[Spruce]

Hi,
then you get the character that goes out of his way and never pays for his windows to be cleaned. The person to whom I refer owes every window cleaner that has cleaned his windows, me included.
It's difficult to not take things personally, especially when he has a massive flat screen TV on the wall in his lounge.
A couple of months ago he started to come across the road as he saw a new window cleaning van parked opposite - when he saw me at the last moment he turned and walked back.

But he's a self employed tiler and will never get a tiling job with anyone we know or anyone known by any of the other window cleaners in the area he has stung. At the end of the day, that probably wouldn't mean anything to him, but I firmly believe we will all have to stand before the Judgement Seat of God one day, and he will have to answer for his actions, as I would also have to answer if I took revenge. As has been said earlier, 2 wrongs don't make it right.

New customers now only get 1 clean, no payment, no more cleans. They will have to prove they are reliable before I will go to 2 cleans. In the last 5 years I have only cleaned 1 house 3 times before I got payment.

Spruce

[Ian101]

Maybe I am a soft touch, or am just too laid back, but I have written off hundreds in the past, and will probably continue to get caught occasionally, although most of the dead wood has now gone.

I reach a point where I realise that I am not going to get my money without a load of stress and hassle, two things which I just don't want in my life, so I simply walk away and write it off.

understand what ur saying but i would find loosing money just as stressful

[Jack Wallace]

I was too soft for a while and let a few get away with it, but from now on I am chasing them for my money.

If they owe me and it does not look as if I will get it I send an invoice followed 7 days later by the following letter.

It usually does the trick, if it does get to that stage they are off the  books.

Dear Sir / Madame

Despite numerous attempts at recovery your debt for our services remains outstanding,
This will be my final request at recovery personally.
 
If this debt is not cleared within 7 days I am left with no choice but to either refer it to her majesty’s court service, or pass the debt onto a recovery agency, the £75 cost incurred by passing it on will be charged to your account.
Please note: Interest will be charged from the date the debt became due as set out in the Late Payment of Commercial Debt Act 1998.
Current outstanding debt £37.

If you wish to discuss this matter personally please do not hesitate to contact me, Ignoring a debt does not make it go away.



Yours sincerely.

[Johnny B]

Maybe I am a soft touch, or am just too laid back, but I have written off hundreds in the past, and will probably continue to get caught occasionally, although most of the dead wood has now gone.

I reach a point where I realise that I am not going to get my money without a load of stress and hassle, two things which I just don't want in my life, so I simply walk away and write it off.

understand what ur saying but i would find loosing money just as stressful

I just find it more stressful to keep chasing bad payers. Example:  I recently dropped an £8.00 house on which i could only collect from on Fridays (not necessarily a problem but my work is not compact). Every time I called she was either out or her (adult) son didn't have the money. It went up to £40 because I believed she was sincere and allowed her this much leeway. By then it had reached the stage where she promised to pay so much per week. This never materialised, as when I called for the last time she told me she had had the money put aside for me but her son needed it, so she gave it to him instead. At this point I decided that I had had enough, so I just smiled, said 'thank you' and walked away, never to return.

John

[Klean07]

i have tried a few and they said they would but then no cigar. it seems the amounts are to small for them to worry about.

Could i suggest a mix of egg and flour in a supersoaker as way of compensation?

[prestige cleaners]

I have just remembered an ex-customer who had failed to pay me asked me for a price to clean her windows. She gave me the impression that she had never met me before, but I remembered her, and being ignored in the street by her when I last cleaned her windows.

Being a bit of a cowardly custard I didn't have the heart to tell her that she still owed me for the last clean (about 2 years ago).

Instead I gave her a ridiculously price to put her off. The price would have covered what she owed me, so potentially I was giving her another chance as well as recouping my loss. As I didn't want to do the job anyway I hoped she would say no. Fortunately that was the case, so although still out of pocket, hopefully she won't ask again.

John.

i wouldnt have turned that oportunity to tear her to shreds! bumped into an old custie who tried to rip me off the other day, hadnt seen her for 3 yrs, she gave me hell of a stinking look, was dyeing to say to her "have you ripped any more windys off recently?" but bit my tongue!

 

 

[Johnny B]

I have just remembered an ex-customer who had failed to pay me asked me for a price to clean her windows. She gave me the impression that she had never met me before, but I remembered her, and being ignored in the street by her when I last cleaned her windows.

Being a bit of a cowardly custard I didn't have the heart to tell her that she still owed me for the last clean (about 2 years ago).

Instead I gave her a ridiculously price to put her off. The price would have covered what she owed me, so potentially I was giving her another chance as well as recouping my loss. As I didn't want to do the job anyway I hoped she would say no. Fortunately that was the case, so although still out of pocket, hopefully she won't ask again.

John.

i wouldnt have turned that oportunity to tear her to shreds! bumped into an old custie who tried to rip me off the other day, hadnt seen her for 3 yrs, she gave me hell of a stinking look, was dyeing to say to her "have you ripped any more windys off recently?" but bit my tongue!

 

It is very tempting I agree! It's strange how they give you the evil look, yet it is they who have wronged you! Funny old world isn't it!

John.  

[lee_dewing]

thanks everyone for  your response

thanks ian and jack for your letters

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

i feel 2 am best time for collecting
late payers