[stuart webster]

Anyone tried offering a discount for pre-payers?

I have just started, the aim is to get most on to pre-payment, it then puts you in the driving seat.

[matt]

i have a few who pre-pay for 6 cleans

its great when you get paid, but then you do them for free (or so it feels)

[steve k]

I hate it when they pay up front...it really seems like you are doing them for free

[rosskesava]

I'm the same.

By the time I do their windows I've spent the money.

[jeff evans]

Yep me to, hate to take payment for cleans up front.
jeff.

[macc]

i like to be paid when i do them. got a few that pay up front, like matt & steve says, its like doing them 4 free. be polite but let them no if you leave a envelope to post a payment asap. 90% of mine are in with in 2 weeks. i can live with that.  

[windows_chepstow]

If you clean on a calander monthly basis, have you considered setting up a Standing Order?

I've about 20 customers, some of them hard to 'catch in' when collecting. 

They pay me on the 1st(ish) of each month and I clean their windows at some stage during that month.

My cash-flow is still important to me, so for the rest of them, I collect on a Friday.  Many of my customers will leave the money out for me and those who don't, I leave them a self addressed envelope with instructions to post a cheque within seven days.

I reckon I get 95% of my monthly cleans within that month.

If I don't get the payment, I add it onto the next month.

[jeff evans]

Tosh.
do  u have domestic clients that pay u by standing order,
if so i assume that there must be some bank charges involved in this, if so what do they charge ?if they do it is eating into your profits unless u pass this on to the client.

Personally i prefere to collect the money,knowing then what type of person im,e dealing with,plus that personal contact with the customer i think creates some bond between u and the customer, so they are more likely to stay loyal to u.

just my thinking on the matter

cheers jeff

[windows_chepstow]

Tosh.
do  u have domestic clients that pay u by standing order,
if so i assume that there must be some bank charges involved in this, if so what do they charge ?
cheers jeff

Jeff,

There's no bank charges and it's very easy to set up.  Don't confuse a Standing Order with a Direct Debit.  They're seperate things.  And yes, they are all domestic clients.

It's a very simple form to fill out; you can upload one from the 'documents to upload' section.

I advertise my payment methods on my 'your window cleaner has been chit' and when people say to me, 'sorry I wasn't in when you came', I tell them about my standing order payments.

All my standing order customers are excellent.  No fuss.  I just stick a note through their door telling them I've been.

(I say 'all my standing order customers', but I've only 19 of them, but I haven't been pushing them in recent months).

I can see all the payments I receive with internet banking.

[jeff evans]

Wow there are banks out there that provide a service for nothing i dident realise this but that,s what this forum is for ASK READ & LEARN cheers tosh,

But as i said im,e a little old fashoned and i do like keeping personal contact with my customers, for the reasons i mentioned.

But each to there own.

Cheers jeff

[RAHomeServices]

We have quite a few Residential customers who pay up front. The rest either pay by cheque or standing order this has meant that no collecting is involved. Took us a while to organise but now this means that no collecting is involved. All our commercial work is by cheque or standing order, would love for some of these to pay up front because as some of you may know trying to get businesses to part with their money is like trying to get water out of a stone especially builders and local authorities.

[stuart webster]

Sorry to here such negative comments, the idea came from 24-7.

The objective is to put the pre-payment to one side, not spend it and then have to clean for free.

To be honest any business that doesn't have a £1000 float in the bank will struggle.

Pre-payment enables you to have a larger float of £2000 +

The Bear

[Morph]

I have just one customer who pre-pays!
The account is worth £8 per month to me.  He pays usually 4 months in advance at a time.  He lives in a small bungalow which takes me about 6 minutes to do, from when I pull up outside.  He has another bungalow in Thailand, and rents an apartment in Malta.  Got things worked out well.  Pays all his bills 3 months in advance.  He was only a postman before he retired.  Shrewd though.

[gaza]

ALRIGHT BEAR NO NEED TO RUB IT IN ,I KNOW IM STRUGGLING

You know that scumbag who undercut me lasted 3 months,and then sold the round
to a guy who I told watch your round someones on the edge of your round under cutting,even bought  some of his own work back@?@? Ive kept of his large work load not anymore hit man

 gaza

[stuart webster]

Gaza

Sounds like that was his plan all along.

Try not to kill anyone, your comments on here are priceless.

The Bear

[gaza]

BEAR:,, THINK HES RELATED TO SQUEKY CUS HE DONT LIKE WFP EITHER,so whenn Iturn up on his "patch" ave a guess whos going to have the last laugh : M e slap bang in the middle of his round.

 gaza

[dai]

There's never a best time to collect. I've even tried Sundays. The addressed envelope works well with some customers but not for others.
With standing orders you have to service these every month, rain hail or shine. And what happens if you have a holiday.
It was Dave from St Ives that said he doesn't worry about it as it all comes in in the end.
I have lost clients because they have been out when I have been collecting, the bill for 3 months cleaning hurts them enough to cancel. I always leave my cleaned the windows tickets, some still argue that they don't owe that amount.
some people have no concept of time and can't believe that they haven't seen you in 3 months.
You give a guy a 3 months bill on a Friday night and his beer money's gone. He won't be happy.
I find now that many customers don't have a cheque book. It's plastic or nothing.
It's always the same when the Christmas credit card bills come in. Money gets tight.
As for advance payments, I have a few of these from clients with holiday homes. I too feel like I'm doing them for nothing. I never draw cash out of the bank, I rely on my weekly cash take for wages. Any money paid into the bank stays there, and is only used for buying equipment and business related expenses. I guess a lot of other w/c's with a lot of domestic work do the same. OK you may have had the payment in advance, but it's in the bank and mentally forbidden territory. Your actual cash take will be down for the week you do them.
I love the job, but getting paid can be a pain. Dai

[matt]

To be honest any business that doesn't have a £1000 float in the bank will struggle.

i dont have 1 K float 

Oh and i dont float either, my wallet bulging with 20 quid notes seem to weigh me down 

[stuart webster]

You must have some fall back money...no?

[Moderator David@stives]

yES IT was me .I never ever collect at this present moment the balance outstanding is £2400

I suppose i am lucky that most of my customers are retired or working and rich or commercial,

I got rid of the doubtfuls a long time ago,

It all does come in ,in the end and i just see it as working capital.

I worry about making more money rather than worry about the money i have already earned.

It sounds a lot of debt but considering about £800 of this amount is commercial which usualy pay up to 2 months after cleaning.

My customers are always pleased that i trust them and in return they trust me ,it works both ways.

The non collecting first started out of boredom ,when i first started i found i was going out in the evening spending 1 hour about £3.00 in petrol and only coming back with about £12.50

Thats when i thought sod this for a game of soldiers.

My brain switches of at 3.30pm and thats it until the next day,no worrying about collecting or money for me.

Dave

ps its not for everyone