[Stoots]

So annoying its always the same customers every time, needing 3 or 4 reminders to eventually pay and no matter how many customers i dump and replace along comes another slow or non payer.

I mean losses over the year arent that bad, i usually write of 200-300 quid a year but its just annoying and tedious more than the amounts.

Thing is i could go through and chop 20 annoyingly slow payers off the round but i can guarantee another handfull would step up to fill their place

[AuRavelling79]

So annoying its always the same customers every time, needing 3 or 4 reminders to eventually pay and no matter how many customers i dump and replace along comes another slow or non payer.

I mean losses over the year arent that bad, i usually write of 200-300 quid a year but its just annoying and tedious more than the amounts.

Thing is i could go through and chop 20 annoyingly slow payers off the round but i can guarantee another handfull would step up to fill their place

 

[Stoots]

It is quite funny to be fair if you dont laugh youd cry  the joys of being self employed

[Smudger]

I think you either accept its part of the game or you stand there with your hand out at the end of the clean..

Only other option is to take 1 or 2 payments in advance on these people...

just look at it as a big wheel turning it comes around to you  - as long as you have enough on the wheel to have your lifestyle I wouldn't sweat the 2% who are slow to pay.

If your short, then thats a different matter...

Darran

[SB Cleaning]

I have a few that can be weeks late but they always pay,  some customers i have found like to pay all their bills at the end of the month.

[Splash & dash]

We would push until they pay then dump , we stress on the quote prompt payment by bacs , over the years we have weeded out this type of customer and it’s very rare that we get them now

[Shrek]

I dumped a factory last month , an easy £120 a clean - all indoor trad work.
Told them my payment terms which were ignored the first month , had to chase them for payment. The second month , again had to chase again , was told they pressed the wrong button.
The last time I cleaned , I  chased 3 different people for the payment in the factory, I received payment late so I dumped them . Really annoys me when people can’t pay their bills on time , totally understand how you feel!

[james peters]

I run a tight ship as regards this, and as a result I now dont have any stragglers. ..... sure ....I will pick up a few each year, but they are culled strait away....
normally they give you an indication on how they pay after the first clean..... if its a few days after the first clean ... you can guarentee its a week or so after the second , and its down hill after that.
Its very frustrating, but I now have  everyone whistling to my tune .
I very rarely get late payers now .
It is also very satisfying having a good DUMP

[JandS]

I have one or two who pay all their bills on the same date so sometimes it's a short wait sometimes a long one....but they always pay without reminders.

[Stoots]

dumped 5 this week, 1 for constant skipping, 1 for leaving the gate locked for about the 3rd time in a row,  1 for wanting to choose the day, 2 for poor parking.... just cba anymore with anything other than easy work.  2 also moved out so 7 down in total.

[deeege]

dumped 5 this week, 1 for constant skipping, 1 for leaving the gate locked for about the 3rd time in a row,  1 for wanting to choose the day, 2 for poor parking.... just cba anymore with anything other than easy work.  2 also moved out so 7 down in total.

Isn’t that parr for the course when taking on loads of crap FB customers? I have exactly zero customers like this.

[Chris Cottrell]

I think you either accept its part of the game or you stand there with your hand out at the end of the clean..

Only other option is to take 1 or 2 payments in advance on these people...

just look at it as a big wheel turning it comes around to you  - as long as you have enough on the wheel to have your lifestyle I wouldn't sweat the 2% who are slow to pay.

If your short, then thats a different matter...

Darran

we have always had late or non payers as you say its part of the game, my wife has a variety of letters that she will send out to these people, we like payments to be made within 14 days but if they get to 3 weeks the mrs starts hounding them, since being so diligent with them I think I can honestly say I can count on one hand to number of people that actually did get away without paying so its defiantly worth being persistent with chasing letters

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Blimey that's a huge amount to write off a year.  I rarely have to write anything off.  Probably only 2 or 3 jobs in the last 10 years.  I think those few were mainly due to a customer dying.   

Maybe word is getting about you're a push over.   Please don't take this the wrong way my friend but maybe it's time to get strict.  Usually a threat of small claims court and a hike in fees gets me my payment before dumping.   I never clean a house that owes money, never let it accumulate.  Again I rarely have to go down that road.   

I do sometime get the slower payer but they always end up paying.  After a while, those are the ones I move to GC, and if they refuse, I drop.

[AuRavelling79]

I think my van crash has irritated me a bit inasmuch as I think if I can continue cleaning in more trying circumstances then why should I continue for bad payers or those that have got worse recently.

I have just dropped (though they don't know it yet) a customer that on paper was a good middle to upper sized domestic at £45.00

It started as a turn up and do when I liked but then continued building work meant to leave the backs for three cleans which was okay as I knocked ten quid off the bill each time.

Then in January they didn't pay for six weeks.

They also have a nervous rescue dog which outside of winter is often in the back garden and it is no bother to me but it howls from the moment I arrive until I leave.

In March the guy says could I tell them I'm coming so they can put the dog in. I did it once and it worked okay but then I didn't get paid.

So I was due to go last week but decided I would get payment and dump.

I sent a reminder for payment and said it was due to be cleaned in two days time.

I got an apology and payment and asked if I could leave cleaning it for two weeks due to the weather. (That's a dumping offence on its own!)

I texted back thanking them for payment and said I would need to check my schedules as to rearranging.

They're dumped.

Shame really. When it was 'on song' it was £45 for 45 minutes steady work with customers either side.

But they don't appreciate my service enough so bye bye.

[NBwcs]

I'd have sleepless nights if I had to write off £300 a year but obviously I don't know how many customers you have to work it out pro rata but in 19yrs, I average £20 written off a year. Nearly all my new work comes from walk ups or reccomendations so maybe the comments about Facebook are bang on if that's where you advertise. I've never advertised this way.

[Stoots]

dumped 5 this week, 1 for constant skipping, 1 for leaving the gate locked for about the 3rd time in a row,  1 for wanting to choose the day, 2 for poor parking.... just cba anymore with anything other than easy work.  2 also moved out so 7 down in total.

Isn’t that parr for the course when taking on loads of crap FB customers? I have exactly zero customers like this.

I'd say so yeh.

When I started out I was paying canvassers and believe me canvassed qork was much worse than Facebook work, not even half of it was any good.

With fb it's probably more line 20 percent that will go on to be messers.

It's different when you are building slowly and taking on walk ups and referrals.

But I took on about 150 new custs this year via face book. 20 percent of it may be dross but where else can you get 150 customers for free in a few weeks. Pros and cons to everything...

I've always seen this game as throw mud at the wall and see what's sticks.

Maybe it's the area,it's saturated up here and I don't really get walk ups and referrals it just doesn't happen. Not long ago i had a lad working  with me for a couple of months who was from a couple of hours south of where i am. He was shocked that we didn't get a single walk up when working. He said he gets them every week where he works....

[Stoots]

I think my van crash has irritated me a bit inasmuch as I think if I can continue cleaning in more trying circumstances then why should I continue for bad payers or those that have got worse recently.

I have just dropped (though they don't know it yet) a customer that on paper was a good middle to upper sized domestic at £45.00

It started as a turn up and do when I liked but then continued building work meant to leave the backs for three cleans which was okay as I knocked ten quid off the bill each time.

Then in January they didn't pay for six weeks.

They also have a nervous rescue dog which outside of winter is often in the back garden and it is no bother to me but it howls from the moment I arrive until I leave.

In March the guy says could I tell them I'm coming so they can put the dog in. I did it once and it worked okay but then I didn't get paid.

So I was due to go last week but decided I would get payment and dump.

I sent a reminder for payment and said it was due to be cleaned in two days time.

I got an apology and payment and asked if I could leave cleaning it for two weeks due to the weather. (That's a dumping offence on its own!)

I texted back thanking them for payment and said I would need to check my schedules as to rearranging.

They're dumped.

Shame really. When it was 'on song' it was £45 for 45 minutes steady work with customers either side.

But they don't appreciate my service enough so bye bye.

I turned up to a job last week, been cleaning it years it's an easy well paying job. It just irks me that I have to park in a muddy car park ( it at the side of a canal). I've put up with getting my hose,boots and van blathered in mud for years...

Pulled up as usual and just decided today was the day I'm gonna dump it, I just couldn't be bothered with it, last job of the day i wanted to get home to do something else. Just not in the mood..i  got out, sighed a bit, got back in and drove off 

I just want to park outside and pull my hose out these days I have zero tolerance for anything that puts me out.

I dumped another week before because I have to park on a bend on a main road and it's just dangerous, awkward and I dont want my new van smashing into.

So many reasons to dump. But then if I went through my entire round I could pick fault with half of them but I'm getting really fussy.

[dazmond]

I'd have sleepless nights if I had to write off £300 a year but obviously I don't know how many customers you have to work it out pro rata but in 19yrs, I average £20 written off a year. Nearly all my new work comes from walk ups or reccomendations so maybe the comments about Facebook are bang on if that's where you advertise. I've never advertised this way.

I usually have to write off around £50-£100 per year but usually its because the customer has died owing money or moved.its very very rarely because a customer refuses to pay.

[dazmond]

dumped 5 this week, 1 for constant skipping, 1 for leaving the gate locked for about the 3rd time in a row,  1 for wanting to choose the day, 2 for poor parking.... just cba anymore with anything other than easy work.  2 also moved out so 7 down in total.

Isn’t that parr for the course when taking on loads of crap FB customers? I have exactly zero customers like this.

I'd say so yeh.

When I started out I was paying canvassers and believe me canvassed qork was much worse than Facebook work, not even half of it was any good.

With fb it's probably more line 20 percent that will go on to be messers.

It's different when you are building slowly and taking on walk ups and referrals.

But I took on about 150 new custs this year via face book. 20 percent of it may be dross but where else can you get 150 customers for free in a few weeks. Pros and cons to everything...

I've always seen this game as throw mud at the wall and see what's sticks.

Maybe it's the area,it's saturated up here and I don't really get walk ups and referrals it just doesn't happen. Not long ago i had a lad working  with me for a couple of months who was from a couple of hours south of where i am. He was shocked that we didn't get a single walk up when working. He said he gets them every week where he works....

I think you have done fantastic in the last few years Adam with making your business more profitable.

You do what's best for you and your business mate and Facebook has been great for you over the last few years.

[KS Cleaning]

It’s alright everyone saying sack this one off, sack that one off,  if like me you want to keep your round compact you need to have a little bit leeway……..without the customer taking the proverbial P of course😉