[jeff1]

1st June this year will be my 10th year as a w/c, and for all this time, I have returned on a friday night to collect payment from the custy's that were out.
Now I never minded this as some weeks I could pick up a couple of hundred, so well worth the effort, but then there are the odd weeks, were its a waste of fuel and time, also not forgetting the custy, who forgot you were due and went out, without leaving the money in a pre-arranged place.

Now after nearly 10 yrs I'm getting a little naffed of with collecting.
I know a lot of you guy's leave self addressed envelopes for the custy to send you a cheque,  but how do you manage if the custy does not have a cheque book??

[jeff1]

Postal Orders?? I get a few who pay with them.

Or add a couple of quid onto the price of the ones who want you to call back, I do without any grumbles.

Cheers, I forgot they still did postal orders

I see what you mean about the couple of quid added if you have to return, I do that if they don't pay me on the friday when I return for payment.

But its getting to the stage were I really don't want to go out collecting at all, it may pay me to look into this internet payment as well, what ever that is.

[pjulk]

Now after nearly 10 yrs I'm getting a little naffed of with collecting.
I know a lot of you guy's leave self addressed envelopes for the custy to send you a cheque,  but how do you manage if the custy does not have a cheque book??

I stopped all my collecting about 18 months ago and im glad i did.

I don't get any problems getting the money.
I just leave a bill with payment options on

Cheque
Paypal
Bacs
Postal order

And they all work i mainly get cheques though.

I think most people have cheque books so its not really a problem

Paul

[pylofm]

Most of my customers pay via their internet banking.....I have about half a dozen that pay cash....I only started w/c 6 months ago but I am glad that I do not have to leave my house to collect...

The feedback I have recieved has been very positive....many have said that they did not like the old way of someone coming to the door in the evenings for the money...

As internet banking becomes more accepted in the U.K more and more people will 'prefer' that method...

I love it, I log onto to my bank every monday, wed, friday...take the details of who has paid and throw them into George and Bobs you're uncle...all done.

Cheers...

ps even though this is so easy...about 6 of my custys do find it very hard to pay within the 14 days I give them..Funny it always to be my very low priced work....nothing is perfect 

[giftedk]

Im interested in setting up an account so they can pay online, so if anyone could give me any info on how to goabout this i would very much appreciate it.

By the way what is this george thing ?.

[Ian_Giles]

With regards to getting your customer to pay via online banking it's easy.

Simply add your banking details to your invoice.

ie,

Your account number and sort code, if I had a scanner I'd copy one of my domestic invoices as an example of how it can be done.

I give my customers the option of either sending me a cheque or paying online. But be sure to ask them to put the first line of their address where asked from the online section of their bank.

you don't need to set up a special account, all you need is your normal bank account.

I never bother going out collecting myself now, well, not strictly true, I do the odd collection here and there.
But to be honest, if they are a pain in the backside to collect I just let them fall by the wayside...who needs the hassle?

I don't.

Ian

[Alex Wingrove]

they can also use paypal which is also just as easy, and that way you don't have to give out your account number and sort code, and besides they probably have your name and address, with all this card cloning and identity theft i don't trust anyone but myself with my sort code and account number

there are other such services on-line nochecx is quite good, or just charge them interest if they don't pay with in the allotted time space 1% per week, it works out at pence but for some reason people get scared of this and pay up, immediately, oh i love receiving my little envelopes in the mail

[jeff1]

Thanks for all the input guy's, I have read a few topics on it in the past, but its not until you really look into it, you can see there are plenty of ways to pay.

[Majestic]

I stopped collecting  about 2 years ago its the best thing I ever did . When I told my customers that I was no longer collecting and would leave a SAE most were fine with it .But I did loose a couple , they were the ones that I could never catch to collect anyway.  They just thought that it was something the window cleaner did ( collect on a Friday ) when you tell the you are no longer calling to collect and want a cheque instead, some will say they will leave it somewhere in the back, some that I do leave a SAE at will call around to my house and post the money and the unused SAE. Go for it tell them  its now SAE you wont regret it
.Just think how many hours a week you collect, then multiply that over the year , and its all unpaid .

[pjulk]

and that way you don't have to give out your account number and sort code

I would not worry about giving these details out the worst that can happen is someone put money in


Paul

[scrimit2]

Hi, as a rule I dont collect, for all the reasons above, but some people attitudes on paying is beginning to annoy me, if I hear someone say "how much" when I tell them they havent paid me for months  today I collected £21 from a shop, its just a small job at £3 a time, so I waited until it got an amount worth collecting as I usually clean them before they open, the woman in the shop said "how much" I replied you havent paid me since xmas, she replied "if it gets to this amount again I wont pay" ok fair enough 7 times is a bit too many times to leave it, but they can post me payment or give me a call, but its the attitude that really annoys me! 95% of the customers either post payment or leave it out for me! I think about time the other 5% got a new window cleaner.

scrimit

[Clive McDonald]

Just like WFP things are changing. Internet banking and everything that Plywood said is what I'm finding. Some people- like your wife maybe- don't like the idea of giving out bank account details, plus they have your name and address.

To solve this it's free business banking at Abbey, set up an account there just for this, and you minimize the security issues.

As Plywood said customers like it.

[Ian_Giles]

Your sort is is nothing, everyone at your particular bank (branch) has the same one, and every cheque you write out has your account number on it, you are giving away nothing of importance whatsoever, hell, even the tax man gives me his sort code and account number!

Ian

[mark dew]

I haven't collected regualrly for a year. I just leave a "your windows have been cleaned" chit with my name and address.
I spend £20 on diesel a week now compared to £30 before.
But the real bonus was thinking that those 15 minute jobs don't require another half hour of driving there and back. (making them underpriced in my opinion.
I don't provide envelopes or stamps either. A couple of customers rebelled initially, but most have come round.
I like to finish for the day when the van rear door is shut after the last job.
 

[steve a]

I haven't collected regualrly for a year. I just leave a "your windows have been cleaned" chit with my name and address.
I spend £20 on diesel a week now compared to £30 before.
But the real bonus was thinking that those 15 minute jobs don't require another half hour of driving there and back. (making them underpriced in my opinion.
I don't provide envelopes or stamps either. A couple of customers rebelled initially, but most have come round.
I like to finish for the day when the van rear door is shut after the last job.
 

Well said Mark, I just wish it were that easy for me.

[Paul Coleman]

With regards to getting your customer to pay via online banking it's easy.

Simply add your banking details to your invoice.

ie,

Your account number and sort code, if I had a scanner I'd copy one of my domestic invoices as an example of how it can be done.

I give my customers the option of either sending me a cheque or paying online. But be sure to ask them to put the first line of their address where asked from the online section of their bank.

you don't need to set up a special account, all you need is your normal bank account.

I never bother going out collecting myself now, well, not strictly true, I do the odd collection here and there.
But to be honest, if they are a pain in the backside to collect I just let them fall by the wayside...who needs the hassle?

I don't.

Ian

Ian.  The only problem I have with people paying me by bill payment from their bank account is as follows:-
When they pay me, the only details I receive on my online banking are the account holders' names.  Although I do eventually get the full details with the monthly paper statement, I need to know online who has paid.  I need to know in real time because there would be times when I am uncertain whether to bill for one or two cleans on my next visit.  Although I have many of my customers' names, unfortunately, many of them are duplicated (especialy Smith, Jones, Patel and other more frequent names).  Even the amounts can sometimes be identical.  I have phoned Abbey several times over this but I doubt that these messages get passed up the line.

[LWC]

i just stick a stamped addressed envelope through all of mine

i havent been collecting for over a year now, i dont even think about it lol!

i would like to use paypal, although i think im going to enquire with mycustomers who would actually use it, if youve paid 30p for a stamp, and then they use paypal, and paypal take 50p off you, you need to find out who will do it
 if you get what i mean

and for the original question of people without cheque books, ask them to leave the money somewhere 

[craig jwc]

Quite a few of my customers are paying using the Internet as they all have my Business Account details. I use Abbey for this.
Alot send cheque in the post and i don't leave a SAE. Just told them to keep my prices down i would be doing this and none have complained.
Some of them even come to my house to drop payment off.

This has work for me for over the last 12 months and wish i did this when i 1st started.

I am thinking of approaching a shop in town to see if i can set up a payment point there. Everyone goes to town at some point so the more ways people can pay the better.

Craig