[easy clean]

just got home from cleaning and got a cheque sent to me with no address on the back and nothing else in the envelope. been on george to type in customers surname, yep you've guessed it no listing. some people are proper idiots, thought i'd seen it all when people see you walk up the drive, wait for you to set up get the pole ine the air then want to give you your money. that really pi55es me off!!!!! oh well what will happen tomorrow, might just stay in bed

[windows_chepstow]

Easy Clean,

Why not write the first line of your customers address on the rear of the SAE you leave with your customers?

Remember, you have to gear your business towards you're daftest customer.

Now you've got to have a look at the date on the cheque and compare that against the amount and what you've cleaned prior to the cheque date.  Also take into account which customer is good enough to send the cheque.

[macc]

Hi.

I write 1st line of address on the inside of all my envelopes, takes 2 seconds.

Macc

[windows_chepstow]

Hi.

I write 1st line of address on the inside of all my envelopes, takes 2 seconds.

Macc

Macc,

It's the same principle!

[macc]

Sorry Tosh, only saying what i did, I know it the same principle.

At least i know i'm doing it right if you do it to, 

Macc

[windolene]

Hi,

 I personally don't like to read posts that call customers "proper idiots" & equally I don't see why you would be "pi55ed off"when a customer pays you, no matter if you are beginning/halfway/or finished the job.

WINDOLENE.

[macc]

Hi,

 I personally don't like to read posts that call customers "proper idiots" & equally I don't see why you would be "pi55ed off"when a customer pays you, no matter if you are beginning/halfway/or finished the job.

WINDOLENE.

I get pi55ed off when they dissaper off with out saying a word, i have no problem if a customer asks me to leave a envelope & they will post it.

Macc

[EasyClean]

'KISS' - Keep It Simple Stupid. Write the address and date of clean on the inside of the SAE and you can't go wrong. Also keep a spreadsheet of your customers details and the 'search facility' will take the hassle out of solving the mysterious cheque, or use 'George' the friendly window cleaning program.

[dave0123]

iv had this one before! they think you only have 1 customer or something i keep telling this person to put there address on the slip inside and he says but never does at first i only new it was him from the scurffy hand writting! but now i just do it myself the address, its the same with phone calls they want it doing nor 2day at this time because they think its only them u clean it really does annoy me!

Last week someone rang me up saying could you clean my house 2day it has to be today i said well i will need to come and give u a price first then she starts going telling me about the windows etc i said i dont quote over the phone i need to look at not just the windows its acses to the property etc! and she then says well i only want a invoice :| obv claiming from something

Dave

[s.hughes]

I get annoyed when the customer asks me to leave a stamped envelope as they are to busy to pay at the moment. I dont mind leaving the envelope but no way am I putting a stamp on it when they are there. Why should I pay that. In most cases I will provide a stamp (only the nice priced jobs) when they are not in as its easy for them to just write the cheque and send it. Not everyone has stamps on them and I think I get the money quicker this way.

Steve

[chris@c.m.s]

If you leave an envelope its worth leaving a stamp on it  : If half of my customers are like me they would write the cheque out pop it in the envelope and then they have go to the post office for stamps, thats the bit where I'd decide to do it at my own conveniance then proberly forget when passing several times, If I had my windows cleaned and was asked to pay by cheque and given an envelope personally I'd rather it had a stamp on it and pay and extra 50p.
Any envelopes I do leave always have the customers first line of address written on the back, and anyone who pays by cheque for the first time has  their full name entered into George and is entered into a record book for cheque payments.   

[Paul Coleman]

just got home from cleaning and got a cheque sent to me with no address on the back and nothing else in the envelope. been on george to type in customers surname, yep you've guessed it no listing. some people are proper idiots, thought i'd seen it all when people see you walk up the drive, wait for you to set up get the pole ine the air then want to give you your money. that really pi55es me off!!!!! oh well what will happen tomorrow, might just stay in bed

I sometimes get these as well.  I do keep a lot of customer details on a database so I can usually work out who it's from.  However, there are gaps in my database info.  Anyone who has previously paid by cheque has their name recorded from it into the database.  The amount the cheque is for narrows it down a fair bit too.
I had a cheque once that really had me stumped though.  It was for £5 and the name was unknown (not previously paid by cheque).  Also, nobody owed me for a £5 job.  Eventually, I managed to track it down via the phone book (luckily they were not ex-directory).  The job was for £10.  I had accessed the back by going over a flat roof because the guy started padlocking the gate.  When I next went there, he said that he sent a cheque for a fiver because I "couldn't possibly" have done the back windows due to his gate being padlocked so he only paid for half of them.  I told him how I tracked down who had sent me the money.  I also told him how I accessed the back.  Fair play to him that he made up the payment shortfall.
Since dropped due to messing me about in several different ways.

[carlfoster]

I used to leave stamped, addressed envelopes, but now i know it's a waste. i just leave a little card through the door. It has taken time and some "customer training", but now almost all my customers send me a cheque. The database I've made for my work,  Round Organiser,  has a search function to find customers, not only based on a surname search but also amount, house number , and road, makes finding them easier and quicker.

[reah]

Hey
All my customers that pay by cheque get given a no against theire name .
So my records show paul x is no 001
That no i write on the inside of the envelope, it is simple quick and saves alot of time when they forget.

[Davie T]

Another problem arises when someone else in the household sends a cheque in a different name without any details of the customer address.
I have fallen foul of this when the cheque bounced and was returned from the bank  I was unable to trace it back as it was in a different name.
Using George I now also have a manual pay in book where I record all the cheques on a daily basis and on the back of each cheque write that particular pay in No.

[reah]

Hey
good advice i also write the customers name and id no on my
counterfoil from my banking book.
Then you allways have a record of what house has paid regardless of who in the house has paid.

As soon as a cheque comes that evening it is wriiten in the banking book with all details recorded then the envelope with their id no gets thrown away.

[macc]

I never put a stamp on or would. If the customer is that worried about paying the cost of a stamp then arrange a place they can leave payment on the day.

Macc

[groundhog]

But a stamp means that you'll get your cheque a lot quicker!!

[JohnL]

I dont understand this queery!

All cheques have a name printed on them so cross reference that name with your own system and you should be ok

Unless you have a pretty poor system   

JohnL

[groundhog]

John, the problem is probably been caused because the people who live in this property are not married, so there are two different surnames, and the cheque has come from the partner whos name was not given when the job was taken on, simple   I should know as I had a couple of similar problems when I first started but have since solved them by putting the address on the inside flap of the envelope