[The Jester of Wibbly]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

[tonyoliver]

Not a new one to me. Cleaned the old house for six months  then the new owner who had a card through every time decided to tell me  she wasn’t paying as they hadn’t asked or needed the service. Not a small house either worth   3 million  Bentley on the drive and so on  four hours each visit and a twenty mile round trip wasted
The last owner spent most of the year in Dubai  so never expected to see them for six months or so  even though they got a text each month
Never bothered to tell me they moved 

Cleaned a flat  and after told me to call the next day for my money
Went back the next day empty !

Happened three or four times over the years. Part of the job

Did one  years ago and when I finished  he said it’s a council house go to Croydon council they will pay you  wtf

 When I worked for my fist company all those years ago  we did a school took three of us four days
the caretaker was a slimy guy  who thought he was a  wheeler dealer when we finished he said you need an authorisation and job number for the bill 
should have got that before you started the job  ha ha ha ha !!
you won’t get paid  and thanks lads saved me a job
Terry the boss punched in straight on the nose blood every
Never heard another word 
Lessons learnt the hard way
So no you’re not the first and won’t be the last !!

[tonyoliver]

Not a new one to me. Cleaned the old house for six months  then the new owner who had a card through every time decided to tell me  she wasn’t paying as they hadn’t asked or needed the service. Not a small house either worth   3 million  Bentley on the drive and so on  four hours each visit and a twenty mile round trip wasted
The last owner spent most of the year in Dubai  so never expected to see them for six months or so  even though they got a text each month
Never bothered to tell me they moved 

Cleaned a flat  and after told me to call the next day for my money
Went back the next day empty !

Happened three or four times over the years. Part of the job

Did one  years ago and when I finished  he said it’s a council house go to Croydon council they will pay you  wtf

 When I worked for my fist company all those years ago  we did a school took three of us four days
the caretaker was a slimy guy  who thought he was a  wheeler dealer when we finished he said you need an authorisation and job number for the bill 
should have got that before you started the job  ha ha ha ha !!
you won’t get paid  and thanks lads saved me a job
Terry the boss punched in straight on the nose blood every
Never heard another word 
Lessons learnt the hard way
So no you’re not the first and won’t be the last !!

[jay moley]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

As annoying as it is id let it go, wouldn't text him back even tho he's at fault.

I wouldn't chase the new owner for the money as she hasn't agreed to the clean but I would offer her the option for you to clean her windows regularly going forward.

[AuRavelling79]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

As annoying as it is id let it go, wouldn't text him back even tho he's at fault.

I wouldn't chase the new owner for the money as she hasn't agreed to the clean but I would offer her the option for you to clean her windows regularly going forward.

I certainly wouldn't entertain doing his new house if he won't pay for the old one.

[jay moley]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

As annoying as it is id let it go, wouldn't text him back even tho he's at fault.

I wouldn't chase the new owner for the money as she hasn't agreed to the clean but I would offer her the option for you to clean her windows regularly going forward.

I certainly wouldn't entertain doing his new house if he won't pay for the old one.

Missed that bit. No chance I'd clean the new one unless he pays for the other one.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

I'm of the opposite view because I understand that moving house is second to divorce in the stress scale. We are last to be told and I understand this.

I cleaned a flat next to a school and two woman in it are great payers. The house went up forsale with a sign outside and I just cleaned like normal and posted my card asking for £7. Heard nothing and didn't get paid so I thought maybe they split up then 3 weeks later got paid as it was through the bank and then they called me asking to clean their new home in a new development half a mile away. Went down and cleaned it and said it would be £13 now as it has roof veluxes and more windows and doors. They were very happy and said the estate doesn't have a window cleaner so I went round and posted some cards.

I could have took the get lost approach and never got the new clean or as I did, I didn't bother and in the end they told me what had happened. They got the keys to their new home and put their flat up forsale and expected it to sell after 4 weeks but because of location it sold on the first day so they were forced to move quickly.

When I have good customers then I try and keep them even if I lose the cost of a clean now and then. In the end we are not Mindreaders so we don't know what the customer is going through.

This approach has worked for me and I'm sticking to it.

[NBwcs]

I've had it too but I would certainly look at doing the new property but add  a  quid or two to your normal price hence get paid for the lost clean  over time and then  actually profit from his messing you about. I've done this with one of mine, and  Ive now  covered the loss. I think of it as a  "twattax".

[matty72]

Yea it's happened to me  a few times over the years, luckily only one or two cleans at the most, I reckon 90% of the time the people know exactly what there doing but occasionally some do forget {here lies the problem}, to be honest would don't have to many options, call the scum bag that moved out and appeal to his sense of fair play and ask for payment and as for the double scum bag that let you clean their windows for six months and said they won't pay not a lot you can do but just hope karma comes along and does the same to them.
Failing all that, forget about the whole thing have a beer and move on
Just to update this message I'm talking about the tonyoliver customer, I read that one and got carried away

[Stoots]

That happened to me once, i cleaned someones windows and when i messaged for payment he said sorry ive moved out.

I jumped the gun, took that as he wasnt going to pay so i told him he was a prick 

He then said actually i was going to pay you as its my fault but im not now 

fair enough

on the flip side i cleaned someone windows for ages taking the payment via go cardless before i realised they had moved out months ago
 
You win some and lose some

[dazmond]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

My questions would be.....

1. Was he a good customer previously and paid promptly with no issues?

2. Is his new house in an area you clean and is it easy access?

My answer would be based on that......

The lady might get in contact and be quite happy to  pay you if you posted a slip(I always post slips with price,bank details on,contact number,etc).

[KS Cleaning]

I'm of the opposite view because I understand that moving house is second to divorce in the stress scale. We are last to be told and I understand this.

I cleaned a flat next to a school and two woman in it are great payers. The house went up forsale with a sign outside and I just cleaned like normal and posted my card asking for £7. Heard nothing and didn't get paid so I thought maybe they split up then 3 weeks later got paid as it was through the bank and then they called me asking to clean their new home in a new development half a mile away. Went down and cleaned it and said it would be £13 now as it has roof veluxes and more windows and doors. They were very happy and said the estate doesn't have a window cleaner so I went round and posted some cards.

I could have took the get lost approach and never got the new clean or as I did, I didn't bother and in the end they told me what had happened. They got the keys to their new home and put their flat up forsale and expected it to sell after 4 weeks but because of location it sold on the first day so they were forced to move quickly.

When I have good customers then I try and keep them even if I lose the cost of a clean now and then. In the end we are not Mindreaders so we don't know what the customer is going through.

This approach has worked for me and I'm sticking to it.

Your stories have more holes in them than a tea bag! Even if a flat/house does sell on day one it would then take on average a further 6 weeks to complete the conveyancing.

[Simon Trapani]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

That would’ve boiled my pi$$😡

No way would i clean his new house. I would ask him how was I supposed to know you’d moved? What an not a very nice person. He must look right down on you & see you as some sort of muppet. It’s stuff like this that makes me really dislike customers👊

That’s annoyed me & it’s not even my customer!

[richard connett]

Tell the bloke you’ll clean his new house if he pays for the last clean seen as he didn’t tell you. That way you may get paid. Once payment is received bin him
On the new house put a card through and try and retain them .

[Tam1872]

Just over price his new house

[Mattymarske]

Had one yesterday that rang to say she'd moved house and knows she owes me 4 cleans that she'll pay.

She said she'd added a cancellation note to her BACS payment reference 5 cleans ago!! I said once I know a surname I add payment on George and be done I don't look into the afternoon reference.

We'll see if she pays up...

*Address reference not afternoon

[AuRavelling79]

But Scottish, Scottish, Scottish.

According to you your customers DID pay up.

In the OP's they didn't and said they wouldn't.

You're comparing Apples with Oranges.

[Scottish Cleaning Service]

But Scottish, Scottish, Scottish.

According to you your customers DID pay up.

In the OP's they didn't and said they wouldn't.

You're comparing Apples with Oranges.

Okay, well just go and quote for his new house clean and add a Pound to what the clean would be. If he says its to expensive then walk away.
I would chap the old house and explain that I cleaned it but didn't realise he had moved out. If you want me to continue then the clean is a house warming present and we can start afresh next month. Might end up with 2 cleans per month and he is still going to pay for his old house clean but doesn't realise it. Then everyone a winner because he thinks he doesn't need to pay it.

In the end, I went out yesterday and did a full day on the glass and made nearly 4 ton so losing a tenner here or there makes no difference to me. I see it as part and parcel of the job. I only take Cash or Bacs so have no third party to pay.

Another thing I'm getting now is annual solar panel cleans even from none windy customers. Maybe they have realised it makes them more efficient.

[KS Cleaning]

But Scottish, Scottish, Scottish.

According to you your customers DID pay up.

In the OP's they didn't and said they wouldn't.

You're comparing Apples with Oranges.

Okay, well just go and quote for his new house clean and add a Pound to what the clean would be. If he says its to expensive then walk away.
I would chap the old house and explain that I cleaned it but didn't realise he had moved out. If you want me to continue then the clean is a house warming present and we can start afresh next month. Might end up with 2 cleans per month and he is still going to pay for his old house clean but doesn't realise it. Then everyone a winner because he thinks he doesn't need to pay it.

In the end, I went out yesterday and did a full day on the glass and made nearly 4 ton so losing a tenner here or there makes no difference to me. I see it as part and parcel of the job. I only take Cash or Bacs so have no third party to pay.

Another thing I'm getting now is annual solar panel cleans even from none windy customers. Maybe they have realised it makes them more efficient.

pfffft……thanks for sharing!

[Bungle]

Cleaned a property as per normal yesterday and I text customer to confirm it's been done and to make payment.

He replied with....

'I’ve moved house now. The new lady who bought it will need to pay you.  Can you clean my new house? '

But did you text him with you were 'going' to clean his windows before you turned up or did you do what splosh and dosh does and just turn up?