[Ian Fletcher]

Hi any tips on collecting money

[Stuart Webster]

There are differing viewpoints on this.

I dont collect at all if I can help it!

I get people to post a cheque. I have on ave £700 outstanding, but during the month most come in. Nobody owes me more than 2 cleans.

However, if cash flow is tight, as it was for me when I first started, then I recommend you collect first of all as you finish work, if you work till 5 o'clock most people are starting to come in. Then between 7:30 - 8:30 (Eastenders time).

I never collected Saturdays as this is family time, plus, if the mans home he begrudges paying and says he will do them. (he never does)

[bumper]

collect as you clean then it wornt be as bad when you collect thurs/friday night

[Stuart Webster]

I imagine most collect as they clean, I do.

However, with so many people working you still need to make arrangements to get your money.

Cash flow is important, however, if your collecting in one area for say one £5 house, you are wasting time and can come over as a bit desperate.

[Duke]

all of mine, unless they are in..send me a cheque...no more than 2 cleans without payment, by then they will have had a call or a note through the letterbox. I mostly leave a SAE with an invoice. FIRST class stamp...important that....all payments go to my PO Box, checked daily, then banked at the end of the day. After 2 cleans....no pay....no more clean.

[marc al]

  I have today juat started putting out some stamped envelopes to customers I now know are OK, I will see how the experiment goes and maybe explain I will do this to all new customers I pick up.

[reah]

I put a link in payment by cheque its on the next page.payment by this method  has been slow at first. I made the mistake by not putting a stamp on ,this week has been better by using stamps.I have made a special effort to pick up extra work you only need a couple of houses each week to pay for the stamps.As i said this week has been better good luck if it works and im hoping it will just think no more friday night collects.

[rosskesava]

We always put a stamp on the SAE. I think it is important to make the paying as easy as possible. If the customer does not send letters as a matter of corse, they may have to buy 6 or 8 stamps to send us our money and that may be a bit of a put off so to speak.

Last year for customers who were out when we did their windows, we used an SAE plus a letter with a 2nd class stamp.

This year I decided that as we are a 1st class business, we'd use 1st class stamps on the SAE plus letter.

For some odd reason, this year we've had no problems with sent in cheques where as last year we did.

It's odd but I think the stamp makes a difference. I don't know how but I think it does.

As for not putting any stamp on the letter, that to me implies 'not very important'.

[Duke]

I agree Ross, second class stamp sais 'post it when you get round to it' first class sais 'next post please'.....I think it's a psycological thing.

[Ian Fletcher]

thanks lads that sound sweet,i am going to give that a try

[AuRavelling79]

Very similar to the other boys except being a cheapskate all they get is a "slip" - no envelope, no stamp. What a cheapskate I am - but they still pay and if they don't the reminder gets them next month.

90% pay within the week, a few more within the month and nearly all the rest by the following month (and that's only because they've forgot, been on holiday etc).

If they miss more than two I stop going. Very rare!

[Duke]

cripes...that sounds risky Malc...I guess you have a localised round, unlike mine, although it is I guess, but I can't afford/don't want to go back for money. The nearest is 12 miles away...it'd be like going to work twice..but once there...I'm on an earner...

[AuRavelling79]

Well Duke - 12 miles is about the furthest I go - some is about six miles and much is within three - and perhaps three times in the last two years I've needed to drive out and chase up about twenty five quid in arrears - but I find the bad payers are the least profitable anyway - with one rare exception (a guy going thru a messy divorce who'd lost the plot and I let him go three cleans and he paid me and added a fiver cuz it was late!)

(I put a note thru on the third clean saying I was low on beer money and could he settle up please! He did!)

[Duke]

fair play to you....