[Roy Harding]

I use the following how about you?                                






                                      Roy Harding Window Cleaning
                  Telephone Office 01600 719014or Mobile 07768977998

                                                    Quotation
Date      /      /2005

Surname                        

Address                           
                                 Post Code      Tel            


Clean               
      
             4wkly                                     8wkly                                       12wkly
                       
                     £      :                                       £      :                                         £       :   
      
                                      TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRADING

1.   By booking our services you accept our terms and conditions of trading.
2.   You agree to give        wks notice of termination of our services.
3.   We require 3 days notice for a cancellation of a clean.
4.   If we have arrived to work then we cannot accept a cancellation, unless work is been carried out at property. Where on 50% is payable as we have not had 3 days notice.
5.   We will endeavor to clean all windows, but if we deem any windows to be inaccessible. These will be left.
6.   We must have access to rear of property, i.e. all gates must be unlocked. If you want us to contact you the night before we will. But 25% will be charged if we cannot get access to any property.
7.   Safety is of  paramount importance. So we request that small children and pets be enclosed in the safety of the house for the duration of the clean.
8.   Price we strive to be competitive but our prices will increase by the rate of inflation each year.
9.   Insurance we are covered for public liability and personal injury.
10.   Payment by return of post,
11.   Late payments will be subject to a £2 accounts Charge, if they are unpaid for 28 days. And will incure £2.00 for every successive 28 days.



Customers Signature                     

[Duke]

Hi Roy...perhaps you should move this to the documents list ?...good contract though, similar to ours, but more detail....we don't go into penalty clauses...maybe we should.

[Roy Harding]

sent it to admin but nothing yet.

[Duke]

   maybe they're still out at work.... :

[windows_chepstow]

Roy,

It's an excellent document (which I will definately numptyize parts for myself) and as always it's far easier to pick holes in a new thread, than start one yourself, but I have a few points:

1.  It needs a bit of 'polish' with spelling and grammar (apologies for being anal here). I can help a little with this - not that I'm anything special mind, but my written English is fairly decent (unlike my spoken) - wait out and I'll PM you with a polished version - if you want it.

2.   How does raising your prices by the rate of inflation work?  In the 1980's this could've been quite lucrative, but now with inflation at the 2.6% (I think - just had a look around a few sites) that means on a £10.00 house that's an increase of 26p.  I bet you just knock 'em up a quid!  Maybe giving this line a miss would be best; unless you do actually raise the price in-line with inflation!

3.  Do the penalty clauses work?  Do you enforce them?  Or do you have a pragmatic attitude towards some late payers (such as they have a good excuse for paying late).

[Duke]

must admit...those points did cross my mind....glad you said it, not me....I wouldn't want anyone to think I was being 'picky' either.....good points though !

[Roy Harding]

English is not my strong point, ( born in Herefordshire says it all ) I find most people do pay by return of post, but I have 2 customers that would keep you waiting and waiting in these cases I do charge them. But it would be at my disscretion. But the threat of it keeps it in their mind.

As for a rise its realy to let the customer know I will review the price every year, but I dont allways put them up.

As for 3 days notice of a clean yes I do inforce it. We have had the time and travel to get there.

[Roy Harding]

When you sign up a new customer it shows them what you expect from them.
I cant stand time waisters. " dont do them today as im going shoping" So. Ive used this now for 18yrs and very rarely get any problems.

[windows_chepstow]

Roy,

You've just given the gist for the correct wording for the price increase part:

"Prices will be reviewed anually in April each year, however this does not automatically mean an increase.  Prices will be only be raised to bring you in-line with what we are now charging.  This means that I will continue to clean your property, rather than abandon your custom for more lucrative work" (Or words to that effect would sound better).

I use a similar line in a document I use for putting up customers prices.

Give me a couple of days and I'll e-mail you a 'cleaner' version of your document.

Please realise I'm half-Japanese and not trying to be a smart bottom.  This means that we're not very good at inventing things.  We only take a good idea and improve upon it.  

I agree with you about 'dodgy customers' too.  It's far better to let them know, in writing what service you're providing, and what you expect from them.  Letting them read it before signing, must sound softer than 'telling them', but gets the point across just the same.

I will definately be using the basis of your document for any new cleans I take on.

[Duke]

They sure do...look at motorbikes.....sorry was drifting off there.....

[Roy Harding]

Hang on stay in there :)dont loose it, theres more.

[Duke]

OK, I'm back...now where was we....?

[Roy Harding]

Has any body else got any thing they think should be added.

[rosskesava]

I don't want to put a dampner on things but when we tried a simple type of contract it just didn't work.

I was against it from day one as my view is/was that if we get messed around then we drop the customer and get customers who don't.

That may have influenced how I presented it to the customer. I just wasn't happy with it where as my partner was all for it but seeing as it's me who (having a big gob) does all the talking, I may have given out my predudices subtly to the customer.

It just doesn't seem right for this area but as Roy said it's worked for him for 18 years, maybe it's me that is the problem. Dunno?

If any one else tries this could they post feedback please.

[Crystal Cleaning Services]

We started using a similar document a couple of months ago for all new customers. I will send it to document upload section, but if anyone wants a copy of it before then, just email me. We find it works really well.

There is also an exclusion section, so any windows we cant do, we make a note of it on there and that way, there is no comeback from the customer in the future. We dont make the customer sign it, but its there for their reference, and we make a carbon copy of it at the time and that way we can keep it for future information.

Must admit, we dont have anything on there at the moment to cover price increases, but I will add one now...

[Crystal Cleaning Services]

We started using a similar document a couple of months ago for all new customers. I will send it to document upload section, but if anyone wants a copy of it before then, just email me. We find it works really well.

There is also an exclusion section, so any windows we cant do, we make a note of it on there and that way, there is no comeback from the customer in the future. We dont make the customer sign it, but its there for their reference, and we make a carbon copy of it at the time and that way we can keep it for future information.

Must admit, we dont have anything on there at the moment to cover price increases, but I will add one now...

Scott

[easycleanwindows]

I cant see how you can enforce this 'contract' on a customer.
If they dont pay i just tell them and move onto a new customer.
I cant see any of my customers signing a 'contract' for £5 saying that if they dont pay i will charge £2 every 28days outstanding.How long do you let the debt run?and then what do you do after 1 year charge £24 for each 28days as well as their £5 then take them to a small claims court?
To me i would think i would be chasing them all the time.

[Crystal Cleaning Services]

I have ever only had to cancel one customer so far due to non payment. They were a new customer, we did them two months running but she was never in to pay. I ended up sending her a letter requesting payment and advising her we were withdrawing her services until it had been paid.

[Roy Harding]

Barclaycard would charge you if you were late with payment. So whats the differnce. To be honest it lets the customer know form day one what you expect, a promt payment. I cannot rember the last customer that had to pay. Its like training your customers to expect you what ever the weather. If you dont the customers would mess you about, and that is not produtive. As you say it would not be viable to take them to the small claims court. But the Idea of a contract as such for me is to make the customer aware of  Saftey, Insurance, Regular price increases, and promt payment. I have never had anyone refuse if they want a regular window cleaner.

[Stuart Webster]

Any chance someone could put a "polished" contract on the documents page.

I nominate Tosh