[brynley]

A customer was late with payment so I sent a polite reminder that my payment terms were 7 days from date of cleaning of windows, I have sent many of these without problem, I got payment with a snotty letter cancelling stating they were not happy as I should  either wait until next visit or collect, I tried to explain why I had sent the polite letter and the reasons why, no response, I had already lost 2 of her neighbours as one wouldn't pay even after a Thomas Higgin's letter and the other moved with out telling me. Do others have these problems.

[SB Cleaning]

My terms state pay within 10 days but I always get loads that are late...I just let it go... most pay eventually or next time I go around..

[Jonny 87]

I have a bit of a different ethos to many on this subject.  I never collect on evenings, but I leave my invoice slip for people to make payment through the bank, or paypal/cheque etc, and on it I say "please make payment as soon as possible"

I have some customers who let it build up to 6 months and then pay me in large chunks.

As long as I feel comfortable with the customer that they aren't going to do a runner or move away, I'm fairly happy to let it build up.

It doesn't massively effect my cash flow, as some months I'm getting a few large payments through, and that offsets any others who haven't paid, so along as I receive the money eventually I'm flexible.

I've only been burned a few times by this, but I think it shows I'm willing to be flexible and I'm not harassing people for payment, as after all it was me who decided to no longer collect on evenings, so its shows a bit of give and take.

If I wanted to get all my money in on time I could go back to collecting on a Friday and Monday evening. It's not worth it though in my opinion.

[sunshine windows]

Don't have any terms and conditions, but generally get payment within a week. Never collect and very rarely have to chase people.

[Smudger]

Each to their own on this, but I no longer collect, and haven't done so for over 3 years now. My take on it is I quoted a price to clean windows, this is one visit, not constant returns where not only is it wear and tear on my car and use of petrol but valuable time, you can never get this back- here is why I stopped, 6pm I go out to collect £150 from customers, after nearly 3 hours I had visited every one on the list but between those who were out and those who didn't have cash that evening I had collected £35 on the way home I needed to put £30 of petrol in the car! All that effort for five quid.

In this modern world there are so many options to pay that are easy and free ! I see no problem in chasing up what you are entitled to, you've done the work, provided a service, the customer pays, we have a small percentage that need regular kick and if problematic we ask for advance payments or to use go cardless, we also have a few that double up next time if we miss them on the day usually nice old dears who feel bad they missed us.

From my experience, those who muck you around over payment, are customers who can not really afford to have windows cleaned, or have too many bills elsewhere, these ultimately get snotty and cancel when you resent them with the invoice, its just a fact of running a biz, and your better off without these people, And the bizarre excuses they give for cancelling beggars belief.

It's a strange fact that those who struggle to pay are always the ones who seem to get a bad clean 

Darran

[CleanClear]

Do others have these problems.

Usually only the once. Any decent person would just pay you and apologise for the oversight.

[Dave Willis]

Probably lose a couple of hundred quid a year from bad payers, they get dumped eventually. Some I feel sorry for, others I would happily strangle. Some pass away anyway which saves me the effort of strangling them. Rarely get paid from the will either.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Probably lose a couple of hundred quid a year from bad payers, they get dumped eventually.

Similar to Dave really. 
Sometimes  you get a feel from the get go that someone is going to be bad news and other times things just change and good customers suddenly become bad customers for some unknown reason. It's unfortunate but it happens and we just have to move on. I've had solid customers turn on me after years of good service because of interfering friends, family or neighbors thinking they've seen me not do the job properly or I charge too much etc and putting in a supposedly 'helpful' word. They've then dropped my services and six months later they still have no window cleaner and have filthy windows. Crazy annoying. 
 
I remember losing a number of customers years ago due to the gossiping of a young woman who was terminally ill with a liver disease. She was friendly but her illness affected her mentally. She didn't work due to whatever was wrong with her and spent a lot of time in and out of peoples homes in the area. She had the sympathy of a lot of people in the neighborhood. It was very sad really, and there was not much I could do when she started telling her friends and neighbors that I'd deliberately charged her mother double one month when she had already paid (which she hadn't) and a handful of my customers believed her. I felt sympathy for her too but I remember being very annoyed with her at the same time.

What I try to instill in my customers from the start is, if they are not happy with my services, please communicate it to me, and I will sort it. I would rather clean their windows again for free, if necessary to correct a misunderstanding and prove my integrity than lose a solid customer. However, sometimes they don't give you the opportunity. Messers though, I'm happy to see the back of. Sadly they do sometimes cost you other customers as well. But again, though annoying, if those customers would rather listen to them than make a balanced judgment of their own, I'd rather be without them too.

[Tom-01]

I've got one going on at the moment.

In February I got stopped whilst cleaning a house, woman saying how she can't get a window cleaner for 'love nor money' etc. went to quote, first clean £36. £24 8 weekly. I text this to her she said that's fine please go ahead. Did the first clean (turned up and there was bags full of dog poo and the patio area with dog wee everywhere - she has loads of pets) it was gross.

Anyway a couple of texts sent after about 4 weeks of no payment, sorry Tom will pay this week boa bla. Next clean is due, she says ' no thanks do t want them doing'. I didn't really care tbh as a disgusting house.

Anyway over the last 6 months she has said via text 'I will pay it in this Friday' about 14 times! Then last week she said 'I will pay it in Friday but I shouldn't because I wasn't happy with the clean'. I said why didn't you say straight away? And all our other customers are more than happy, including your neighbour. Needless to say still no money.

Thomas Higgins letter has gone out today so we will see...

As Smudger said it's always the ones who don't pay seem to have a problem with the clean.

Also, I went out for a meal with my wife on Saturday night, bill was about £80, I said to the guy 'I'll pay next time or come to my house and collect it one evening'.

Don't think so.

[SeanK]

From day one I have never cleaned a property that hasn't paid for the previous clean its just one thing that I refuse to
put up with.
Plus if I find that the customer is dragging their heals then even though they have paid I still stop cleaning, I find that these
types usually get worse as time goes on and eventually you end up getting stung for a clean payment.
Works for me as I have only been stung for about £40 in the last 7 years.
For me not paying somebody when they have done work for you shows that you have very little respect for that person
( go away little man you will get your money when I see fit to give it to you) and these same people wouldn't be long complaining
if their employers done the same to them.
Plenty of good people out there who will pay you on time and will appreciate the job you do for them to waste time on
these types.

[Afterglow Window Cleaners]

I had this email today...

"Hi Gary,
Please cancel our window cleaning.


You used to knock on the day to be paid but you no longer do that. My Son was home six weeks ago when you did them but you didn't knock.


You didn't inform us about this change of procedure.   


Please acknowledge receipt of this email
Lynn"

I replied.......

"Hi Lynn,
 
I’m very happy to cancel your windows.
 
My procedure hasn’t changed and I rang your doorbell last time as always, with no answer, it is clearly not my fault if your son cannot answer the door.
 
I tried to collect your payment 3 times and despite there being several payment options on my invoice, you chose not to pay until today, it’s quite unacceptable that you took so long to pay, after all this is my livelyhood and I have bills to pay like everyone one.
 
I’m quite shocked at the poor attitude of both your husband today and yourself in this email, especially when I have always given you great service, I guess it just goes to show, you can’t please everyone. Your husband expected me to turn up, see if you were in, and leave the windows if you were out, wasting my fuel and my time, no business can operate like this. How would you like it if you turned up for work to be sent home again without pay or compensation for your wasted fuel and time?
 
I hope you treat your next window cleaner with a little more respect, I refuse to be treated like a doormat by anyone.
 
Please confirm receipt of this email.
 
Regards,
 
Gary"

[SeanK]

Nice reply Gary, there are some people who think your business revolves around them your well rid.

[Smurf]

From day one I have never cleaned a property that hasn't paid for the previous clean its just one thing that I refuse to
put up with.
Plus if I find that the customer is dragging their heals then even though they have paid I still stop cleaning, I find that these
types usually get worse as time goes on and eventually you end up getting stung for a clean payment.
Works for me as I have only been stung for about £40 in the last 7 years.
For me not paying somebody when they have done work for you shows that you have very little respect for that person
( go away little man you will get your money when I see fit to give it to you) and these same people wouldn't be long complaining
if their employers done the same to them.
Plenty of good people out there who will pay you on time and will appreciate the job you do for them to waste time on
these types.

+ 1

[Smurf]

I had this email today...

"Hi Gary,
Please cancel our window cleaning.


You used to knock on the day to be paid but you no longer do that. My Son was home six weeks ago when you did them but you didn't knock.


You didn't inform us about this change of procedure.   


Please acknowledge receipt of this email
Lynn"

I replied.......

"Hi Lynn,
 
I’m very happy to cancel your windows.
 
My procedure hasn’t changed and I rang your doorbell last time as always, with no answer, it is clearly not my fault if your son cannot answer the door.
 
I tried to collect your payment 3 times and despite there being several payment options on my invoice, you chose not to pay until today, it’s quite unacceptable that you took so long to pay, after all this is my livelyhood and I have bills to pay like everyone one.
 
I’m quite shocked at the poor attitude of both your husband today and yourself in this email, especially when I have always given you great service, I guess it just goes to show, you can’t please everyone. Your husband expected me to turn up, see if you were in, and leave the windows if you were out, wasting my fuel and my time, no business can operate like this. How would you like it if you turned up for work to be sent home again without pay or compensation for your wasted fuel and time?
 
I hope you treat your next window cleaner with a little more respect, I refuse to be treated like a doormat by anyone.
 
Please confirm receipt of this email.
 
Regards,
 
Gary"

Nice one 

[Shane sharples]

Awesome reply Gary , I hope that makes them think twice next time, I do get the feeling that certain customers think of payment as one of those things that will get paid eventually instead of promptly

[heath verrall]

Last year I dumped a custy for taking it on her self  to deduct £10 of my £40 bill, she sent me email saying the price is too high so  "I've deducted ten pounds and payed thirty into your account."

She only emailed me last week to do the windows, I gave her the name of another windy, and I'm too busy.
She's emailed again asking if I can do next week, I'm going  give it a miss.

Persistent f***

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Last year I dumped a custy for taking it on her self  to deduct £10 of my £40 bill, she sent me email saying the price is too high so  "I've deducted ten pounds and payed thirty into your account."

I've also experienced this. Would they go into a shop, pick up goods and say I think this is too much, I'm only going to pay that much and walk out with the goods. They wouldn't get away with it. It beats me that they think it's all right and that we'll just go along with it

[dazmond]

i very rarely get problems with customers whether its non payment or anything else.

my terms are payment within 14 days of clean.90% do that (the customers paying by BACS/SAE)5% pay after a text reminder after 14 days and the other 5% get doubled up next clean.

i still do some collecting once a week on a monday evening(averaging 1-2 hours)and usually get in between £150-£350.fuel costs are minimal due to 10 mile round trip as i only collect on very compact estate work mainly.

lots of my customers pay me on the day of clean by cash/cheque depending on work/area.

im owed a bit more than usual this month due to holidays but my takings in september usually outstrip my earnings for the month by a few hundred quid.

swings and roundabouts in this game.

if a customer wont pay by BACS/SAE or standing order in one of my "non collecting" areas then i cant be bothered to clean their windows end of!

[Walter Mitty]

Last year I dumped a custy for taking it on her self  to deduct £10 of my £40 bill, she sent me email saying the price is too high so  "I've deducted ten pounds and payed thirty into your account."

She only emailed me last week to do the windows, I gave her the name of another windy, and I'm too busy.
She's emailed again asking if I can do next week, I'm going  give it a miss.

Persistent f***

I'm astonished that you referred her elsewhere; I can't think of any window cleaners who I hate that much.