[Erich]

Had a bad days collecting today,everyone seemed to be out of the house or just not answering the door.
Things seemed to be getting better when one house which owed me for three clean's seemed to be active as when i walked passed their living room window i could see someone standing looking out of their back kitchen window.
I give the door a good knock and to my astonishment, I got no reply.I give the door another couple of knocks but still no answer 
This got to me and before i had time to think about my actions i posted my card through the door with a message on the back saying"I SAW YOU WERE IN AND I BELIEVE YOU CANT PAY ME WHAT YOU OWE"
Later today i had a phone call from that address and was told i was cheeky and wrong to say what i did...I was told i would get payment and that my services would be no longer needed...
I dont think i acted in a professional manner and regret what i did ,but i was really angry that someone had to hide instead of answering door especially as i had never been paid for three clean's which is six weeks in total.

[pjulk]

Your better off without slow payers.

[brett walker]

In the past when customers have avoided coming to the door i have knocked on the window or even gone round the back but if someone doesnt want to pay they'll make any excuse up :

just get rid of them 

Brett

[Nathanael Jones]

Hider in the house???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INjOFxYG9WE&feature=related

 

[mark dew]

if they don't pay you and you don't know their name go here:
www.192.com
and sign up to buy some credits then put that address in the search which will give you their names.
Then send a letter registered post (cos if its signed for you know you have the right people) telling them to pay within 7 days or you will make a claim against them which will cost 3X clean + £30.
If you haven't heard then go here:
https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp
and register a claim against them.

[Londoner]

That window cleaner on the youtube clip only wiped the first window with a cloth!

[groundhog]

You should be gratefull to get rid of a customer like that! They are a waste of space!!!!!!!

[nat]

I still can't work people out  so i don't bother trying to now, if they don't pay after 3 cleans i send a notice of debt collection and that our working agreement has been terminated, normally gets a reaction and a few lies (storys) as well 

[Helen]

Had a bad days collecting today,everyone seemed to be out of the house or just not answering the door.

do you have to go collecting on a Sunday? probably not the best day you could have chosen


Things seemed to be getting better when one house which owed me for three clean's seemed to be active as when i walked passed their living room window i could see someone standing looking out of their back kitchen window.

don't let it go to three cleans owing for anyone!

I give the door a good knock and to my astonishment, I got no reply.I give the door another couple of knocks but still no answer 
was this person deaf? could have been

This got to me and before i had time to think about my actions i posted my card through the door with a message on the back saying"I SAW YOU WERE IN AND I BELIEVE YOU CANT PAY ME WHAT YOU OWE"
could have worded that one better

Later today i had a phone call from that address and was told i was cheeky and wrong to say what i did...I was told i would get payment and that my services would be no longer needed...

what did you expect?

I dont think i acted in a professional manner and regret what i did ,but i was really angry that someone had to hide instead of answering door especially as i had never been paid for three clean's which is six weeks in total.

As has been said, you are better off without slow payers, but why let them get to 3? Why collect on a Sunday? this would wind me up if I had people calling to collect on a Sunday. In fact why collect at all? Leave envelopes for payment, much better and you won't get wound up by people not being in or ignoring you or that old one "I haven't got any money at the moment"

Had you contacted them previously about the O/S amount? If not then you should have worded your message more politley. Things like that will spread amongst neighbour etc

[chris@c.m.s]

I don't find it a problem sometimes they just don't have the cash around, I often just leave them a Sae
All my customers know they don't have to pay me straight away some pay cash some write a cheque on the day and the busy ones just post it on.
I don't think collecting is worth the stress or the time and petrol expense.
I have been there and done it and had the same problems,
Thankfully that's in the past for me now though.     

[Tosh]

Erich,

I see from your profile that you're a fellow Geordie and new to window cleaning.

You will find - when you first start up - a large amount of 'bad customers'.

And no doubt money is tight; and for every £10 quid you're owed and don't get when you've got bills and food to buy, it can be frustrating.

You've obviously got a computer, so make sure you put on your 'Your Window Cleaner Has Been' chits when you're going to collect.

I still collect from my estate areas; so I put something like 'I'll be round to collect on Saturday morning between 9.30 and 11.00 am; if you won't be in or do not wish to be disturbed, please leave the payment under an object on your doorstep'.

If they're not in and no payment is left, I leave a SAE with payment instructions.

If I don't get paid; I still keep on cleaning; upto three cleans, then leave a firmer note saying basically that I've cleaned your house for three months, you haven't coughed up, I won't clean this month so your bill doesn't mount up; please cough up.

They usually do.

If I feel they're extracting the urine; drop 'em straight away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, I always have my customers names and phone numbers.  Once when I called to collect I knew they were in, they just weren't answering the door.

So I walked round the corner and phoned their landline from my mobile.

The lady of the house answered the phone and I told her who I was and that I'd just been knocking for payment.  She paid (by cheque); looking all embarrassed; saying she thought I was a salesman (yeh right).

Dropped.

[frames to panes]

I had a coversation through the letterbox the other day - she said she didn't live there and didn't have a key to open the door. 

[TVCS]

I had a coversation through the letterbox the other day - she said she didn't live there and didn't have a key to open the door.     


That is a good one.

She might as well of said,  ' I'm not in at the moment!'

[Wayne Thomas]

The best priced house is a pathetic job which needs to be dropped, if the customer avoids paying.
Don't go out evenings collecting. Leave a SAE and get them to pay by cheque, postal order, bankers cheque, standing order through your bank, etc. No excuse why a customer can't pay you, instead of you chasing them for payment.
Set a limit how many times you are prepared to clean a house without having been paid. If my customers haven't paid for the second clean, they won't get cleaned come the third one, but they will get a note to say that I haven't received their payment and until I do, their window cleaning has been put on hold.