Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Waiting for payment.

ks789

Well-known member
Messages
2,020
Location
ipswich
I do nearly all just domestics. nearly a month ago, this agency phoned me for some urgent work on this new build estate. I went and did it, and its taking for ever to get paid. Ive phoned, answered their email and given my bank details on the email etc. phoned up again yesterday and she said she didnt have my bank details, but they are blatantly on the email I replied to. So ive given bank details again over the phone. Was hoping the £200 would be in my bank today, but no. I thought Bacs went through straight away, as many of my customers, I get it the same day. Yet i googled it and it says 3 working days. So am confused now. Maybe it wont be in till next monday now, because of working days not including bank hols/weekends. 

been a bit of a concern really, but I presume theres no way this agency can get away with not paying. Wont be doing any work like that again. 

 
As a rule we don't accept any work nor do we do quotes for any agencies. They are normally broke and rely on the original customer to pay them before you get paid. Some of these agencies and smaller cleaning businesses operate on a 90 day basis.

Always best to have your payment terms on any quote you submitted with late payment charges outlined, or offer a discount if paid within 7 days.

It will just be a waiting game before you get paid.

 
When they pay you they will probably email you that they have done so. Once you've received this your money should arrive within 3 working days. Companies, in the main, take at least 30 days to pay so your situation isn't unusual. Setting up a business is all about learning curves,and you're currently on one. Thankfully this is a delayed payment of a few hundred pounds and not thousands.

The timing, just before Christmas, won't be  helping either.

 
yeh I did think it would be that kind of thing. Hey, thankfully Id stocked up on crates of beer etc so should be fine. Just now on 2 days off (yesterday and today) Off the beer that is. I like a little gap between binges, to go at it fresh ? ?

 
I do nearly all just domestics. nearly a month ago, this agency phoned me for some urgent work on this new build estate. I went and did it, and its taking for ever to get paid. Ive phoned, answered their email and given my bank details on the email etc. phoned up again yesterday and she said she didnt have my bank details, but they are blatantly on the email I replied to. So ive given bank details again over the phone. Was hoping the £200 would be in my bank today, but no. I thought Bacs went through straight away, as many of my customers, I get it the same day. Yet i googled it and it says 3 working days. So am confused now. Maybe it wont be in till next monday now, because of working days not including bank hols/weekends. 

been a bit of a concern really, but I presume theres no way this agency can get away with not paying. Wont be doing any work like that again. 




If you're a new vendor to them it can take time to get stuff sorted out we do a lot of work for anchor/Hannover and when I started doing stuff for them 15+ years ago it took ages to get it all set up and paid , now it’s fine the odd payment gets missed and I have to chase it up but apart from that no problems .we do a lot of work for management companies and once up and running never had a problem and it’s regular 4 and 6 weekly repeat work , money straight into the bank within 28 days ???

 
Yeah i did this on my invoice / quote papers - 7 days. Only had 2 go over this...




National and big companies will not pay in 7 days and they will not accept your terms based on that most big companies will pay on a 28 day turnaround this is pretty much standard procedure in commercial work , I have never found it to be a problem .

 
Yeah i did this on my invoice / quote papers - 7 days. Only had 2 go over this...
Your terms and conditions would apply only if you had an email back accepting them. The best chance anyone has is to put payment terms in the quote. If they accept the quote they accept the payment terms

 Wasting your time putting payment terms on an invoice as that's not the contract.

 
National and big companies will not pay in 7 days and they will not accept your terms based on that most big companies will pay on a 28 day turnaround this is pretty much standard procedure in commercial work , I have never found it to be a problem .


I'm not phased about commercial work to be honest and if i were to take any on, it would be with the 7 days being a condition of my work. I don't really want to start taking on commercial jobs and then losing them - i've already lost one twice in two days, i'm not phased about losing more large income jobs like that so at present i only really have interest in residential.

Your terms and conditions would apply only if you had an email back accepting them. The best chance anyone has is to put payment terms in the quote. If they accept the quote they accept the payment terms

 Wasting your time putting payment terms on an invoice as that's not the contract.


Well right or wrong it's on the invoices lol. Clients know how long they have before i start chasing which i believe is fair.

 
yeh I did think it would be that kind of thing. Hey, thankfully Id stocked up on crates of beer etc so should be fine. Just now on 2 days off (yesterday and today) Off the beer that is. I like a little gap between binges, to go at it fresh ? ?
Good to have the vital "supplies" in.

 
I'm not phased about commercial work to be honest and if i were to take any on, it would be with the 7 days being a condition of my work. I don't really want to start taking on commercial jobs and then losing them - i've already lost one twice in two days, i'm not phased about losing more large income jobs like that so at present i only really have interest in residential.

Well right or wrong it's on the invoices lol. Clients know how long they have before i start chasing which i believe is fair.




Lol I think you have a lot to learn about running a buisness and what is considered normal acceptable trading terms you won’t get anyone to agree with 7 day payment .

 
That may be so.. but like i said i ain't interested in commercial work anyway..


Have to agree with you Tango I am exactly the same mate. Wouldn't say I have much to learn about business as I've been in the game since I was 15. But the only terms I accept are 3 days for domestic and 7 for commercial. All my domestic for the last year are on GC anyway so no issue there, it's just older ones I haven't converted yet are 3 days by Bacs. They take longer they get dropped. As for commercial I only have 2 and they both usually pay well within the 7 days. PJJ is right that a lot of commercial wont accept that but that's why I don't chase it, and never long for it either.

If guys are happy to accept 30 day payments and it works for them then great news. It's just not for me and that works fine for me. 

 
What bothers me about it is that the woman at the agency isnt forthright about it. If she'd say it will take this long or that I'd know. Twice they've had my bank details on email. And made out they were going to pay. I phoned back on the 23rd december, again, she said she'd do it then, and asked for bank details yet again, so I gave them to her, expecting money would be going in, but no. They just seem so shifty and not open about that it will take ages. Didnt have a contract or anything, would go through small claims If I had to, but cant see they'd let it get to that. Just a bit of honesty about how long they take would be good, instead of making out payments imminent and then nothing. 

 
Have to agree with you Tango I am exactly the same mate. Wouldn't say I have much to learn about business as I've been in the game since I was 15. But the only terms I accept are 3 days for domestic and 7 for commercial. All my domestic for the last year are on GC anyway so no issue there, it's just older ones I haven't converted yet are 3 days by Bacs. They take longer they get dropped. As for commercial I only have 2 and they both usually pay well within the 7 days. PJJ is right that a lot of commercial wont accept that but that's why I don't chase it, and never long for it either.

If guys are happy to accept 30 day payments and it works for them then great news. It's just not for me and that works fine for me. 




Ime quite happy waiting 30 days Ime not talking shop fronts hear it’s big jobs  that range from £350 - 1000+ For the time they take you couldn’t earn that doing domestic work , I do however admit it would be unwise to put all your eggs in one basket , if I could I would only do commercial work much easier large buildings , good access , prompt payment , no dog poo , and gates to negotiate , each to there own but commercial all the way financially and for easy work .     

 
What bothers me about it is that the woman at the agency isnt forthright about it. If she'd say it will take this long or that I'd know. Twice they've had my bank details on email. And made out they were going to pay. I phoned back on the 23rd december, again, she said she'd do it then, and asked for bank details yet again, so I gave them to her, expecting money would be going in, but no. They just seem so shifty and not open about that it will take ages. Didnt have a contract or anything, would go through small claims If I had to, but cant see they'd let it get to that. Just a bit of honesty about how long they take would be good, instead of making out payments imminent and then nothing. 
If you think they're just stringing you along email them stating that if payment isn't in your account within 7 working days you will then change it from late payment and start to class it as debt recovery. Forget ever doing work for them again, not that you'd want to, however sometimes unfortunately you run into these types of companies. Even I had one this year so they are everywhere and no matter how diligent you are you will get them.

 
if I could I would only do commercial work much easier large buildings , good access , prompt payment , no dog poo , and gates to negotiate , each to there own but commercial all the way financially and for easy work .     


Clouds and silver linings eh! When you put it like that i could be tempted to the dark side lol.

 

Latest Posts

Back
Top