[fayellen]

Ok so I have mentioned before about late payment of a certain customer and it is still continuing but getting to the point where I am feeling awkward and petty for asking to be paid on time. yes I do always get it as my family keep pointing out to me but on occasions it has been 3 weeks and this particular customer shows no signs of giving a toss about paying me on time even sarcasm has come into it.  I am someone who likes to be completely straight with people money wise if I owe money i pay it.
Am I being too sensitive and should just let them pay me when they want or do I give up with them which I really want to but it feels like ending a relationship I just feel these people have absolutely no respect for me.
what are your thoughts on slack payers???

[steven_k]

give it 30 days then aply a charge for late payment

[Pristine Clean]

Are these residential customers? Or Commercial customers?

If these are commercial customers then its pretty normal not to be paid on time.

We have some very good clients that pay on the dot and some that pay late. Even 90 days plus. The more they spend the later the payment generally or that is how it appears to be.

On you invoices add a % charge for late payment.

If it is that bad and your not worried stop work untill they have paid. But I would inform them of your actions.

We have done this on several occasions with companies and they now pay on time. However you have to give outstanding results to keep the contract to pull a move like that.

So only do it if your certain they will keep you or if your not worried in losing it.

Dave

 

[fayellen]

Hi and thanks it is a domestic clean I do once a week.

[BDCS]

Quote the price you want  +5% and then offer a 5% discount for paying within 30 days that way they think they got a bargain and if they pay late you get a bit of interest.

[Nick Head]

Hi

For Residential work - I would follow the views expressed.

For Commercial work - Follow the Late Payment Legislation  - this link is useful    http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file37581.pdf

Hope this helps

Nick

[dianegreenwood]

I would ask them to set up a standing order for weekly payment.  Tell them its far more convenient for them as they don't have to remember to leave the cheque or cash out for you.  About 70% of my domestic clients pay by this method and it saves a fortune on bank charges.

Simply give them your bank details and tell them to do it via online or telephone banking using their surname as the reference.  The payment should leave their account on the day of the clean and will reach you either within 2 hours or 2 days depending on the banks involved.

If you wish, you could tell them you are going to review your prices in April to take into account higher fuel charges, inflation, etc but all your clients who change over to standing order will enjoy a price freeze for one year.

Hope that helps

Diane

www.freshlymaid.co.uk

[fayellen]

Thanks Diane but I have a feeling it would be too much trouble for them. I just get the feeling they don't care, that I am of the bottom of their concerns I have 10 clients in total and these are the only ones I have trouble with the rest are very apologetic if they forget to leave my money just once as I know I would be.
Well could be time to call it a day it's been going on for 1 1/2 years now!!

[Joe H]

When you get client no 11 then drop this one that dont like paying.
We are in the business to clean not money lend - and I have told more thn one client that as well.

[Gilbert Sprous]

I do completely commercial cleaning, no domestic.  About 80% of my clients pay on time with no prompting, they seem to have good accounting procedures.  My terms are 30 days from invoice and I have a few clients that will pay when I call to remind them it is time to pay (this includes some big companies that you would expect to have better procedures in place).  So at 31 days I pick up the phone and call everyone that has not paid, I am very polite and just ensure that they have received the invoice and that everything is in order, usually I will recieve the payment with in days.  But if I dont I call back at 38 days and if necessary 45 days.  The client knows if they are on time or not and will be expecting a call if they are behind  so dont be shy, cash flow is one the most important issues for a small business, if we cant get our payments on time it causes us to have problems with paying on time, hence the reason I dont wait long after the payment is due to pick up the phone.  I had one client that slipped pretty bad, what I did is notified in writing that I was suspending service until the accounts were caught up.  I did not cancel the contract because that would have released them to look for another cleaner and then I would have even a harder time of collecting.  I cleaned 4 sites for them and they had all accounts caught up with in two weeks of the letter.  It is a pain to have to contact some of my clients every month, but as long as they pay when I contact them, I dont have that much of a problem.  Hope it helps and you can translate some of this into domestic.

Gilbert

[Fox]

Hi all

I also only deal with commercial and disagree with pristine that it is 'pretty normal' not to be paid on time.  The majority of our clients pay on time or early and I have never had to suspend services - maybe that's just the luck of the draw or the fact that I am a bit of a nag when it comes to getting the payments in, if I weren't in the cleaning business I would certainly be in credit control!

Do you clean this client yourself?  I would suggest you reiterate your payment terms eg: cash/cheque left to pick up on completion and when you visit to clean if there is no payment then don't clean that week (leave a note saying you tried to clean but are unable to due to non payment, this way they know you have turned up), the family will have prepared for you to come and it will be a disappointment not to have a clean when expected.  After doing this a couple of times I should think they will leave the money if they want the house cleaned!  This way you are not losing a client but re training, you say you feel they have no respect for you so you are not putting a really good working relationship at risk.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it went.

Fox

[fayellen]

Thanks for all replies and advice. I have given up with this client by text, normally I wouldn't do it that way but having had to chase the money again after my last post I just thought it isn't worth it, I made some excuse and though I am £50 down a week I realised I don't ever get it on time anyway so what the ek, a bit fed up about losing the money but hopefully will find something else soon!

[Missy dusty]

Good for you 

[jouk45]

i let my custys pay when they can, simple as that, the thing is you need money to back you up,  thats why i have some savings put by,  that way i am not dependant on payments every 2 weeks, they all pay up, some 2 months later, they all do pay at the end of the day, one part of the service is not to put any pressure on them, , it works for me,

[fayellen]

Well if that works for you Jouk then all good but 2 months! I just could't work like that I do have one who pays me monthly which works fine, I say money is due and they pay me, with the client I have just given up it just felt like hard work getting the money of her and to be quite honest I didn't like her that much anyway and I have savings so not all bad