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Customers Not Paying

Dabber

Active member
Messages
256
Location
Aylesbury
Hi

How do you chaps deal with non payers.Iv e got a customer who owes me £60 for 3 x £20 cleans.He has previously left money out which amounted to be £60 for his first 3 cleans.

He cancelled last clean and I have a text to say he would pay the outstanding amount by bank transfer.He hasn’t  done this and is now not replying to my texts asking for payment.

cheers

Dabber

 
First step would be to call around to his house when he is in that will normally do the trick.


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Again we're in this boat.  I am still astounded that people will work for free for a quarter of the year before perhaps getting paid. 

I am on my phone at mo bit will type you a collections letter once I am back on P.C. later. 

One clean and on hold. I've said it a thousand times.  He's probably only cancelled because his bill has run up so much.  

Building a round in Sheffield for one of our lads at the moment and biggest gripe we're hearing about the old window cleaners  is that the bill would run up for 3 4 or 5 cleans and then it's real money. 

 
I never let debts go above £20/30 for customers they I’m not too familiar with. That way if I get messed about I’ll just write em off and fill their slot with someone else. Don’t waste time chasing debts although sometimes just a quick call can clear everything up as sometimes everything is not always black and white. A lot of times people are ashamed or embarrassed to admit they are having money problems. It’s not our problem I know but sometimes a sympathetic ear can be more helpful than threatening letters and banging the door down like your the bailiffs. You will always get a few that are simply taking the p1ss and best just to get shut of them ones.


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2 weeks after clean

1st message...

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, Ive been looking through my records and can seem to find your payment. Please can you let me know when you paid so I can find it and mark you as paid. If you haven't paid can you let me know and pay within the next 3 days. Thanks in advance

Few day later if no payment

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, I still have not received payment for clean/cleans dated XX/XX/xx. Please contact me immediately to discuss the debt of £xx and arrange payment. 

1 week later...

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, after several reminders payment still hasn't been made. If payment is not received by XX/XX/XX a £40 administration charge will be added, as well as £25 court costs. To avoid this please contact me to arrange the payment off £xx

Date on letter reached

Hi it's mike the window cleaner. As per previous message a £40 administration charge and £25 court costs have been added to your debt. You will receive a letter in due course from the courts for the sum of £xxx. Your service has also been cancelled.

Only ever reached 2nd text.

 
Dear customer, 

As you are aware your windows were cleaned on (INSERT DATES HERE) at the price of (INSERT PRICE) per clean. 

Your balance due is currently (INSERT BALANCE) 

I have tried to contact you several times by phone and text but to no avail.  

Please call me today on (INSERT PHONE NUMBER) to let me know what time I can catch you tonight to collect payment. 

Alternatively you can pay by BACS to Account: 98765432  Sort Code:00 00 00 Please use your name and the road name as a reference on BACS transfers. 

This matter does require your prompt attention as this payment is now several weeks past due.  

Please ensure it is dealt with by Friday this week at the latest or we will have no alternative but to pass it on to collections.  This will incur an additional charge of £25.00 filing fee with the Small Claims Court plus any additional charges we incur in recovering the payment.  

I look forward to your prompt response. 

W. Cleaner..

123 waffle 

Hometown

AB12 3CD

 
I now run by the rule of thumb of...if you’re owed money, dont clean. Its a one strike wonder. You will save yourself many issues this way. If they are genuine they are more than likely to contact you when they realise you’ve gone missing.
Quite a number of our elderly customers have been in hospital for months on end with very serious illnesses, they haven’t got a clue what’s happening or what bills are coming trough the door, so best not to keep cleaning and rack up a massive bill for them to come home to when they finally get out of hospital.
Some people are on the bare bones also, people dont have savings buffers these days, they spend right up to their “budget” house they can barely afford, cars on finance etc etc. & Assume that every new customer is a one off and charge accordingly, because thats the way its going round here.


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Yes never do more then one clean ever . There's no need at all. If you are 4 weekly they have 4 weeks to cough up.

If they struggle to pay in 4 weeks they will struggle to pay at all.

Just drop slow payers at your earliest convenience. Of course we all have to suffer fools when starting out but once established you need some ground rules.

 
2 weeks after clean

1st message...

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, Ive been looking through my records and can seem to find your payment. Please can you let me know when you paid so I can find it and mark you as paid. If you haven't paid can you let me know and pay within the next 3 days. Thanks in advance

Few day later if no payment

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, I still have not received payment for clean/cleans dated XX/XX/xx. Please contact me immediately to discuss the debt of £xx and arrange payment. 

1 week later...

Hi it's mike the window cleaner, after several reminders payment still hasn't been made. If payment is not received by XX/XX/XX a £40 administration charge will be added, as well as £25 court costs. To avoid this please contact me to arrange the payment off £xx

Date on letter reached

Hi it's mike the window cleaner. As per previous message a £40 administration charge and £25 court costs have been added to your debt. You will receive a letter in due course from the courts for the sum of £xxx. Your service has also been cancelled.

Only ever reached 2nd text.


Agree with the principal but not quite as harsh as you.

I send a reminder after a week1 another week2 and another week 3. If it gets to next clean date I send another telling them service has been suspended due to non payment and to please send payment asap to be added back to the schedule for next month.

If nothing comes, then I would start the threats and court process.

See I don't really mind when they pay between having there windows cleaned and the next clean date but I will not do 2 cleans without payment. 

Anyone who has to be threatened with court is off the list, if it gets that far the relationship has broken down and they've ****** me off lol 

 
Agree with the principal but not quite as harsh as you.

I send a reminder after a week1 another week2 and another week 3. If it gets to next clean date I send another telling them service has been suspended due to non payment and to please send payment asap to be added back to the schedule for next month.

If nothing comes, then I would start the threats and court process.

See I don't really mind when they pay between having there windows cleaned and the next clean date but I will not do 2 cleans without payment. 

Anyone who has to be threatened with court is off the list, if it gets that far the relationship has broken down and they've ****** me off lol 


If we know them and been cleaning them for years then 2 cleans maximum. All others pay before the next clean.

 
£60.00 is a good chunk of money, if he has financial woes then you will be the person he thinks he can get away with not paying.

I let one client of mine get up to £70.00 which is very rare but his job is £35.00 a time, but he is a good friend and will drop by my house with the money.

County Durham Lad

 
Hi All

This has now been successfully resolved.I went round Tuesday,no answer so left a note saying I would return to collect my £60.Revisited this morning and was given the money straight  away with lots of apologies.

This was the first time I had met the customer as I did the quote and previous six cleans without  ever meeting him.

i did get paid for the first three cleans,he left £60 in cash so there was some element of trust.

He wants to continue with cleans and the situation is clearer now that I can put a face to a name,as he can also.

I will definitely stick to no second clean unless payment is received for=the first job,

Thanks for all the help and advice.

cheers

Dabber

 
I've got one. A nice lady who I charged £15 per Clean every 4 weeks. I would phone her or leave an answerphone message to let her know I'd be round to clean the next day. She became ill and went into hospital. Her son who doesn't live with her paid outstanding money. I carried on cleaning and texted her son to ask if he could send payment by BACS. It got to 2 cleans and no sign of payment although he said he would send payment. When I was due to clean again I dropped an invoice through the door asking for £30 and didn't clean. I noticed sympathy cards in the window. She's obviously died but where do I stand now? I'll text him again and see if he pays I suppose.

 
I've got one. A nice lady who I charged £15 per Clean every 4 weeks. I would phone her or leave an answerphone message to let her know I'd be round to clean the next day. She became ill and went into hospital. Her son who doesn't live with her paid outstanding money. I carried on cleaning and texted her son to ask if he could send payment by BACS. It got to 2 cleans and no sign of payment although he said he would send payment. When I was due to clean again I dropped an invoice through the door asking for £30 and didn't clean. I noticed sympathy cards in the window. She's obviously died but where do I stand now? I'll text him again and see if he pays I suppose.
This happened to me for 2 £10 washes, personally didn't chase it up. Think the family have more things on their mind. If they pay  later fair play but not something I would chase to hard

 
Yes the cost of funerals can run in to the thousands, say she didn’t have funeral cover or leave money to cover it then the chances are he’s having to foot the cost of that. I wouldn’t chase up window cleaning payments in those circumstances, i’ve encountered the same and written it off.




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I had one the other day a new customer, terrace house. Did the first clean on the front then went to the back. Dog **** everywhere... Managed to do it with the hose on my back and not moving from one location in the yard. Sent her a text after the job that I won't be cleaning the rear again only the front and I cut the price in half for next time. Anyway she never responded and she hasn't paid... Just wrote it off... 

 
I'll not chase it up too aggressively. No one has told me she's died. I only know because I saw the cards in the bay window. From my side I'm to assume I'm being fobbed off (although I know there are changes in circumstances) as I have had no other information to say there are problems their end. 

 
I think it would be totally inappropriate to evan ask for it , oviously they have far more pressing issues to deal with than paying for a window clean , £30 is hardly going to put you out of buisness 

 
I had one the other day a new customer, terrace house. Did the first clean on the front then went to the back. Dog **** everywhere... Managed to do it with the hose on my back and not moving from one location in the yard. Sent her a text after the job that I won't be cleaning the rear again only the front and I cut the price in half for next time. Anyway she never responded and she hasn't paid... Just wrote it off... 
I wouldn't have done the back and charged whatever your minimum is mate,  I updated the information on my website in recent weeks making it clear that I have a minimum charge of £7.00 and if access isn't provided then my minimum charge at the least will be due for the service provided. Upon providing a quote I now make new clients aware and send them a link to my information page as well as the payments page. 

 
£30 is hardly going to put you out of buisness


No, it wont, certainly not for established chaps like us. For noobs on the other hand this could be half a days pay or more.  

I do however agree that in the the case of the deceased blocking the hearse in with a sign written van till you get paid could be a little extreme.... even with my collection policy. ?

 
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