paying on time!!!

[ktguk]

Finished a rewire off today me and a mate worked our nuts off to get finished by tonight i even stayed late yesterday till 6pm to get finished, came to end of job, well get the money for the weekend, bad day explodebad day explodebad day explodebad day explode why do people think they can tell a trades person that does work to wait for their money yet do they reckon tescos would allow them to pay for their shopping 4 days later, no i dont think so!!!!!RAnt Over!!

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was made at 18:05 ----------

im bloody fuming at the moment!!!!!!!

would they ask anyone apart from a tradesmen for FREE CREDIT which is what we give them with evey job

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

​

would they ask anyone apart from a tradesmen for FREE CREDIT which is what we give them with evey job

Correction:- "you choose to offer them"!!!

I think there is a big "missing the point" shaped hole in part of the this discussion....

It is a TWO-WAY agreement between trader and customer...

Why do you suggest its a customer asking for credit? Why not the Trader offering credit?

It is not rocket science or outside the realms of feasibility for ANY trader to make an agreement with the customer that the customer pays up front the whole lot before you start work!!

Now if 90%+ of traders choose not too... why do we say its the customer asking for credit?

If you as a trader have cash flow issues...

Ask for payment up front before you get your tools out of the van or clip any cable to the wall!

I do loads and loads of jobs where the day I start I am given a cheque (or cash) that covers my materials..

In a few cases I have even been given the full payment for a job in an envelope with the signed contract agreeing to do the work a few days before I even start...!!!!

This really IS a TWO-WAY contract agreement issue...

Trader & Customer have to agree their terms before work starts, if that involves a term of credit then so be it...

Historically there have been many situations where a customer has a type of credit whilst receiving a service...

remember the old newspaper shop... the milkman...

run up a tab then pay a balance at the end of the week or month....

Mr milkman Mr newsagent with 100's of customers

deliveries 5 or 7 days a week.. soon has a few

 

[maselec]

Not to spend too much time quibbling over analogies but buying a new car, having one serviced and having one repaired are 3 completely different things. Yes, you would test drive a new car but I think most people would agree that it is to get a feel of the car to test that it works. A service would, of course, have outlined terms and conditions, much the same as perhaps a PIR with necessary remedial works. If your car breaks down and you didn't know what the problem was, you would take it into the garage and have to put your trust in the mechanics. In the vast majority of cases, they would want paying on completion.

With all due respect, I am adequately experienced in self employment and don't require a lecture. We could quote sweeping generalisations of business and self employment all day long but the fact is that every business is individual, especially at sole trader level. Of course we would need further info to argue the legalities of this case but this is an ethical issue. If the customer wished, he would be quite welcome with me to check the lights, walk round with my socket tester etc. I would happily spend an hour explaining the install thoroughly. Then, having known the job would be finished on that day, there would be no reason not to pay. Hopefully, Badger will be paid at the weekend and everything will be fine but if this were my customer, rightly or wrongly, I would be worrying getting my money amicably.

Key rule repeated time and time again is keep at least 2 months preferably 3 months funds in the bank to cover basic essential living costs as any sole trader has erratic income even when business is good...

All well and good but for a sole trader all it takes is a few slow weeks, then maybe an un expected breakdown and a non paying customer and things are looking ropey. I'm fortunate that my wife earns a good living, so this isn't an issue for me but I can totally understand the position of someone having a tough time through no fault of thier own. Having laid out money on materials, then worked for two weeks, is it ethically reasonable to expect a contractor to wait another week for no reson other than the customers convenience? This simple economical common sense, not bad business practice. Of course, ideally you would always want your customers to be happy but you only do so much and if you have fulfilled your professional and legal obligations, then its time to pay.

 

[Robin Spark]

I was going to originally say, perhaps they may have wanted to wait a couple of days before paying you, so that they could make sure everything was done to their satisfaction. No insults intended Badger, but people feel rude if they said this to you straight.

Or it could be that they only go to the bank on a saturday morning especially older people who have a set weekly routine, that will not be altered by anybody!

My invoices for domestic always say "payment upon completion" and longer for commercial works. However, I normally speak to the customer when the job is started and near completion to arrange advise on payment.

 

[batty]

I never worry to much about when customers are going to pay the way i see it they will pay when they are ready and as long its not weeks and weeks i am happy.

 

[M107]

I'm with Batty, so long as they dont go over the 3 week period (only have a school outstanding for pat'ing at the moment) I dont worry, after all the wholesaler gives me 30 days...........................longer if I wait for the red reminder:slap

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

......but I can totally understand the position of someone having a tough time through no fault of thier own. Having laid out money on materials, then worked for two weeks, is it ethically reasonable to expect a contractor to wait another week for no reson other than the customers convenience? This simple economical common sense, not bad business practice....

Maselec I would just make it quite clear I am not quibbling or lecturing anyone...

I make no assumptions about your or anyone else's business accumen....

But....

This forum has LOADS of members who just read and don't post....

some opinions have been posted on this topic of which I personally hold a different view..

(and some others have similar views to both side..)

For the benefit of the silent members who may be just starting on thier own..

or considering starting up on thier own...

discussing topics such as these can be a valuable resource of knowledge and experience of two opposing views...

Anyway I would still consider that

your "Customers convenience" could be considered as "Traders poor contract payments terms"?

The point missing is still what contract agreements you as the trader arrange BEFORE you commence work...

If any trader is aware they have tight budgets..

Then it is the traders responsibility to arrange earlier stage payments to cover their initial material outlay....

Basics of business practice I think... Its not complex to organise?

I would also add that I can think of numerous domestic jobs where either no one is at home or only one partner is home the day the job is completed...

It is perfectly reasonable for a person to check with thier partner that they are both happy with the work completed before finalising payment.

I also know of many couples (often older) who have individual personal accounts..

and it can be the case that one person has to wait for a partner to sign cheques or withdraw cash etc...

waiting till the approaching weekend is in no way an unreasonable request..

Robin Sparks sums it up quite well I think..

p.s.

I would still be interested to know what the actual initial agreed contract (or not) was in this case..

:C :|

 

[Apache]

The electrician I use is a client. He gets a bill at the end of the month for his dog's medication and pays it before the end of the following month. If he got pills 1st September, the bill would be printed first week of October and we'd expect payment by the end of the month, he might have 60 days credit.

We tend to pay our bills once we get our wages so first week of the month. I have an account at the place I buy chicken food, the garage etc.

 

[Robin Spark]

Any news on your money Badger or are you leaving it now for the weekend?

 

[Badger]

im leaving it till weekend then going round with baseball bat up me sleeve :^O

 

[ktguk]

I think sometimes in our excitement or hast to win the work we don't exchange contracts, as if they'll change their minds and use someone else but to be fair if they don't sign then count that as they intend on not paying