Sign existing customers up to go cardless on the door?

[Iron Giant]

So have I got this right £90 for every £1000 you are receiving ?? 

Sorry Paul, I'm not very bright ? based on 1K the charges would be around £30 per £1,000 this of course depends on the value of the job plus the new 20p per transaction charge which comes into effect in Feb.

 

[Wind o kleen]

GoCardless have cap of £4 aswel,

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

Hi,

I've recently found out about gocardless and I've posted a few letters to some of my bad players about signing up (even offering a £1 discount off their next clean) but so far no signups. I'm seriously considering changing all my customers to gocardless as to be quite frank they're quite bad payers. 

I'm considering going round with my phone and signing them all up to gocardless there and then on the door.

What are your thoughts on this?

Has anyone tried it?

Any suggestions from people are most welcome.

Thanks in advance guys!

UPDATE: Went out yesterday dropping letters saying I'm moving to gocardless, here's why, please sign up before your next clean. 

Woke up to two text messages from customers cancelling due to it "not being a personal experience and it takes away the trust factor".

Not sure whether I made the right choice there. What do you guys who only use gocardless think. Is this what you experienced?

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

UPDATE: Went out yesterday dropping letters saying I'm moving to gocardless, here's why, please sign up before your next clean. 

Woke up to two text messages from customers cancelling due to it "not being a personal experience and it takes away the trust factor".

Not sure whether I made the right choice there. What do you guys who only use gocardless think. Is this what you experienced?

I have personally found that it's just easier to pick up new customers and put them on it. I've not force pushed existing customers on it unless they were a pain for paying. I did put a leaflet out and offered 25% off the next clean for any who signed up and got about 30 converted giving me 120 in total on it. But I know for a fact if i said to all to go on it I would defo lose some. 

Way I've found works best for me is to keep gently offering it to existing customers. Every invoice has on it 'why not sign up to pay by DD, the easy way to pay" with instructions on how to sign up. Every reminder message says the same. Every so oft i offer an incentive. The only ones I force are the ones who mess me about or start beimg slow at paying. And I'm not bothered if they say no. What I've done then is advertised a bit and picked up customers to replace them and put the new ones on GC. I think eventually I'll have most on GC but it will be a slow process of gentle reminders and picking up new work to replace existing cash/bacs payers.

In regards to the comments of it not being a personal service, think that's just a polite way of saying they don't want to pay that way. 

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

I have personally found that it's just easier to pick up new customers and put them on it. I've not force pushed existing customers on it unless they were a pain for paying. I did put a leaflet out and offered 25% off the next clean for any who signed up and got about 30 converted giving me 120 in total on it. But I know for a fact if i said to all to go on it I would defo lose some. 

Way I've found works best for me is to keep gently offering it to existing customers. Every invoice has on it 'why not sign up to pay by DD, the easy way to pay" with instructions on how to sign up. Every reminder message says the same. Every so oft i offer an incentive. The only ones I force are the ones who mess me about or start beimg slow at paying. And I'm not bothered if they say no. What I've done then is advertised a bit and picked up customers to replace them and put the new ones on GC. I think eventually I'll have most on GC but it will be a slow process of gentle reminders and picking up new work to replace existing cash/bacs payers.

In regards to the comments of it not being a personal service, think that's just a polite way of saying they don't want to pay that way. 

What do you consided a late or bad payer? Cos tbh we all have different ideas on how/when to get paid.

My dad says if they havent paid by 3 cleans but my understanding or thoughts are that if they have the windows done every 4 weeks then really they have 3 weeks to pay.

But I do understand that it's better to pick them up and get them on GC from the start but I'm having trouble getting new customers in (I posted about it in another topic)

 

[Part Timer]

What do you consided a late or bad payer?

All new customers pay on the day, only known customers are allowed one wash without paying. They are all told that if I've not been paid then after 2 washes I stop. I only have around 80 residential customers though.

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

What do you consided a late or bad payer? Cos tbh we all have different ideas on how/when to get paid.

My dad says if they havent paid by 3 cleans but my understanding or thoughts are that if they have the windows done every 4 weeks then really they have 3 weeks to pay.

But I do understand that it's better to pick them up and get them on GC from the start but I'm having trouble getting new customers in (I posted about it in another topic)

My dad is similar to yours, but that's quite old school thinking lol all my slips say payment within 3 days. Most of my existing customers now on Bacs do. I've have maybe 4 who will always pay after a few weeks but always before the next clean. They are the only ones I let off with that. I would never go clean a house that owes for last clean. But that's just me. I've weeded most bad payers out now.

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

My dad is similar to yours, but that's quite old school thinking lol all my slips say payment within 3 days. Most of my existing customers now on Bacs do. I've have maybe 4 who will always pay after a few weeks but always before the next clean. They are the only ones I let off with that. I would never go clean a house that owes for last clean. But that's just me. I've weeded most bad payers out now.

Exactly finally someone who agrees ? my dad is very old school in that he wont canvass only word of mouth, wont use a business bank account and let's people get away with not paying for months.

It's okay not paying for 3 cleans but I still have to pay my rent in the mean time so why let it happen? 

The reason I decided to go fully GC is a lot of my customers are bad players. Probably 80% never pay on time and I was forever having to send letters or collect or remind them to pay.

 

[Mx19]

I follow up for payment after 3 days then 1 week then fortnightly. I won't clean again until previous payment is made. Pretty much all my bacs transfers are done on the same day apart from one or 2 who usually pay within a week. 

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

I follow up for payment after 3 days then 1 week then fortnightly. I won't clean again until previous payment is made. Pretty much all my bacs transfers are done on the same day apart from one or 2 who usually pay within a week. 

I wish my customers were like that. It usually takes multiple letters or texts to get a payment out of them and then even that doesn't work for some customers. Hence my desicion to go fully GC but then comes the hassle of signing them up and dealing with the ones that wont do it

 

[Iron Giant]

I wish my customers were like that. It usually takes multiple letters or texts to get a payment out of them and then even that doesn't work for some customers. Hence my desicion to go fully GC but then comes the hassle of signing them up and dealing with the ones that wont do it

Refine your rounds and replace the bad payers, with new jobs that are more than happy to pay via GC and fully appreciate that you are running business and have bills to pay, I have clients who think GC is great as it's one less hassle for them and they know their bill is getting paid 

I do think that some think because we are in business we are far better off than them, so it's ok to mess people around or rip them off, they have the same impression of bigger businesses as well, a mate of mine was telling me about the days he had at work last week, he works for one of the big mobile firms and they get loads of calls after xmas with people wanting to change there billing from direct debit to pay the bill when it comes in, so in effect they want to delay paying their bill, because they don't have the money.

 

[Baldmonkey]

my two penneth

1, if someone told you that they would collect a £10 job for you and they only wanted 30p of it for doing so, my opinion...put your feet up and pay the fee, id prefer to spend my eveings and weekends with my family.

2. if you are converting existing customers over to gocardless then make time and go round odf an evening and explain person to person why, dont be bolshy and shirty, speak to them as a friend.

3. signing every new customer up to gc is 100% easier to do than converting existing customers, so dont worry about them

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

my two penneth

1, if someone told you that they would collect a £10 job for you and they only wanted 30p of it for doing so, my opinion...put your feet up and pay the fee, id prefer to spend my eveings and weekends with my family.

2. if you are converting existing customers over to gocardless then make time and go round odf an evening and explain person to person why, dont be bolshy and shirty, speak to them as a friend.

3. signing every new customer up to gc is 100% easier to do than converting existing customers, so dont worry about them

@Baldmonkey

That's the way I view it. I'd rather spend 30p collecting a £10 debt than either going round myself wasting my time or ringing or sending letters etc.

With regards point number 2 how would be the best way to describe it. I already tried that approach first and was greeted with "yeah well look at that" or "well can I not just do bacs instead". So I never actually got any signups.

 

[NewGuy]

Regarding the suggestion that new customers should be signed up to GoCardless, I'm imaging many people standing at the door with window cleaners they don't know and not wanting to give their bank details to them.  I appreciate the that an email link will be sent to them for them to sign up, but what about those folks with no internet access?

Do you simply bin them or make allowances in these circumstances?

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

Regarding the suggestion that new customers should be signed up to GoCardless, I'm imaging many people standing at the door with window cleaners they don't know and not wanting to give their bank details to them.  I appreciate the that an email link will be sent to them for them to sign up, but what about those folks with no internet access?

Do you simply bin them or make allowances in these circumstances?

I give them a letter with a sign up link on it. Chances are if they dont have internet (I'm thinking more about the oldies) then they will probably have a son or daughter or grandkids who do.

There isn't many legitimate excuses nowadays for people to say no to gocardless it's easy, reliable and by far the safest.

 

[Baldmonkey]

@Baldmonkey

That's the way I view it. I'd rather spend 30p collecting a £10 debt than either going round myself wasting my time or ringing or sending letters etc.

With regards point number 2 how would be the best way to describe it. I already tried that approach first and was greeted with "yeah well look at that" or "well can I not just do bacs instead". So I never actually got any signups.

I would just be honest, tell them you have mounting bad payers, no longer have the time to come out and collect cash. Tell them it's the same as a bacs but they don't have to lift a finger and are always in control

Regarding the suggestion that new customers should be signed up to GoCardless, I'm imaging many people standing at the door with window cleaners they don't know and not wanting to give their bank details to them.  I appreciate the that an email link will be sent to them for them to sign up, but what about those folks with no internet access?

Do you simply bin them or make allowances in these circumstances?

The reality is that anyone who has a phone has Internet access, if they don't have any data then chances are they can't afford a window cleaner. 

As for the old ones, there the ones who are normally in to pay when you call so that's fine by me

 

[Exchef93]

What do you consided a late or bad payer? Cos tbh we all have different ideas on how/when to get paid.

My dad says if they havent paid by 3 cleans but my understanding or thoughts are that if they have the windows done every 4 weeks then really they have 3 weeks to pay.

But I do understand that it's better to pick them up and get them on GC from the start but I'm having trouble getting new customers in (I posted about it in another topic)

We let customers go up to the 4th clean, then they get a bill on the 4th clean. 99% pay BACS or send a cheque after that. But we would still continue cleaning until we eventually see them.

We've only been accepting BACS within the last 3 years, i cant imagine us even using card machines, let alone GC ?

 

[Williams_Window_Cleaning]

We let customers go up to the 4th clean, then they get a bill on the 4th clean. 99% pay BACS or send a cheque after that. But we would still continue cleaning until we eventually see them.

We've only been accepting BACS within the last 3 years, i cant imagine us even using card machines, let alone GC ?

@Exchef93 Does that not mess your cashflow around? waiting 4 months to get a payment? 

I would just be honest, tell them you have mounting bad payers, no longer have the time to come out and collect cash. Tell them it's the same as a bacs but they don't have to lift a finger and are always in control

@Baldmonkey Does that not give them a bad impression? What about if theyre still adamant they will not use gocardless? do you sack them off or still try to reason with them?

 

[Exchef93]

@Exchef93 Does that not mess your cashflow around? waiting 4 months to get a payment? 

Not sure tbh swings and roundabouts, we're only employee's, there is 6 of us out working 45hrs/w so i guess the boss is happy with how much comes in and how things go, its just the way the business has worked for the last 35 years... if it ain't broke, dont fix it

Wages are always payed in on time so hey ho...

 

[Baldmonkey]

@Exchef93 Does that not mess your cashflow around? waiting 4 months to get a payment? 

@Baldmonkey Does that not give them a bad impression? What about if theyre still adamant they will not use gocardless? do you sack them off or still try to reason with them?

Honesty will never portray a bad impression, other people's actions are not your own. If they are adamant that they will not transfer to gocardless and they aren't an old dear who wants to just pay cash, I would tell them that I'm sorry we couldn't continue our business relationship and that you wish them the very best in life and good luck. 

Parting with a customer isn't the end of the world and doesn't have to end in conflict or aggression. Things will sometime be what they are

 

[Part Timer]

Honest will never portray a bad impression, other people's actions are not your own. If they are adamant that they will not transfer to gocardless and they aren't an old dear who wants to just pay cash, I would tell them that I'm sorry we couldn't continue our business relationship and that you wish them the very best in life and good luck. 

Parting with a customer isn't the end of the world and doesn't have to end in conflict or aggression. Things will sometime be what they are

We"ve now got a Philosopher amongst us ?