Direct Debits Only

[james greehy]

Im thinking of going direct debit only for my window cleaning customers - offering them them to pay monthly instalments for my services. Sick of late payments and chasing money. A lot of my customers pay online by bank transfer but you never know when it’s coming.

I probably get around my work 10 times a year. I just don’t do bad weather. They’d be paying for a couple of cleans they don’t get but I can make it up servicing their gutters ect.

What’s everyone’s thoughts and do any of you operate a similar system.

Thanks in advance.

James.

 

[Steve Porter]

Hi James

Seems very fair to me as I love paying for stuff I'm not going to get
Yep I get the gutters "may" or may not be added value on your part but I may not want mine doing...see where I'm coming from?
I agree that systemising is great & although I'm not a lover of DD (prefer SO) I can see how it would be good for cash flow. If you charge for 10 cleans a year then give 10 cleans a year but on the odd occasion where you cannot provide it then why not adjust their DD for a zero month (you are in control of a DD) or offer another service IF they want ?

 

[Brian Barber]

Use go cardless
Much better way, you collect yourself via an app, only after you’ve cleaned.
No pressure if you get behind, with regular DD you can be late turning up and customer will get arsey.

Mr B

 

[Dan Paton]

Go cardless is the way forward. They only pay once you clean. It’s not a fixed direct debit. They sign up or get dropped. No if’s but’s or maybe’s. If you have pensioners who are always in and always have cash then their the only ones not worth switching over. Don’t give the rest a choice.

 

[james greehy]

Something needs to change. I need to steady the cash flow.

Go card less seems ok but you can’t collect anything if you have a month of shocking weather.

They might not want the gutters servicing or anything else doing and for that you can compensate I guess.

I’d Sell it as an annual service finding out the customers needs and break it into instalments. We offer a wide range of services to our customers that the can benefit from so it could work.

I’ll put pen to paper and ask my customers what they think.

 

[Dan Paton]

James when do you get a month of shocking weather that you can't work ? Even when it rains heavy it's rarely for the whole day. Trust me I'm glaswegian I know. Their sometimes late but never a complete cycle late. I don't understand that.
I offer other services too but any extra service is cash or card on the day or if their a trusted customer I'll go back and collect.

 

[Jason Pagnam]

I quite like cash still

 

[james greehy]

I’m a single parent family with school runs ect. I get 5 hours a day to get it done half that time gets ruined by the weather. I still use the ladder as well for most my residential work as it’s what my customers are use to. Anything over gusts of 30 tools are down for the day.

Had about 400 customers and someone with me but cut it right back to 200 and I fail to get around that sometimes.

We got a decent week of weather coming up here so should be a good start to the year

 

[james greehy]

Cash is king but who can be arsed running around chasing fivers and tenners been doing that for 5 years and it’s boring as.. I got kids and they hate collecting