[Dani J]

Hi Lee

We do a mixture of both residential and commercial and have slightly different terms of payment for both with commercial our terms differ from residential.

When I take on a new residential account I will tell the customer that we will clean the windows on a set frequency I.E four, six eight weekly, three monthly etc and that we don't return to collect payment. (In  eight years of trading I've never done this) So it's the responsibility of the customer to settle the invoice if their at home during the clean, or to post a cheque or do a bank transfer within 14 days.

If you find an early sign of bad payment, collect the money that you are owed, then take that customer off your work list and consider them bad business.

With any commercial account I will need a work order before anything starts and a signature on completion of work, if the customer exceeds my terms by a couple of days I'll send a statement of account, then a reminder, then I'll use my debt collection agency to take them to to the small claims court and take a county court judgment out on them. I've only had to do this a few times but the accounts were large and I'd had to shell out for access equipment at my cost of up to 1K, anyway with a works order and a signed completion note I was able to successfully take out a county court judgement against a couple of national property investment companies. they gave me the run around thinking I was a small business and would write off the debt, but was soon aware that their credit rating was about to go red and when you deal in property and need loans from the bank this isn't good. Both companies left it until far too late then contacted me on a personal level to try and square up. I refused their offer and collected through law what was mine including costs, and late payment interest etc.

I have more work than you could shake a stick at down here in Bristol and don't seem to ever attract the bad sort. If ever anyone ever feels nervous and needs a heads up on possible bad apples in this part of the UK then please feel free to PM me and I could save you some hassle.

Great post simon.

[Lee Pryor]

Some good posts there.

I think I will put something new on the site in the new year. I like the letter idea with the first clean. Also may bring in charges for late payments. Maybe some kind of 3 strikes and your out rule.

I just wish we could all blacklist these people! then none of us would have these problems.

[supernova77]

Yeah I like the idea of a F.A.Q. being given to new customers... I'm going to start doing that.

I've also been thinking of charging for late payments to... Not sure how to word it on my bill? Something like "Please add 10% if paying later than X amount of days" ?

Andy

[WGB]

Theres a window cleaner and wheelie bin cleaner near me who have new custys sign a yearly contract when signing up, so they get cleaned for a year weather they like it or not.

[richywilts]

im going to be sending out a newsletter in january with a reminder of services we offer, notify of pending price rises, new rules and terms and conditions how we run

i getting sick to death of customers ruling our lives bending over backwards to accomodate 10 quid jobs etc gonna put me in an early grave

[dave0123]

times are tuff these days! people saving money where they can so you will get messers its getting harder! 8 years ago was very diffrent

[richywilts]

Hi Lee

We do a mixture of both residential and commercial and have slightly different terms of payment for both with commercial our terms differ from residential.

When I take on a new residential account I will tell the customer that we will clean the windows on a set frequency I.E four, six eight weekly, three monthly etc and that we don't return to collect payment. (In  eight years of trading I've never done this) So it's the responsibility of the customer to settle the invoice if their at home during the clean, or to post a cheque or do a bank transfer within 14 days.

If you find an early sign of bad payment, collect the money that you are owed, then take that customer off your work list and consider them bad business.

With any commercial account I will need a work order before anything starts and a signature on completion of work, if the customer exceeds my terms by a couple of days I'll send a statement of account, then a reminder, then I'll use my debt collection agency to take them to to the small claims court and take a county court judgment out on them. I've only had to do this a few times but the accounts were large and I'd had to shell out for access equipment at my cost of up to 1K, anyway with a works order and a signed completion note I was able to successfully take out a county court judgement against a couple of national property investment companies. they gave me the run around thinking I was a small business and would write off the debt, but was soon aware that their credit rating was about to go red and when you deal in property and need loans from the bank this isn't good. Both companies left it until far too late then contacted me on a personal level to try and square up. I refused their offer and collected through law what was mine including costs, and late payment interest etc.

I have more work than you could shake a stick at down here in Bristol and don't seem to ever attract the bad sort. If ever anyone ever feels nervous and needs a heads up on possible bad apples in this part of the UK then please feel free to PM me and I could save you some hassle.

simon what do you mean a work orderhave you got any copis of these you could email me to have a look at?? and form you use for customers to sign the work off please to richardwiltshire36@yahoo.co.uk

[dave0123]

usually with commercial the company who employs you will write up a official "order" like a order of service of what they want or you have agreed to clean on your quote.

[WGB]

Theres a window cleaner and wheelie bin cleaner near me who have new custys sign a yearly contract when signing up, so they get cleaned for a year weather they like it or not.

Any one else on here done or tryed this??