[Steve Newres]

We clean a big house three or four times a year. It’s a £600 job and one person does it in a day. So it’s a very nice job. They have two children and we do their houses too. They are £200 jobs. One of them owes Two cleans and keeps promising to pay but hasn’t managed it yet. It’s a 16 weekly clean so it’s 6 months overdue. I can’t send a court letter because it would risk the other jobs. Any suggestions or do I just wait?

[Dry Clean]

I had a similar problem, long story short I had a word with the parents and now they pay for all three, I assume they then
get the money from the kids or maybe not, as long as I'm paid I don't care.
Had another one, two sisters, ended up losing both as one sister was a pain to get payment from and when I dumped her the
other sister who was a great customer took it badly and sacked me, you win some you lose some.

[Slacky]

Stop going to the one that owes you two cleans. So long as the others keep paying - keep going.

Send a letter/e-mail to the one that owes asking for payment and that all cleans have been stopped until any outstanding payments are received. If they don't pay within the month, escalate. Probably by approaching matey who lives in the big gaff. I can pop round if you like, its only round the corner

[Stoots]

That is a difficult one.

Obviously if they were 20 quid a pop you could just send the non payers a court letter and hope you keep the other 2.

In this situation, if its say half a days work for one clean, so far you have lost a day's pay on the non payer

I would just politely put them on hold and keep doing the other two. Just explain to the others why they are on hold, I'm sure they would understand. Wouldn't chase them for payment unless there comes a point when I lost the 600 quidder then I would pursue them for outstanding balance.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Just have a polite word with parents.  Just be nice and let them know that under usual circamstaces that it would be handed to a dept management company or what ever process you follow.  Just say as it's your family I'm Just wanted to have a word with you first out of respect before it goes down that route.

[Steve Newres]

Thanks for all the advice. They've had several texts, two emails and a letter to date.

[paul alan]

grass em up top the parents, nearly always works!

I even tell the neighbours or anyone else who will listen.

No one wants to be seen to not pay they're  bills.

[robbo333]

Personally, I would have a chat with the parents, just be nice and not mention debt recovery or anything like that.
Just let the parents know you are owed 2 cleans and you would like the money. The parents probably don't know and once they find out (if they are decent) they will probably be embarrassed and cough up themselves. You could then hopefully make an arrangement for the parents to pay for the future cleans, or unfortunately, have to drop the clean.

[PHILIP HARDY]

Ok, You have to treat them all individually, its not the parents responsability  to pay for there grown up house owning offspring,
after that. you have to decide if you are going to try to recover money or going to swallow loss and drop.
If you are going to legally try to demand payment, you have to go ahead and damn the consequences, if you lose all the jobs so be it.
If you are going to drop them you have to just carry on and clean the other two but be prepared to tell them (if they ask), why you no longer go to the third job.
Personnally I would just be prepared to sit it out, keep doing the payers while dropping the non payer but every time you go leave them an "account overdue " letter, no threats of court action or baliffs ,etc, they may just be going through a hard time and when they get back on there feet (earning), pay you and you are back to square one with no recriminations.

[Steve Newres]

Ok, You have to treat them all individually, its not the parents responsability  to pay for there grown up house owning offspring,
after that. you have to decide if you are going to try to recover money or going to swallow loss and drop.
If you are going to legally try to demand payment, you have to go ahead and damn the consequences, if you lose all the jobs so be it.
If you are going to drop them you have to just carry on and clean the other two but be prepared to tell them (if they ask), why you no longer go to the third job.
Personnally I would just be prepared to sit it out, keep doing the payers while dropping the non payer but every time you go leave them an "account overdue " letter, no threats of court action or baliffs ,etc, they may just be going through a hard time and when they get back on there feet (earning), pay you and you are back to square one with no recriminations.

These are aristocrats. Family friends of the royals and run a polo stud business. Outrageously wealthy. In her defence when I called she said can you take a card payment, but I don’t take cards. It’s just laziness.

[Johnny B]

Ok, You have to treat them all individually, its not the parents responsability  to pay for there grown up house owning offspring,
after that. you have to decide if you are going to try to recover money or going to swallow loss and drop.
If you are going to legally try to demand payment, you have to go ahead and damn the consequences, if you lose all the jobs so be it.
If you are going to drop them you have to just carry on and clean the other two but be prepared to tell them (if they ask), why you no longer go to the third job.
Personnally I would just be prepared to sit it out, keep doing the payers while dropping the non payer but every time you go leave them an "account overdue " letter, no threats of court action or baliffs ,etc, they may just be going through a hard time and when they get back on there feet (earning), pay you and you are back to square one with no recriminations.

Almost exactly what I'd do, only I don't leave a reminder. By their looks and body language when I see such ones, (I have a few myself) I know that they know they owe me and it's their call.

John

[nathankaye]

Stop going to the one that owes you two cleans. So long as the others keep paying - keep going.

Send a letter/e-mail to the one that owes asking for payment and that all cleans have been stopped until any outstanding payments are received. If they don't pay within the month, escalate. Probably by approaching matey who lives in the big gaff. I can pop round if you like, its only round the corner

Agree

[Steve Newres]

Stop going to the one that owes you two cleans. So long as the others keep paying - keep going.

Send a letter/e-mail to the one that owes asking for payment and that all cleans have been stopped until any outstanding payments are received. If they don't pay within the month, escalate. Probably by approaching matey who lives in the big gaff. I can pop round if you like, its only round the corner

It’s not the one near you we talked about before.

[Bungle]

If she coughs up what she owes what will you do then? Carry on cleaning knowing you might not get paid or dump? I'd ask the parents if the offspring has changed their phone number as you're trying to make contact regarding payments owed and you're getting no response.  This might plant a seed for the parent to call them without you seeming like you're coming across as being aggressively pursuing payment. That might keep the waters calm with the other two you clean and then you can choose what to do about the non payer as you wish without fear of losing the others.

[Matt.]

Bungle seems to have the right approach

And tbh they prob have that much money it's not on there mind.... Just mention to parents regarding if further cleans are required/and or is there any issues regarding last clean  as no payments received for this one. I don't do domestic but it's similar to getting purchase order numbers from customer on different sites but for same company, so having to speak with people above them tends to prompt a response

[jk999]

If I had a £200 job and they owed me two cleans i would set up card payment just to get my money each clean you said they offered to pay you so why not take the card payment

[G Griffin]

Ok, You have to treat them all individually, its not the parents responsability  to pay for there grown up house owning offspring,
after that. you have to decide if you are going to try to recover money or going to swallow loss and drop.
If you are going to legally try to demand payment, you have to go ahead and damn the consequences, if you lose all the jobs so be it.
If you are going to drop them you have to just carry on and clean the other two but be prepared to tell them (if they ask), why you no longer go to the third job.
Personnally I would just be prepared to sit it out, keep doing the payers while dropping the non payer but every time you go leave them an "account overdue " letter, no threats of court action or baliffs ,etc, they may just be going through a hard time and when they get back on there feet (earning), pay you and you are back to square one with no recriminations.

These are aristocrats. Family friends of the royals and run a polo stud business. Outrageously wealthy. In her defence when I called she said can you take a card payment, but I don’t take cards. It’s just laziness.

Poloponies, eh?
Come the revolution, they'll be first against the wall.
Name the sitcoms.....

[andyM]

A Stud Farm you say?
Take a pair of Castration Pliers with you next time you go asking for payment.....

[Steve Newres]

I had an email from the PA  requesting cleans at 3 of the houses so I took the opportunity to phone her and explain my predicament so she emailed the daughter and payment received a day later. I’m going to sign up for gocardless and try to retain her.

[Walter Mitty]

I've had a similar situation, but with much smaller amounts - that does make it easier.
I stopped cleaning for the one who owed me and carried on with the others.  After a very long time, the one who owed me coughed up, but I didn't resume the cleaning as I didn't want a repeat.  I still clean the other two.  No-one has ever mentioned it.
My guess is that the eventual payer is having a financial issue and doesn't want the others to be aware of that.