Matt steel 118
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- Messages
- 77
- Location
- Wiltshire
So basically is it worth having only go cardless customers in the long term, creating a round that runs smoothly , ?
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Can you turn work away? If so only GoCardless, lot people will not entertain DDSo basically is it worth having only go cardless customers in the long term, creating a round that runs smoothly , ?
No I can't although I do currently work and I'm transitioning overCan you turn work away? If so only GoCardless, lot people will not entertain DD
Check out Santander Business Account £7.50 month no cheque or cash deposit or withdrawal fees. no BACS or DD feesI have just started accepting go cardless. I have been using paypal for any customers I cant get in for quite a few years. But the charges for paypal, are high IMO.
I would be over the moon if all my customers just paid by direct debit. But you do need some cash on hand for certain things like petrol etc. I loose 2% in bank charges for all cash debited then withdrawn. So my bank charges would also increase if all customers paid DD.
If I was just starting out, I would tell customers its prefered that they pay by DD, but they can pay by cash.
Once your a bit busier you can change that policy.
It's the cash flow and time saved gocardless offers us. Zero chasing up anyone so I can argue that gives me extra time to work longer hours or do hobbies more instead of chase up doors (if a big round that's going to happen)Check out Santander Business Account £7.50 month no cheque or cash deposit or withdrawal fees. no BACS or DD fees
Pay cash in at any PO straight into your card. free envelope to post cheques to clearing centre.
80% of my customers pay BACS the rest cash, a few cheques and one DD.
BACS domestic customers usually settle that week or at latest pay day
Business customers average 54 Debtor days.
Lots of people get on well with gocardless but at 2%+20p per transaction I think its steep.
On a 50K turnover that's £1200 - £1300 year, would fund a nice week away for 2.
So basically is it worth having only go cardless customers in the long term, creating a round that runs smoothly , ?
Google gocardless ways to sign customers up. There is a page on their site dedicated to this exact thing. Ps hi Chris34 from Chris33Basically the answer is yes. I started in January, the only problem I have had is with a cash customer who eventually I managed to get hold of by going round to the house, after ignoring my calls, texts, I went round and got hold of them, it was awkward but at the end of the day they owed me money and the next clean was due, they transferred the money there and then but I said that in future it's direct debit, never heard from them again. Prior to that they were out a lot of the time and were catching up with the payment at the next clean. Non of that would have happened if they were on GC, had I signed them up at the beginning they might still be on my books now.
The only people I have on cash now are 70+, anybody else it's direct debit or bank transfer, but bank transfer is a last resort, I don't offer it.
Older people tend to be in and don't like direct debit so cash is ok. If they're out they're really good and leave it in a safe spot. Although I have one lady in her late 70's who is on GC, I think it's a good option for her as I think she has dementia so I think her relatives check over everything financial for her, GC is excellent for this, cash they would be non the wiser.
Honestly though, direct debit is so easy, I don't know why anybody goes back collecting cash, waste of time, fuel and can create awkward situations where they haven't paid for the last clean with the next clean due.
I'm going to try and work out how to sign them up on the doorstep. A lot of people agree to a clean but then you go home, log on to the pc and send them the link via email and await their response, this delay allows them a cooling off period and it's the most likely time that they decide to change their minds. Green-pro mentioned about signing them up on the doorstep and this is what I want to work out how to do.
Once they're on DD you don't have any problems. I've not had anybody cancel once they're on DD.
Google gocardless ways to sign customers up. There is a page on their site dedicated to this exact thing. Ps hi Chris34 from Chris33
Easiest is link to sign up on ways to pay page looks more legit to them but what u suggest is what I would consider a back up plan mateHa ha, I hadn't noticed the name thing, lol.
I did look on there a while ago and didn't find anything, I'll have another look. If I can get them on the doorstep and then say 'right, your booked for next Thursday' then I don't think they would be as likely to back out.
Easiest is link to sign up on ways to pay page looks more legit to them but what u suggest is what I would consider a back up plan mate
I don't pay 2% + 20p per transaction and never have, the charges are 1% per transaction capped at 20p, it would cost you around £40 each month to collect 4k a month via GCLots of people get on well with gocardless but at 2%+20p per transaction I think its steep.
On a 50K turnover that's £1200 - £1300 year, would fund a nice week away for 2.
Thanks for that, I did have another look at GC in light of your comment. 1% with a minimum charge of 20p and a max charge of £2.00 for the standard tariff is not over the odds, if it reduces admin time. Do you use it purely for domestic customers?I don't pay 2% + 20p per transaction and never have, the charges are 1% per transaction capped at 20p, it would cost you around £40 each month to collect 4k a month via GC
299 domestic jobs on GC, I did have one commercial job on GC as I knew the finance manager and she saw it as one less invoice to get paid manually, I only don't have it now as I passed the job due to early starts as I prefer not to be out the door till after 8amThanks for that, I did have another look at GC in light of your comment. 1% with a minimum charge of 20p and a max charge of £2.00 for the standard tariff is not over the odds, if it reduces admin time. Do you use it purely for domestic customers?
Although I'd use gocardless and have offered it to people who constantly forget to pay (these are genuine people who I know and are not skint or anything, just forgetful. I have had them say they'll sign up, but never have done), I don't think it's the answer everyone is saying it is, a **** payer will be a **** payer, a cheeky one off clean when they tell you that it's a regular service they're after will still be the same, the skint until payday will still be the same and the window cleaner will be at the bottom of bill priority list. The customer has 5 days to decline/cancel this transaction, and if they're bank accounts empty it won't go through anyway! I think it's a good option, but it's not the holy grail. Ideal probably for big, multi van operations I'd of thought.
Most of mine do a bank transfer, then cash and then cheques. I have a card machine, but it's never been used yet. The cheques are easy, just pay them in with my phone (there's only a few a week) and cash I can pop to the local post office that's in a petrol station with easy parking and open until 8pm and pay it into my bank account, which instantly goes into my account. No fees whatsoever on any of these options. The only ones I'd enforce GC on would be the constant late payers who have to be reminded all the time, but these for me are few and far between luckily.ive never collected and never will, the customer knows this from the start, they have enough options on how to pay, so they're happy.
I am a sole trader and as mentioned above I have 299 clients on GC I started using GC around April 2014 the cheeky one offs and ones who really don't want a regular service won't bother to sign up, with me they have to sign up before the first clean commences, no GC, no window clean, the slow payer issues etc all eliminated thanks to GC.Although I'd use gocardless and have offered it to people who constantly forget to pay (these are genuine people who I know and are not skint or anything, just forgetful. I have had them say they'll sign up, but never have done), I don't think it's the answer everyone is saying it is, a **** payer will be a **** payer, a cheeky one off clean when they tell you that it's a regular service they're after will still be the same, the skint until payday will still be the same and the window cleaner will be at the bottom of bill priority list. The customer has 5 days to decline/cancel this transaction, and if they're bank accounts empty it won't go through anyway! I think it's a good option, but it's not the holy grail. Ideal probably for big, multi van operations I'd of thought.
Most of mine do a bank transfer, then cash and then cheques. I have a card machine, but it's never been used yet. The cheques are easy, just pay them in with my phone (there's only a few a week) and cash I can pop to the local post office that's in a petrol station with easy parking and open until 8pm and pay it into my bank account, which instantly goes into my account. No fees whatsoever on any of these options. The only ones I'd enforce GC on would be the constant late payers who have to be reminded all the time, but these for me are few and far between luckily.ive never collected and never will, the customer knows this from the start, they have enough options on how to pay, so they're happy.