[James Styles]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

[Bungle]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

Bug them at 9pm and then lose them. FFS have some patience man!

[CleanClear]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

 

[Splash & dash]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

Are you for real ?.....you cleaned them between 12-3pm and are chasing for payment already , it’s a good job you don’t  clean mine as I would cancel  and tell you what to do . You arnt going to be successful in  buisness  with harassing people like that ,

[Phil J]

Give them a week to pay before you start hassling or your gonna p people off.

[James Styles]

This is why I am asking for advice on here before I act to see if I would be being too pushy.
I obviously see things a bit differently, if someone did my windows I would pay on the day they’d been done.
I’ll leave it for a few days then.

[James Styles]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

Are you for real ?.....you cleaned them between 12-3pm and are chasing for payment already , it’s a good job you don’t  clean mine as I would cancel  and tell you what to do . You arnt going to be successful in  buisness  with harassing people like that ,

If you read my post properly I haven’t chased them for it, I’ve only sent a text to say they have been cleaned and if they could process the payment when convenient.
I would of just expected the payments to have been made by now but I guess from the replies I’m wrong to expect payment on the day the jobs been done.

[Lee Pryor]

Hi James

I have followed a few of your recent posts.

If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.

I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.

[James Styles]

Hi James

I have followed a few of your recent posts.

If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.

I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.

Thank you pal I appreciate that, I still have a lot to learn, only been going 3-4 months.

[p1w1]

Yes James your being very pushy for payment IMO.  Its up to you how long you give your customers time to pay but to expect everyone to pay within a couple of hours will never happen i'm afraid.  People have busy lives and often forget, not saying this is right but it happens.

For instance i state payment is to be received within 10 days from the cleaning date ( i think this is fair and allows for if people are on holiday when I've cleaned) after the 10 days a automated text reminder will be sent.
Most will pay once they received the reminder the odd 1 or 2 wont but they will be the ones who get dropped if its a common issue.

I have for a few years used GoCardless Direct Debit which saves all the above hassle and have about 3/4 of my customers on this payment method, you should try and push this as a payment method from the start ( I have a letter template you can have to give to customers to try and promote this way of paying).

Unfortunately your going through the starting phase where you will be picking up customers dropped by the more established because of late payments etc thats just part and parcel of starting a round up, however you have a great opportunity to get things right from the beginning in regards to getting your payments made with the least hassle. You do need to have a bit more patients in regards to payment really, expecting payment within a few hours is a bit ott its just how this game works mate.

[CleanClear]

Hi James

I have followed a few of your recent posts.

If you would like to talk to me, I have time on Wednesday if you want to give me a call.

I do agree witht he others on this thread. There are a few things you can do to solve these problems.

Lee has found a victim 

[James Styles]

Yes James your being very pushy for payment IMO.  Its up to you how long you give your customers time to pay but to expect everyone to pay within a couple of hours will never happen i'm afraid.  People have busy lives and often forget, not saying this is right but it happens.

For instance i state payment is to be received within 10 days from the cleaning date ( i think this is fair and allows for if people are on holiday when I've cleaned) after the 10 days a automated text reminder will be sent.
 Some will pay once they received the reminder the odd 1 or 2 wont but they will be the ones who get dropped if its a common issue.

I have for a few years used GoCardless Direct Debit which saves all the above hassle and have about 3/4 of my customers on this payment method, you should try and push this as a payment method from the start ( I have a letter template you can have to give to customers to try and promote this way of paying).

Unfortunately your going through the starting phase where you will be picking up customers dropped by the more established because of late payments etc thats just part and parcel of starting a round up, however you have a great opportunity to get things right from the beginning in regards to getting your payments made with the least hassle. You do need to have a bit more patients in regards to payment really, expecting payment within a few hours is a bit ott its just how this game works mate.

Thanks for the informative reply mate this helps a lot, I will need to be more patient then it seems, lucky I asked on here as I was close to sending a polite reminder to process the payment 

[CleanClear]

Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

James, if you have been going for 3 or 4 months then how have you gone on on other days ? Has this situation not happened to you before ?

[nathankaye]

So James, let's imagine for a moment your in the customers shoes.
They are obviously away at work when you have cleaned their windows. In a job which you do not know and therefore don't know if its been a stressful day for them or not. 
It comes to five pm and they are getting ready to go home but they may have to sit in slow moving traffic for an hour perhaps to get back home and now it's gone 6pm.    Some may have to pick their kids up from a career or play group etc and then deal with all the hassle that comes with kids and then sort the kids tea out and get them into bed.  If it's anything like myself, it can be anywhere from 8 - 9 pm before I can actually sit down from doing many tasks like above and others, before I can actually do what I need to do.
So expecting them to be skipping around the room because their windows have been cleaned to their delight and they are super excited that they sit down to make paying their window cleaner a priority, is a tad bit unrealistic mate!

So what can you do?  First have a little more realistic idea of how soon you will be paid and chill a little.
2nd, look into GoCardless as an only option and that way, (since you like control) you will be in charge of collecting payment 5 working days later.  Yes! 5 working days, not actually 5 days.
This may give a more realistic expectation

[Smudger]

I can't wait until you've got a couple of hundred customers and you look and see several hundred quid outstanding - your really going to poo yourself then 

Chill young padawan - money comes to he who waits - but does not if you wait for 3 cleans

Darran

[Jonny 87]

I never chase payment. Most pay within 30 days, some let it roll over.

Aslong as I get my money within 1-3 cleans I’m happy.

Remember we used to have to go out collecting every Friday night! I got to the stage where two evenings a week I was collecting.

Now I just post through the invoice and it appears in my bank account. For me, the few later payments are worth getting my evenings back.

[dazmond]

Just wondering how other windows go about this or if it’s a common thing (I’d imagine it is)
So I’ve cleaned a load of houses today and 5 choose to pay via online transaction.
2 have paid in the money and the other 3 haven’t paid yet, the windows were done about 12 noon- 3pm time and I send a text saying they are done (as soon as it’s completed) and if they could process the payment.
Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

my payment terms state "please pay within 14 days of clean",most do,the ones that dont get a text reminder after this time or they pay double next time....

im usually owed between £500-£1500 at any one time....i just see it as money in the bank,itll come in eventually.....

the problem you have is you need the money NOW!( i expect).....once your in front with your bills and you have a few grand behind you then you wont worry so much.....

outstanding/rolling debt is part and parcel of running a business....

PLEASE DO NOT SEND A TEXT PAYMENT REMINDER AFTER A FEW HOURS OF CLEANING A CUSTOMERS WINDOWS!

itll be a sure way to annoy a new customer and youll come across as desperate for the money(even if you are you dont show it!)and could lead to losing the job altogether.....

[jonny thompson]

James as long as it comes eventually it doesn’t matter, I leave it a week to 10 days to give them a nudge, it’s quite nice letting it build up, especially if your going on holiday and remind them just before you go, I’m £1200 owing at the moment,and that’s domestic

[Bungle]

James as long as it comes eventually it doesn’t matter, I leave it a week to 10 days to give them a nudge, it’s quite nice letting it build up, especially if your going on holiday and remind them just before you go, I’m £1200 owing at the moment,and that’s domestic

Hi Jonny, I saw your Mrs reeling in today. I didn't want to pip my horn in case she thought I was perving 😛

[James Styles]

Should I send a text to remind them as it’s now getting near 9pm and haven’t received payment or is it best to wait til tomorrow to not bug them.
Hate chasing for payment, I don’t see why they couldn’t of paid it in by now it’s a simple process.

James, if you have been going for 3 or 4 months then how have you gone on on other days ? Has this situation not happened to you before ?

Most have been paying cash and the ones who did pay online did within hours