Spot on, it all depends on workload. I’m always swamped with work. I would dump without hesitation. Very few messers ever come back anyway, most know. I’ve even dumped £50 an hour work because their invoicing system gets on my tits.
Same here. I had a small 8 weekly commercial for £60.00 which I invoiced head office for. It took me just under an hour to clean and I was happy to fire off an invoice.
At the 6 week point the local manager asked when I was next due as the windows were filthy and I told him I had not been paid the previous clean. He sorted it within a few days, assured me it wouldn't happen again and I cleaned again.
Then next time I hadn't been paid for 8 weeks and hadn't bothered to clean and the local manager phoned me again asking where I was - I told him I hadn't been paid and that I wouldn't do another clean until I got paid. Again he got me paid. But I dropped him there and then.
He asked me to start again and I said "No sorry, Adam - when I started you assured me I would be paid at the monthly point - not 6 weeks, certainly not at 8 weeks. I've got too many decent prompt paying customers to be be messed about. It's not worth my while."
He asked what he could do to keep me going back and I said pay me on the day like (your next door neighbour company) does. He said he would try and arrange it with head office.
I'm still waiting three months later and his windows are getting more and more minging.
I really don't care how others run their business but they aren't going to run mine. Why would I have adhoc customers expecting me to dance to their whims and desires when I'm brimming with good 4 and 8 weekly customers?
I've even sold off £300 worth of work six months ago to a friendly WC because I have too much. He loves it - unlike his own round they are well trained. He said "It's great! I don't have to phone them beforehand, they don't cancel me or ask me to skip and one even phones me up at 7 weeks to ask when she should leave her gate open."