[bobplum]

psssttt, standing orders (domestic)

[home6442]

Clean payment or no second clean.

I disagree.  I've loads of customers who double and treble up and pay no problems when I catch them in; or they get their finger out - feeling guilty maybe - and pay their back payments online.

I even clean the windows of one guy and I let the payments go six months in arrears, and then he pays me for the whole year (so I end up six months paid in advance).  A year later he's six-months-in-arrears and then he pays me for a year (repeat).

I don't worry about getting paid; I always get paid in the end (with the odd rare exception).  Of course, if you're skint and near the breadline, and every penny counts (and I've been there), not getting paid in a timely manner can be frustrating.

You have the same mentality as me with customers! We all know they will pay! A fool would simply dump for the sake of them owing£10/20 i like you let it go to 6 cleans and havnt had 1 not pay in the end where i decide to stop doing them this year yet so defo a lot of uneccasary dumping going on, all good though which means lots of lovely customers wanting a window cleaner! If others dont want there money i certanly will.

I have had about 5 non payers in 5 years and if I had let them go to 6 cleans then that would be 30 cleans
that I wouldn't have got paid for.
I have a question.
You only have room for 10 new customers so you have
the choice of taking on 10 customers that pay on time every time
or 10 who pay but when it suits them so who would you pick ?
Yes I will dump anybody who doesn't pay before the next clean is due and your more than welcome
to them.
If I am a fool because I have built a round of good quick paying customers then yes I am a fool.

It depends on how desperate you are to collect your money or not! People are humans so you can not sit there and say every one of your customers pays on time as it just doesnt happen like that.
To me a fool is someone building up there business who drops a customer because they havnt payed within the 7 days requested or before the next clean on there collection card. Wether mine pay on time each month or 3 months late at the end of the year my taking will be the same as they all pay one way or another without the need to stree and worry a out it.

Its not about being desperate for your money its about taking on a new customer and not getting stung or
taken for a fool.
Why stop at 6 why not 12 or 18 cleans before dumping do you only get desperate after 6 cleans.
My customers all pay on time and I have a full round. I don't get stressed or worry because I targeted
the right customers and quickly dumped the messers.
I do a quality job for quality customers.

[G Griffin]

Again, it's not about not getting paid or allowing customers to run up a big bill and not paying.
It's about the lengths some wc'ers go to to chase a debt. Some go to lengths and take measures that I see as wasted effort. But that's just my opinion.
And all customers are different and we can't always judge another's customer by a few words on the internet.
Another thing is, the OP was saying it's detrimental to the 'industry' to let off bad payers. I reckon some of the more extreme attempts at collecting payment are far more detrimental. 

There's nothing wrong with wanting payment, chasing it up, even going down the legal route.
But sometimes it's beneficial to just take a knock. You might not be able to see the benefit financially but you can see them in other ways.
And in business you can't always account for every penny.

[richard jagger]

Why when ever we debate things on this forum the thread always swings to outer fringe of lunacy after all we are all level headed chaps.Its the notion that all windies are over the top when it comes to business policies and practices.

[roundbuilder]

Lol who cares. The way i see it is as long as i get paid im happy! To be honest i realy dont care if they pay straight away or in 4 cleans time! He fact that they all pay without me having to go collecting is all that matters to me! I have more than enough cash from customers who do pay on the day and on time.
If you have a 50k a year round and they all pay on the day then you have a 50k round
If you have a 50k a year round and it takes them 2cleans plus to pay then you still have a 50k a year round so there is no difference apart from some are silly and choose to dump late payers and lose out on money and then have to ponce about replacing the customer etc.

[barry mallett]

I'm with millwall mick on this one . It always makes me laugh on here when I read people saying don't clean until you get paid for the previous clean .if I did that I wouldn't have any work .some of my custys I only see once or twice. Year , and I don't chase anyone , the money always turns up .i cant remember the last time I dropped someone for late paying . Grif I just read your post twice , I couldn't spot a corny joke ,or was it well hidden

[Smudger]

So often when people do not pay the advice offered on the forum is drop the custy.Well here is a better option that I have used with great success.
  Its quite easy to do. Nag them, pester the hell out of them,I believe the last thing them want is to hear or see you. I call the every day until they pay me. If they block I use a different phone. I do not care if it offends them or disrupts there life I just go at the all the time. There will be not peace. Its letters, texts, phone call home there work there mobile and knock on there door until I am paid and, I charge 2 quid which is on the invoice .Its also states all legal cost will be born by the customer a month more until the pay.
Until now I have only one bad of 15 quid which I am busy with. Where did I pick this up from? Debt collectors.  Don`t  walk away. Never get  rude, stroppy or flustered just persistently nag. I don`t ever don`t take prisoners.
Good luck

To me this is an extreme post/action therefore the thread was always going to be verging on the edge of sanity

Darran

[G Griffin]

I'm with millwall mick on this one . It always makes me laugh on here when I read people saying don't clean until you get paid for the previous clean .if I did that I wouldn't have any work .some of my custys I only see once or twice. Year , and I don't chase anyone , the money always turns up .i cant remember the last time I dropped someone for late paying . Grif I just read your post twice , I couldn't spot a corny joke ,or was it well hidden

I can be serious, Bazza.
I once did it in 2003, as well.

[PAUL ERITH]

I do two cleans if payment has not been made by the time the third clean is due the service stops until i'm paid.

If after chasing for a few months if they don't pay i delete the dept & customer and more on to the next good paying customer on average i write of £70 to 100 per year

If i had a large amount trying it on every year i would chase them with solicitors letter etc but for 3 - 5 customers a year i think my time is better spent growing my business instead of worrying about dead wood

Paul