[Londoner]

When I start a new customer I always try to get a phone number if I can. So if I wanted to phone them up at 2am to discuss the money they owe me its always an option.

I do like the idea of placing an ad in a contact mag.

But the main point I was making was just don't let it worry you. Life is too short.

[rosskesava]

If a customer don't pay, we don't clean their windows again untill they do.

If we get messed about we don't bother with them again. I always do a good job and so does my partner, and like most of us - I know when I am being bullsh**ed.

I am polite about it but firm whether by letter or in person.

One bloke reluctantly and with a lot of huffing and puffing paid after I explained the usual. After he shut the door I put the £15 back through his letter box. It wasn't a case of being 'one up' on him, I just didn't want his money or the job.
 
In all walks of life there are the 'try to get something for free' brigade.

Just walk away and forget them.

[AuRavelling79]

Well, Rosskesava I've also put money back thru' a customers door!
I charged £10 for a seventies end of terrace inc UPVC and about a week later she sent me a cheque for £6.50 saying that I had missed the frames at the upper back (which I hadn't).

So I wrote her a polite but firm note saying that perhaps the fact that a school was being built right opposite and creating dust all day long might have something to do with it and that I had been mopping this up for several months without asking for additional payment. (I also said that in the winter I had cleaned the "utter filth" from her patio doors where her dog had pawed it with it's mud covered feet many times and just accepted it as part of the job.) I posted it thru with her cheque attached and told her to find another window cleaner.

Fortunately I'm at the stage where I can ditch unreasonable customers.

[Duke]

Thanks for all the comments and replies...much food for thought there....I noticed nobody suggested going back and dirtying the windows again (a thrown egg ?) OK, maybe a bit childish....but think of the enormous satisfaction that would surely bring...lol...
Anyway, it was good to have a forum that allowed me to blow off steam...hope you're all having a good and much deserved break, when's everybody back to it ?, My boss is suggesting this week...but he won't see me until the 3rd or 4th...no chance... 

[cleanandmean]

I hate the Beggars that hide from me, i had a customer who when i called to collect payment her ol man would say o you just missed her, shes gone out and then as i was knocking for the fifth time, in the beautifully clean front door windows reflection i saw thier car creeping past, so i thought that they would park up, get out and pay me, i didnt let on that i could see them, and to my shock and ammusment they turned the car around in the culdisack and slowly drove away again.. ..in the reflection of the CLEAN front door window......i saw her, him and the kid watching me as they drove past...i couldnt believe it...now i knew for sure they were taking the mick..So this is what i did, I whent back when they where due for cleaning and and i applied dirty water to all the windows but didnt squeegy it off.......I know it took up my time but I had the last laugh,  and this is what i do to people who Wont and dont pay....who fortunatly are far and few between

[Pureandclean]

Don't really have a problem with bad payers now, but years ago when doing terraces and councils, I did. On one occasion I mentioned someone down that street had not paid, to a lady who always made me a cup of tea.I reckon she must have spread it about a bit, because on the next visit she told me the exact amount owed had been selotaped to her doorstep.

 : Blessings  :

Graeme

[gaza]

heres an alternative for bad payers hit their satalitte dish with your ladders,really pish them of superglue their front door lock,

[rosskesava]

I don't  hassle about non payers etc. I will do their windows once and if I do them again with no payment I don't do them after that and that's it.

I don't get stressed or think of revenge except once.

I'd agreed to do the windows of a take away once a week which fitted in with our commercial round perfectly. 4 weeks laters I gave someone in the place an invoice in an envelope addressed to the owner. I called back every time I went past and eventually I caught the owner on his way out the take away. He said to call back the following day at 1pm which I did and he was not there. Apart from the fact that it's hassle to keep calling back especially when I'm working elsewhere, the amount was just £15 (for 2 large windows and a door).

In the end I went down there during the evening and he got all irate with me about how I'd not done this and that and how I'd promise to include this and that which amounted to the whole place inside and out and the flats upstairs every week for £15 a month.

Then he gave me a tenner and told me that a Friday was no good for him and I'd have to do his windows on a Wednesday so as he could inspect the work.

I tore his tenner up into little bits and stuffed it down his shirt much to the stunned amazement of the customers waiting for their take aways. How I didn't thump this moron was a miracle. I took a deep breath and walked away.

The following day, and I would never normally dream of doing such things, I sprayed a large can of WD40 over all the wndows.

You should now see his windows 8 weeks on.     

I also do the shop next door and every week I knock on the window and wave to them with a big smile.