[sandy]

anybody know any clever methods of collecting payment- leave under plant pot  etc what do you guys when customer comes out and hands one payment instead of the four back payments they have forgoten about - any ideas about cutting down hours spent collecting

[JM123]

take your book to the door with you - if they hand you one payment justpolitely explain about the last x months and show them the book.

[bumper]

ive had all that,like, im sure i dornt owe 4 times, i sure i paid you 2 times ago. when it builds up, oh can i cancel them now.If they are in i will knock on the door and collect the money,The more you collect the less you collect at night.

[pjulk]

Leave SAE it works i now give this to all my new customers if they are out when i clean.
If a customer has not paid after two cleans they don't get done again until they do pay.
Never let it go as much as 4 cleans your the one losing out.

Paul

[mark dew]

Leave SAE it works i now give this to all my new customers if they are out when i clean.
If a customer has not paid after two cleans they don't get done again until they do pay.
Never let it go as much as 4 cleans your the one losing out.

Paul

Good advice.
Try to get customers phone numbers as well and remind them by phone.

mark

[jeff1]

I tell all my customers who get a ticket, what evening I will be calling.

I have in red writing at the bottom of all my tickets.

IF YOU WON'T BE HOME OR IF THIS IS INCONVENIENT PLEASE CONTACT ME ON THE ABOVE NUMBER.
If there not going to be home I make arraignments to leave under a pot or something, with the ticket I left, I then tell the customer I will put the ticket back through the door to let them know I have collected there money. If I know there on holiday I put a different ticket in the door, asking them to send me a cheque.

These methods have worked for me for the past nine years, and will only change them when I change to wfp.

[windows_chepstow]

My system is similar to Jeff1's in the above post.  I only call once now and if they're not in, I leave a stamped, addressed envelope with an instruction sheet on how to pay and how much to pay.

It's easy enough to do.  You can print off your envelopes with your printer and the cost of the stamps are tax-deductable.

If I don't get a cheque, I don't worry, I carry it onto the next month.  Most customers cough up after three months by cheque if I don't catch them in.

[Spursboy1972]

I ordered the snazzy address labels that match my business cards from vista print. I stick them to envelopes and attach a first class stamp. No excuses. I still get the odd comment from people that prefer to see me but most accept that I am busy enough without spending hours collecting

[Sir Squeaky]

I only do customers who aren't in if I know they'll send a cheque, or if I know I'll see them when I'm in the area the next day.

Haven't gone out on collections for years.

[windows_chepstow]

I only do customers who aren't in if I know they'll send a cheque, or if I know I'll see them when I'm in the area the next day.

Haven't gone out on collections for years.

Rog,

On the face of it, your post sounds logical enough, however, what if the customer wants their windows cleaned every four weeks?  Do you still miss them?  How do you know they won't send a cheque?  Would carrying over a payment for one or two months not seem more logical, especially if they cough up in the end; which they tend to do 99% of the time.  How do you know they're out before you start cleaning?  Do you check they're in first?

It seems strange that you have only 16 days worth of work per month; by choice no doubt since you've been going for around five years (self employed); and further reduce your monthly income by missing customers out.

I collect because my/our cash flow is important to us; for the present anyway; but I wouldn't miss a customer because I didn't trust them paying us.  I'd drop them if that were the case.

[Sir Squeaky]

I'm increasing my income actually.
I'm not spending any money or time working out of hours.

The more good paying cutomers I get, the more crap ones I drop.
Yes I do knock on most cutomers first, just a good habit that's died hard.
Some I know don't care so I just get on with it, but not if it's early.

How do I know they won't send a cheque?
Because I've tried before....

...and what do you mean only 16 days a month work?
That's 4 days a week.

That allows for a wet day here and there,
or if I want a day off,
or if I've got something I have to do instead,
and don't forget, I never work past luchtime on fridays.

Any more work and I'd get behind.
I'm not that often on time as it is....
My round's well sorted.

Rog.

[JohnL]

  .  .  and so are you Squeaky - dont let them get you down               

no offence meant Tosh! just a joke  -  OK

( dont want him having a go at me now he's been let loose              )


JohnL 

[Moderator David@stives]

Collecting I never do it , I dont worry one bit about not being paid , they can pay me next year if they like its as good as money in the bank.

Send me your late payers i will have them no problem, some of my best customers are very late payers.

My current debt list to date is £3'219+50p,

Dave

[callum macleod]

I work for 3 cleans then if they still owe i chase it up

[Chris Cottrell]

My current debt list to date is £3'219+50p,

Dave

HOW MUCH    damn ME

[windows_chepstow]

My current debt list to date is £3'219+50p,

Dave

HOW MUCH    damn ME

Snap.  That's more my monthly turnover!

[Moderator David@stives]

The debt amount is relative to the amount of turnover and the amount of businesses i have now got.

Most business accounts take between 4-8 weeks to pay up. Also i am always on time on my 4 weekly round so 3 payments from one customer can soon mount up.

If you go and clean say 5 £40 properties in one day and none of them are in there is an instant debt of £200 and if this happens a few times in one month and carries over to the month after that it soon adds up.

Also i bill my shops every 4 weeks , a few businesses once a year mainly holiday lets.

The more successful you get the more your debt list will go up, add all this together with not collecting or leaving envelopes for customers and it is easy to get to that stage.

Funnily enough i dont see the debt list as a huge burden, I dont live hand to mouth and after 8 years it just seemed to build up and up.

Has anyone else got as big a debt list on here, I suppose some of the big boys could build that debt just on one clean.

Dave

[JohnL]

big business gets big debts

its the ones who control that debt that stay big and expand

JohnL

[Paul Coleman]

The debt amount is relative to the amount of turnover and the amount of businesses i have now got.

Most business accounts take between 4-8 weeks to pay up. Also i am always on time on my 4 weekly round so 3 payments from one customer can soon mount up.

If you go and clean say 5 £40 properties in one day and none of them are in there is an instant debt of £200 and if this happens a few times in one month and carries over to the month after that it soon adds up.

Also i bill my shops every 4 weeks , a few businesses once a year mainly holiday lets.

The more successful you get the more your debt list will go up, add all this together with not collecting or leaving envelopes for customers and it is easy to get to that stage.

Funnily enough i dont see the debt list as a huge burden, I dont live hand to mouth and after 8 years it just seemed to build up and up.

Has anyone else got as big a debt list on here, I suppose some of the big boys could build that debt just on one clean.

Dave

Mine got up to about £700 a few years ago which is quite a bit for a sole trader doing mainly domestic.  Normally, £400 is about the maximum though.

[abacus]

 Hi
I use a addressed envelope and fed bill when people are out I used to collect in the eve when I first started as I needed the cash after being of work ill for two years

I tell people that as long as they pay within five working days unless on holiday that will help to keep costs and the price down it seems to work with most I dont put stamps on as 80% of my customers are not usually in and it would add extra cost.
most of my commercial take the full 30 days to pay some 45days  but with all three cleans are the limit without payment the money is better earning interest in my bank than in thiers.
Since I started keeping records on a pc most just dont bother to dispute it and a lot will even tell me if they owe from last month before I say.

regards grant