Nice Customers But They Are Driving Me Mad.

[Old Mod]

And I haven't had any at all,ever!😉

 

[Andy Allen]

When I'm nearing the end of a job I ask the customer how there going to pay....if it's a cheque and there not going to be there when I finish I ask them if they can leave it to save me coming back.......if it's bank transfer then I ask them when there going to do it and can they text when it's done so I can update my accounts....
Most of the time they say they will do the transfer that evening......and most of the time they don't which I must admit really bugs me....
I keep on the ball with money owing .....give some people an inch and they will take a mile......and the more money they got the less they like to part with it...

 

[Old Mod]

When I send out quotes one of my conditions is that 25% or the full cost of the materials be paid, which ever is the greatest, one week prior to commencement
For me that does two things, one it confirms next weeks work and secondly I don't shell out for materials!
After being bitten hard in 1991 for what was then a serious amount of cash,
even by today's standards, I do everything within my power not to get even close to that situation again.

Striking a rapport with my client is very important for me, this has won me many a project, apparently my enthusiasm shines through! 🙄
So one other little thing I quite often do if I get even an inkling that they're people who might be difficult payers,
or just for the fun of it sometimes haha,
is give them one of a few lines that I've developed over the years,
and as I apparently have a certain air about me, in the vein of don't f*** with me, (no idea where that comes from! 😛)
I might say anything from, it's ok I know where u live, don't worry I have extra keys now or tell them the story of the last client who didn't pay whose tiles I reclaimed one by one by way of a lump hammer!
(It's just a made up story, honest!😉)
Not had a problem being paid since 1991, must be my charm I spose! 😱

 

[Dan]

I always abide by the current legislation in place for services supplied in a consumers home. I have to keep abreast of changes in legislation as I am Trading Standards approved contractor under their Buy With Confidence scheme.
How many on here actually know what you can & can't insist from your customers and just how much trouble you can find yourself in by breaching this legislation!?
Driving a customer to the cashpoint is one perfect example!!!.......which can land you a stretch inside even if the consumer agrees to it (if you haven't honoured the cooling off period).

Some reading below if interested....

CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT
From 1 October 2015 The Supply of Goods and Services Act will be replaced by the Consumer Rights Act.

Any service contracts entered into before this date will still be governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act

Cancelling building or decorating work - Citizens Advice

That's really good advice that.

Seems mostly to be about when work isn't complete or hasn't started. What's the info on when it has been completed? Might be worth me making a thread on it.

 

[Qwerty]

I will dig out my gumph on it all! 🙂

 

[Qwerty]

Info on consumer rights after work has commenced......a long read but into. This is why I have T&C's that are served on every customer on initial quotation and then again the day I commence work.....

Cancelling building or decorating work - Citizens Advice

 

[Dan]

Info on consumer rights after work has commenced......a long read but into. This is why I have T&C's that are served on every customer on initial quotation and then again the day I commence work.....

Cancelling building or decorating work - Citizens Advice

That's the same page you linked to before and is more to do with cancelling during or before work has commenced.

I think once you have supplied your side of the contract fully, you're quite within your rights to expect full payment on completion and can start proceedings the moment its apparent that you're not being paid. Including removing materials not paid for.

(Anybody remember the guy who took the porch down live on the news a couple of years ago? And the other guy who ripped up half of a driveway around a parked car lol)

 

[Stocks Tiles]

I quote with "payment is required upon time of completion, card and cash payments are accepted as payment" that's my terms and if a customer isn't happy to pay at the end then I'm not happy to do the work - I do offer bank transfer to a few people. If a tradesmen was to do work in my home then his or her payment would be ready for when they have finished.

I had a few headaches until I stated these terms for payment and since then everything's been fine, I and the customer both know the way it works so no awkwardness or delays.

I pay 2.7% on card transactions and 70% of my customers choose this method which have commented on how simple it makes things. I use PayPal Here if it's any interest to you to look into.

 

[Sean Kelly]

Did they pay today? NO

So i rang them and left aamesssaage on their answer phone. Ring me or pay up.

I got a bank xfer 30 seconds later!!

 

[StevieBoy]

I quote with "payment is required upon time of completion, card and cash payments are accepted as payment" that's my terms and if a customer isn't happy to pay at the end then I'm not happy to do the work - I do offer bank transfer to a few people. If a tradesmen was to do work in my home then his or her payment would be ready for when they have finished.

I had a few headaches until I stated these terms for payment and since then everything's been fine, I and the customer both know the way it works so no awkwardness or delays.

I pay 2.7% on card transactions and 70% of my customers choose this method which have commented on how simple it makes things. I use PayPal Here if it's any interest to you to look into.

Crumbs, so if my maths are correct when you get paid via debit card, you lose £27 per £1000 you earn??

 

[Andy Allen]

Crumbs, so if my maths are correct when you get paid via debit card, you lose £27 per £1000 you earn??

Should imagine he adds it to the bill.......I know I would 🙂

 

[Ian]

Yeah I'd have it built in at quote stage just in case! If they pay another way then you're a few quid better off.

 

[StevieBoy]

Think I'd rather wait 6 days whilst the cheque clears to avoid any embarresment.

You can't really bill a customer for say £2000, they offer to pay via debit card and then say to them oh well it's £2054 can you.

 

[bl tiling]

I must be really lucky or something I do about 80- 100 jobs a year and Ive never had any bother with payments
sometimes they say, how do you want paid and I will reply politely.... if you are pleased with the work I will collect a cheque off you, or cash if you prefer and I will give them a receipt sometimes I even give them a small rebate depending on how they have been and if the job has been pleasurable Its amazing how that goes down with them when they haven't asked for a bargain price...helps with referrals too!!!

 

[On one]

After reading this thread this week I was starting to fret about a late payment(I don't specify terms) from a customer on a job that wasn't giving me good vibes.
So before emailing/texting/phoning them I thought I would justtttttt check my bank account online and
hey presto,the money is there!

 

[StevieBoy]

I must be really lucky or something I do about 80- 100 jobs a year and Ive never had any bother with payments
sometimes they say, how do you want paid and I will reply politely.... if you are pleased with the work I will collect a cheque off you, or cash if you prefer and I will give them a receipt sometimes I even give them a small rebate depending on how they have been and if the job has been pleasurable Its amazing how that goes down with them when they haven't asked for a bargain price...helps with referrals too!!!

I'm the same, I very rarely have any issues with people not paying.

Politeness usually pays.

 

[bcd-87]

@Sean Kelly

Ts&Cs mate get it all drawn up prior to starting... Very important set your terms from the start !! I want money up front to cover materials plus stage payments and I will be finished on Friday the ?? Please ensure final payment on this date.. Never trust anyone you will get burnt badly .. Good luck God bless.

 

[Stocks Tiles]

Crumbs, so if my maths are correct when you get paid via debit card, you lose £27 per £1000 you earn??

Your maths are correct, and I allow for this in my quotations. But to be honest there is plenty of money in tiling and if I lost £27 for every £1000 but never have a headache or stress with payments, not having to chase around after customers then in my eyes it is worth it and I'm happy with that 🙂

 

[StevieBoy]

Your maths are correct, and I allow for this in my quotations. But to be honest there is plenty of money in tiling and if I lost £27 for every £1000 but never have a headache or stress with payments, not having to chase around after customers then in my eyes it is worth it and I'm happy with that 🙂

Yep that's fair enough, as long as your happy and it works for you that's the main thing.

For me when I have quoted for a job and it has been accepted, I never mention payment, ask people how there paying, or can they leave payment before they go out etc, let alone asking them for payment via debit card or talk money unless more adhesive or other extra materials are needed.

If they bring the subject up first, it's easier - just the way I am I guess.

 

[Qwerty]

Think I'd rather wait 6 days whilst the cheque clears to avoid any embarresment.

You can't really bill a customer for say £2000, they offer to pay via debit card and then say to them oh well it's £2054 can you.

Of course you can. So long as they are aware of the charges at the time of sending invoice then there are no issues. Online companies regularly charge extra for certain payment methods

 

[Andy Allen]

Yep that's fair enough, as long as your happy and it works for you that's the main thing.

For me when I have quoted for a job and it has been accepted, I never mention payment, ask people how there paying, or can they leave payment before they go out etc, let alone asking them for payment via debit card or talk money unless more adhesive or other extra materials are needed.

If they bring the subject up first, it's easier - just the way I am I guess.

So if they never bought up the subject of getting paid you would just leave without knowing if your ever going to see your money?....lol
Giving a customer an option to pay by card is a great idea most people know there's a small charge for this but they get the bonus of credit without having to use you as there personal overdraft. .

 

[StevieBoy]

Of course you can. So long as they are aware of the charges at the time of sending invoice then there are no issues. Online companies regularly charge extra for certain payment methods

Well not in my book you can't.

So if a customer says I'll send you a cheque in the next few days, and you say "You can pay me now by debit card, but your £2000 bill will be £2054 you think that'll work?

I wouldn't be so rude as to even ask.

 

[StevieBoy]

So if they never bought up the subject of getting paid you would just leave without knowing if your ever going to see your money?....lol
Giving a customer an option to pay by card is a great idea most people know there's a small charge for this but they get the bonus of credit without having to use you as there personal overdraft. .

Yes I would, I always give any customer 10 to 14 days, then if I have heard nothing I give them a call, email or text or whatever.

As I said before, and will again - politeness always pays.

I would hope to be recommended by that customer on the lines of, he never chases for money rather than not be recommended for hassling customers for money.

But if your desperate for money to be in your bank etc, I suppose a debit card machine is a good idea.

 

[Sean Kelly]

My slow paying customer was annoying because it was 2 weeks work and over £600 of materials. I could live with a slow paying customer if it was a couple of days work and a couple of bags of addy.

I started off giving customers 7 days to pay but have now cut it down to three. I'm probably going to make it 'immediate payment' and reiterate the final cost the day before i finish the job.

 

[Stocks Tiles]

Yes I would, I always give any customer 10 to 14 days, then if I have heard nothing I give them a call, email or text or whatever.

As I said before, and will again - politeness always pays.

I would hope to be recommended by that customer on the lines of, he never chases for money rather than not be recommended for hassling customers for money.

But if your desperate for money to be in your bank etc, I suppose a debit card machine is a good idea.

It's not about being desperate, it's about doing a job and getting paid at the end of it. Why on earth would you wait 10-14 days for a payment for a domestic customer?There's a reason I put these payments terms in place and that's for "trusting" customers that my "politeness" will get me paid, foolish to trust someone you don't know.

And no, if a quote is £2000 then all they pay is £2000 I don't just add on a charge at the end of the job.. If I did then my quotation would state "payment upon time of completion, card and cash payments are accepted as payment but please be aware there is a 2.7% charge for card payments."

I get highly recommended from jobs and there is no chasing payment issues for customers to complain about because I leave with it.

 

[StevieBoy]

It's not about being desperate, it's about doing a job and getting paid at the end of it. Why on earth would you wait 10-14 days for a payment for a domestic customer?There's a reason I put these payments terms in place and that's for "trusting" customers that my "politeness" will get me paid, foolish to trust someone you don't know.

And no, if a quote is £2000 then all they pay is £2000 I don't just add on a charge at the end of the job.. If I did then my quotation would state "payment upon time of completion, card and cash payments are accepted as payment but please be aware there is a 2.7% charge for card payments."

I get highly recommended from jobs and there is no chasing payment issues for customers to complain about because I leave with it.

So you say 70% of your customers choose this method and your quotation states that if they pay via debit card there is a 2.7% charge fair enough.

But if the quotation is for £2000 that's all they pay - or do they automatically as good citizens, add the £54 for you as they can't be bothered to write a cheque?

So if they pay you £2000 via debit card and don't add the 2.7%, do you then ask them for the extra £54?

Or do you lose the £54?

 

[Qwerty]

For those of you that are in the "get my cash there & then brigade"........ how do you all operate after finishing a job? What I mean by this is-
1-How do you let them know how much they owe you? Typed invoice emailed or delivered by post? , verbally there & then or do you go out to your van and write out an invoice on carbonated sheet?
2- How do you audit your invoices for your self assessment or for handing to your accountant?
3- Do you offer a cooling off period to customers where applicable as per consumer rights act 2015? Are you aware of the consumer rights act 2015?
4- Did you serve T&C's on your customer prior to commencing work covering payment terms?

Timely & efficient working practices, a thorough understanding of consumer rights and clear communication of payment terms to customers is how I operate. I don't stand on a customers threshold waiting for payment, I don't commence work within a customers cooling off period without thoroughly explaining THEIR consumer rights in detail and getting them to sign a cancellation form if I do commence work and I offer all customers 7 days to pay with clear terms that if they breach the payment terms (served with the initial quote/ estimate) that interest will be charged at 3% per week.

All I know is guys, I treat each and every home owner this way and I have been paid for each and every one within the specified 7 days. I am expanding my business through ability to move with the times and meet customers needs & expectations.

Carry on trading the way you do, it isn't my reputation or business. A wise old millionaire businessman once told me that trust breeds trust. So far I can safely say he was right.

 

[Stocks Tiles]

For those of you that are in the "get my cash there & then brigade"........ how do you all operate after finishing a job? What I mean by this is-
1-How do you let them know how much they owe you? Typed invoice emailed or delivered by post? , verbally there & then or do you go out to your van and write out an invoice on carbonated sheet?
2- How do you audit your invoices for your self assessment or for handing to your accountant?
3- Do you offer a cooling off period to customers where applicable as per consumer rights act 2015? Are you aware of the consumer rights act 2015?
4- Did you serve T&C's on your customer prior to commencing work covering payment terms?

Timely & efficient working practices, a thorough understanding of consumer rights and clear communication of payment terms to customers is how I operate. I don't stand on a customers threshold waiting for payment, I don't commence work within a customers cooling off period without thoroughly explaining THEIR consumer rights in detail and getting them to sign a cancellation form if I do commence work and I offer all customers 7 days to pay with clear terms that if they breach the payment terms (served with the initial quote/ estimate) that interest will be charged at 3% per week.

All I know is guys, I treat each and every home owner this way and I have been paid for each and every one within the specified 7 days. I am expanding my business through ability to move with the times and meet customers needs & expectations.

Carry on trading the way you do, it isn't my reputation or business. A wise old millionaire businessman once told me that trust breeds trust. So far I can safely say he was right.

Ok, so basically here is how I do it.

I go and look at a job and take all the measurements, check what I need to check and ask about what they're having tile wise etc. I then write up a quotation and email this across to the customer, the quote contains everything that I am to supply, that I am to do and also what the customer is to supply so everything is clear. My payment terms are in the same section as the total cost so it is clear for customers to see. The majority of customers reply via email when accepting the quote and then sort dates out for the work to start. When I finish a job I always make sure the customer is happy with the result and I bring a invoice with me, with cash payments I sign as paid by cash with thanks and with card payments they can either be emailed or sent a text message with a receipt of the transaction - and they keep the invoice.

I'm not a money grabber, I take pride in my work and have a good reputation but I have been messed about with payments which lead me to taking this path. There are a few times that I accept bank transfer if I have a confident feeling and customers are at work then you have to make an exception. I shall certainly carry on trading this way as it's working better for me now and I've not had any issues since 🙂

 

[Stocks Tiles]

So you say 70% of your customers choose this method and your quotation states that if they pay via debit card there is a 2.7% charge fair enough.

But if the quotation is for £2000 that's all they pay - or do they automatically as good citizens, add the £54 for you as they can't be bothered to write a cheque?

So if they pay you £2000 via debit card and don't add the 2.7%, do you then ask them for the extra £54?

Or do you lose the £54?

Oh my days lol, ok to make it as simple as possible.. I don't tell customers about the charge as I don't feel it's any concern to them as they are not paying any more than I have quoted.

I take a hit of 2.7% and I am happy with that as I'm stress free 🙂

Wish I'd never posted now haha

 

[Sean Kelly]

You have to remember that after you get paid by the customer and if there is a fault in your workmanship then any reputable tiler will return to resolve the issue. It's all part of the service.

If a customer drags out the payment process then the tiler will probably drag out the resolution process.

I'm just saying that the more i bend over for customers the more they take advantage.

 

[Andy Allen]

Yes I would, I always give any customer 10 to 14 days, then if I have heard nothing I give them a call, email or text or whatever.

As I said before, and will again - politeness always pays.

I would hope to be recommended by that customer on the lines of, he never chases for money rather than not be recommended for hassling customers for money.

But if your desperate for money to be in your bank etc, I suppose a debit card machine is a good idea.

So what would you do if after 10 to 14 days you rang them for payment and they say there not paying as there not happy with the job.......