing is, new customers, only allow the one arrears, when you get to know them than maybe twice. I never do a third time unless it's by arrangement. People sometimes come up to me and say 'can you clean mine, I used to have one, but he hasn't been for a long time', and I say 'did you pay him?' I'm not in the habit of sacking customers, but just recently I did twice in the same week. One was a business, wanted the offices done three months, and the house (very big) on the same plot every other time; I priced it accordingly. so everything went nice for about nine months, then I had to leave the house because the painters were in (about 6 months). The last time I did anything there was last January, and they said contact us May. When I emailed to say now is time, I got the answer - Leave it 'til July. So I never bothered in July, and in September they emailed to say that would I come now!!! The other one had a long history of not paying. The trouble with some people is they pay you when they are in, but just don't make the effort to pay you if they miss you, so you end up calling back umpteen times. I had cleaned the windows, it takes me about 30 minutes and cost £13, I called twice each week-end for four weeks then left it because I realised they were away on holiday!. the last time, I got them in and they paid but I told them I couldn't do them anymore. It takes approximately 4 minutes to go to this house, which meant I had spent 36 minutes trying to get my money LONGER THAN IT TOOK TO CLEANE THE ******** WINDOWS.

 

[Clisty1989]

I give 3 attempts to pay by bacs. A week after cleaning I send this...

Hello, its mike the window cleaner, I've been going through my records and I cant seem to find your payment.    Could you please message me with when you paid so I can cross it off my list. If you haven't managed to transfer it yet, please let me know and  arrange payment within the next few days. Thanks in advance.

if no payment after 5 days I send them this...

Hi I've just re checked and I still haven't received payment for your last clean, im in the area tomorrow so can collect it if you want, otherwise please transfer money within 48hrs. Thanks in advance.

if no answer ill knock, then after 72hrs I send a message the same as previously mentioned. Never gone past the 2nd text. Only twice got to 2nd message, sent 1st a lot, but usually get a reply saying they forgot and apologising, and they just done it. If they say they can't send it for a week or 2 due to holidays, or a VALID reason and they let me know then ill give more time, as long as they don't take the ****.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

yeah annoying isn't it, so bad that we can do very little legally unless its a big amount, but even a 30 quid job is still 30 quid they have stolen from you effectively. The down side of window cleaning i guess

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
 

You can sue for £1 mate. Nothing stopping you.  Takes 2 mins to text the customer that you're going to do it and 10 mins a week later to do it when they ain't paid. 

 

[Cristian]

It is such a rare thing to find someone without the internet these days.  Grannies are better at it than us cause they sit home on their tablets watching countdown. 

I run fully automated now through Cleaner Planer.  They all get a text the night before so I have no gates to climb.

Now customer database is critical here..  you should have in the least: First and last name. Address and mobile number.  Without a mobile running a successful text service is a ball ache. 

Once cleaned they get their bill by text as well: 

Dear customer. Your windows were cleaned today. Your current balance is £20.  Please visit the following link  https://pay.gocardless.com/AL00006567VJPV to make a payment. We thank you for your business. Kind regards. Darren. Green Pro Clean Ltd.

The link is specific to my account so don't use it.  Goto GoCardless and get your own link.  

That text is all they get. No alternative. No cash option..  just GoCardless. 

So far they all love it as no need to worry about owing the window cleaner. I love it cause no collections. 

If I am quoting someone and th ey don't want to go on it then I simply won't add them to my round.  It is after all my round and although I provide a service I do not let them dictate to me how they will pay.. 

Everyone has online banking.  They pay their Sky tv bill, car payments and insurance, mobile phone etc all via D.D. and I am a company just like those so they can pay me the same way. 

Darren, do customers have to go onto the Gocardless link each time to pay you, I thought that you clean then ask for payment yourself? 

 

[Iron Giant]

Once clients have signed up to GC they don't have to lift a finger regarding paying. Payment is requested after each window clean through Cleaner Planner

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 

[Cristian]

So if you don't use Cleaner Planner how does it work? 

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

So if you don't use Cleaner Planner how does it work? 

Just send them the link from you GoCardless dashboard.  However the benefit of CP is that it will then automatically update the debt list. 

 

[I Can See Clearly Now]

Just tell them they'll be put on the Black List. They don't need to know it doesn't exist, lol.

 

[Daftoldgit]

For me it largely depends on the amount involved

If it's a little 2 bed house I remind them a few times then give up as a bad job and move on.

If its a big job I hassle them for weeks on end till they pay up. (usually)

 

[TopNotch]

Just tell them they'll be put on the Black List. They don't need to know it doesn't exist, lol.

You've reopen a 3 year old post, I can tell where you're from ??

Nice to see you here, I see you on FB time to time.

 

[Jamesmarshall]

90-95% of people are good payers I’ve found. Don’t clean nee customers without payment is a definite standard .

only ever had 2 customers ever refuse to pay and just flat out ignore texts/ door knocks. To which I reply with slathering fairy on a mop and soaping there windows so they can’t see anything out of them ? one paid up with this method and asked me to clean them again and was apologetic .

the other text lots of abusive messages which I responded with numerous random emojis over and over . Well worth the £16 to picture his blood boiling ??