[Simon Trapani]

Gotta vent my frustration....

Why is it that certain customers insist on using the reference 'window cleaner' when paying by bacs?

Do they not realise how unhelpful it is? It's only the odd few. It is clearly marked on the slips that we leave and for the repeat offenders we even highlight in bright pink their personal reference, which is usually the first line of their address, and the bit that says, 'for online payments please use reference given.'

One in particular has done it for the last three cleans & we've only cleaned it four times. I feel like binning him just for that.

Rant over! - Thanks.

[SB Cleaning]

  I have a few that have done it....I can usually work out who it is by surnames..

[dazmond]

yep same here too.some customers are just thick!

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

and I was thinking this only happened to us

[Simon Trapani]

The commercial ones wind me up more. The instructions on their invoice is just as clear & you would think since they are also running a business they would know better!

I even had to explain it to the local Tax assist office we clean. Wtf?

Do they not realise it's a reference for us, not them?!

[trippyboy]

I have a little booklet in my office of the slight minority who do this, i know who they are so no dramas.

[nathankaye]

Thats just it, as in Simon's post. They simply cant connect the fact that the reference is for us on our account.
Lol its all the ones who used to use cheques and they would write on the little tabs who they pait with cheque.

Ive had to over come some of these hurdles, no doubt the same as all you guys. In explaining that its us who give them the bank details not them to us.......ive had many who say they dont trust it or dont want to give details.......dumb smucks. So once ive explained that several times it the explanation of how the reference i give makes it easier to see whos paid when i look down my accounts.  Once ive explained that in the style of "how to set up online payments for dummies"  i dont seem to get any issues.................apart from still chasing the odd ones up for payment

[Soupy]

Annoying.

Better yet though, I've had people post me cash. Just cash. In an envelope. No names, clues or riddles or anything that might give me a shot at a bit of secret seven detective work. Ejits.

Pity it's only a measly £10 I could pretend I was the England manager.

[colin bird]

I have a couple of customers that do the same,and I agree with dazmond customers are thick,they also think they are the only customer we have ,for example when you clean there windows at  10 am  ,and when you've finished cleaning  they say is that you done for the day !!

[duncan h]

I keep telling them to ref it to an address. I have given up now. Got 2 pages of names that I have to link to an address.
Some just come up as TM CLIENT AUTOMATE and under it WINDOWS. No idea what bank it is, but 3 people list it the same.

[CF Facilities]

My slip says please use your address as a reference but one of my customers always uses my address!
I wonder if he thinks that the money wont reach me if he hasnt put my address on it like a letter. 

[C & S]

Customers are idiots. Take a look back and see what accounts you have recieved previously. 

[matty72]

I had one customer, on the card it says put address as reference, so payment comes through ref, ADDRESS.

[tlwcs]

I had one customer, on the card it says put address as reference, so payment comes through ref, ADDRESS.

Classic.
I always credit their account and then send them a payment reminder text. They then reply saying it paid to which I say it's in a holding account as they didn't use the first line as a ref for me. Sorts most of the tards out.

[Og]

I've got everyone on a different price, just to make it easier.

[David Beecroft]

I've had all of the above, checking past records normally solves it. I ask them to use their postcode and house/flat  number as their reference.

[paul alan]

People in general are idiots, were all guilty of stupidity at some point.

Better to get paid without a reference than not getting paid! I would rather work out where the moneys from than work out why theyre not paying up.

Just saying

[carl stanton]

Explain it to them as it is.

Or you put a bill for current clean and previous clean, when they ask 'how come I still owe for last month as I paid?' Tell them 'I had no payment with your reference'

Might work, or bite you in the rear ☺️

[Davie T]

With Santander Business Account the majority of BACS payments in to your account will have their postcode.
I moved to them and they have been excellent.

[Simon Trapani]

i already have a business account with Santander. No postcode on any of BACS I receive. It's either the reference I give them, or like I said at the start of the thread, a not very helpful reference of 'windows'.

I also get the odd customer that says their online banking gives no provision for them to type a reference which I find strange.