[Suffolkcleaners]

Hi guys,

I know we have been here before but wanted some advice. I’ve got an existing customer (very very wealthy older woman). From day 1 she has always been quite abrupt and had that “self entitlement attitude”. However always paid fairly promptly.

Over two weeks ago she asked me to clean the windows of her decent size detached (soon to be rented/other property). She basically wanted it done the next day. I politely said I just needed more notice and I would really struggle to fit in during that week but I would do if I can. She wouldn’t really take No as an answer and kept saying “well if you can as the house has viewings etc”.  I then came back to her and was honest and said you might be best if you need it done this week to find someone else. It’s completely out of area for me to come back “ Her response again “Please if you can” so I reiterated I will try my best but have to charge accordingly if I do” She didn’t respond to this.

So me being me trying to be nice. A few days later I put a few jobs back and turned up and cleaned her rental property (thinking she would be very very grateful etc). I charged £65 as I had to come out the way and they were FILTHY!!

I then send her this message…

“Morning. I've gone out my way to clean **** House for you. The charge is £65.00 as they were particularly dirty and I've cleaned the frames and glass which desperately needed it!

If you need an invoice let me know and I can email you one if you send me your email,otherwise it's the same account you usually transfer ******street to.

Thank you Kindly.

Her response…

Good afternoon I am very grateful that you have cleaned the windows at ****House today, however, I feel that the price is somewhat excessive and had not received any quote prior to authorising the work. I consider £50.00 would be more appropriate. Please email invoice to office@*****.com”

My response bearing in mind how self entitled she comes across and absolutely loaded (and I mean loaded)

Hi. I can not accept that. I have specifically gone out the way and come to *******and done this as a huge favour for an existing customer. Plus the windows were absolutely filthy. I feel the price reflects the mentioned above and my self worth for making this effort for you.

I have had to cancel two jobs today as a result as I just didn't have the capacity to clean yours this week but wanted to keep an existing customer happy.

Whilst I of course can not force you to pay the whole £65 I will be invoicing for this amount.

I do appreciate the price wasn't agreed but I did advise I would charge accordingly. Thank you for understanding.

Regards


Two weeks later and no payment. Sent a payment reminder yesterday and no response. Would you bother chasing again? I know if you scrutinise the transcript maybe where I have no leg to stand on is no actual price was agreed BUT I really did go out my way.

Any advice? I don’t know if I’ve got the energy to chase and I honestly believe she is the type who would get off on me having to chase and for her to have the last word etc etc. Quite a narcissistic type person/attitude.
 Would would you guys do?

Thanks in advance

[Suffolkcleaners]

Ps I know I have no leg to stand on as I didn’t agree a price but I didn’t have the time to go back and quote (another out of the way journey). To then await a response to then go back again (another journey).

So I perhaps wrongly assumed by me turning up at her empty property she would be over the moon and not question £65. I mean come on we are talking £15 difference to what she thinks she should pay me.

My hunch is a letter wouldn’t do any good and she has so much money she would probably just laugh at me if I threatened small claims etc.

Is this one to let go and learn from? Or continue chasing and sending reminders? If anyone has a really good template or a way I could word a further reminder that would be cool. Thanks 🤩

[DJW]

Depends, how much do you charge for her main house? If you charged more than her presumably larger property, she probably thinks you are taking the p in her eyes.
Could also depend on wether you want to keep her as a customer?

[Suffolkcleaners]

She has a very nice detached house but I only do the front only due to the design and no back access (but a large front only). I charge £28.00 every 8 weeks. Based on that I don’t see just over double for her other large detached house (front and back) and a one off/filthy windows etc as too bad at all.

I also text her every 8 weeks as she has sash windows with individual panes and she needs to close any that might be open. I text every time without fail and never get a “thank you” or even an acknowledgement of my text message.

To be honest she is borderline rude and self entitled. She clearly wants the last laugh here. I know it sounds paranoid but I’m a good judge of person and she is definitely not a nice person. Perhaps something happened in her life to make her like that. I don’t know

[james peters]

These type of people frustrate me ....
I think in this situation , right from the start of her response, I would have accepted the offer of £50 to get damage limitation.
I would then block her and never go back.

something similar happened to me on a pressure wash job for a customer I have had for about 15 years.   I had forgotten to put his table and chairs back in place . I offered to put it right , but he wouldnt let me , and instead he said he wasnt paying the full amount. ( he is a well to do snobby doctor )  you know the type?

A few weeks went by, and still no payment. £350
I sent him a text along the lines of .... please pay the agreed amount.   I f money is not recieved by xx I will pass it over to  debt recovery .
money was in my account later that day.

He is now blocked and binned .   
this was in december , and he has already been replaced.

[Suffolkcleaners]

Ps no I have no intention of keeping her as a customer. I’m going to dump her and if she doesn’t pay send her a final message or maybe best to just not turn up again.

I do some down the road from her (I have to park on double yellows but all fine as the traffic wardens never go there and I’m not there long). One of the customers asked me to ask this customer if she would mind if I could park in her drive whilst I clean hers too and she would then give her a bottle of wine.

Yes the other customer could have asked herself but I think she just didn’t want me getting a ticket. Anyway I put this across to the (non paying  customer) and she wasn’t happy about me parking in her drive unless I was cleaning hers. So ever since then I have to park on double yellows and on edge of getting a ticket. It’s utterly ridiculous and shows the type of character she is.

Whatever happens though I’m dumping her as feel totally disrespected after going out the way for her.

[Suffolkcleaners]

These type of people frustrate me ....
I think in this situation , right from the start of her response, I would have accepted the offer of £50 to get damage limitation.
I would then block her and never go back.

something similar happened to me on a pressure wash job for a customer I have had for about 15 years.   I had forgotten to put his table and chairs back in place . I offered to put it right , but he wouldnt let me , and instead he said he wasnt paying the full amount. ( he is a well to do snobby doctor )  you know the type?

A few weeks went by, and still no payment. £350
I sent him a text along the lines of .... please pay the agreed amount.   I f money is not recieved by xx I will pass it over to  debt recovery .
money was in my account later that day.

He is now blocked and binned .   
this was in december , and he has already been replaced.

I did consider that James but I chatted to my Mrs and we both agreed that if I backed down and acccepted £50 it wouldn’t have made me look professional and it would have come across like I was overcharging in the first place. But too late now I would look desperate if I now accepted £50.

[Suffolkcleaners]

I’m glad the debt recovery thing worked for you James

I  thought about it but if she calls my bluff what am I really going to do? I will look an idiot. I wouldn’t stand a chance threatening small claims etc as no price agreed. It may well work and suddenly I get payment but my gut is she would call my bluff and let me take it to the so called next step.

[matty72]

Get your £50, knock her door and chat professionally and nicely, this is hard to do face to face, well I find it difficult anyway, she is out of order, people like her don't care, there isn't that many of them but they are out there, get your £50 be nice and dump her and hopefully karma will catch up with her.

[PHILIP HARDY]

Take the Fifty, never go back to the original house, don't tell her you have taken her off the list and don't block her, as you will get some amusement out of her messages asking when you are due again, Everyone gets PITA custies, it's in your control whether you keep them or not !!

[Suffolkcleaners]

So you’re saying message back and say “ok Mrs **** I will accept the £50” and then just dump her? It just comes across desperate/unprofessional don’t you think? Having said that it looks like it’s either that or let it go. I’m thinking the latter as crazy as it sounds as I’ve got too much pride to now change it to £50. On the other hand a part of me wants to send her a stinking message saying how entitled she is and I’m glad to be rid of such a narcissistic witch but that might not be wise 

[Suffolkcleaners]

Get your £50, knock her door and chat professionally and nicely, this is hard to do face to face, well I find it difficult anyway, she is out of order, people like her don't care, there isn't that many of them but they are out there, get your £50 be nice and dump her and hopefully karma will catch up with her.

I’m not sure I could matty. I don’t want to lose my temper and come across unprofessional. I think things have built up  with her ungrateful attitude and her general attitude over the years. I really hope karma does come her way but it prob won’t with these sorts of people and I don’t want to become bitter myself.

[Suffolkcleaners]

Plus she will prob dump me and get in there first anyway. That’s my gut feeling

[Smudger]

It’s bit late now but any work like this is paid for in advance.

It desnt really matter about a ‘quote’ or agreement to price she has instructed you to clean - it’s a reasonable charge it should be paid

Whether it’s worth chasing is up to you - get what you can chalk it do n to experience and don’t be so nice in the future

[Suffolkcleaners]

The only other thing that has just come to mind is I could word it in a way where I send another reminder and just say “please can you make the payment and if you’re only going to pay £50 I can’t control that but please make payment anyway as I need to be paid as a small business and baby to support etc etc”

Something to that effect (well maybe not the baby comment albeit true). But it kind of says I will accept £50 without accepting it if that makes sense?

[Suffolkcleaners]

It’s bit late now but any work like this is paid for in advance.

It desnt really matter about a ‘quote’ or agreement to price she has instructed you to clean - it’s a reasonable charge it should be paid

Whether it’s worth chasing is up to you - get what you can chalk it do n to experience and don’t be so nice in the future

I totally agree. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place and stuck to my guns!

[deeege]

Take the £50, block and forget she even exists. Life’s too short to spend worrying about £15 and rude people.

[james peters]

she probably does this to a lot of trades people ..... good god , imagine having to do a high ticket job  for her like fitting a kitchen?
she has probably put some tradesmen through hell.

shes probably menopausel, and in need of s*x 

[Suffolkcleaners]

she probably does this to a lot of trades people ..... good god , imagine having to do a high ticket job  for her like fitting a kitchen?
she has probably put some tradesmen through hell.

shes probably menopausel, and in need of s*x 

Brill. Love this hahaha 🤣

[Ascjim]

ALWAYS quote and get approval before doing any job, ever. Google maps is your friend.