Bathroom job contracts

[Phil]

I've been doing bathrooms for a couple of years now and so far I've done them with no contracst, no signatures, no money up front, just get payed when I've finished.

This will have to change now (the bad people spoil it for the good) as I'm still waiting to be paid for a bathroom I did just over 4 weeks ago. I normally give them the invoice on the last day and walk out with a cheque but this time I had a few extras they wanted doing to work out so I said I would put it in the post after I'd worked it all out. I've waited and waited and waited, the biggest kick between the legs is he is ignoring my texts, and this from a man who seemed really trusting and hard working.

To try and aviod this next time what is the general layout (jist) of such a contract? Should all money for large price materials be asked for upfront?

Many thanks.

 

[WHPES]

If I have any doubt about a customer, I either get them to purchase materials or issue them with an interim invoice for materials brought onto site with immediate payment required. If you do this, you need to make them aware from the start that payment is requried as soon as the materials are brought and after payment they become the property of the customer.

You also need to make sure of payment terms and state on your invoice - you say its 4 weeks from completion but some people work on 1 month payment terms so you may well get paid OK. After 2 weeks, send a statement, then after about 5 weeks send an invoice with a late paymet fee with a note underneath saying that this can be deducted if payment is made within 1 week of date on letter. Failing that, I know there is a cost involved but a formal solicitors letter to them usually does the trick.

I know there is a cost involved, but a solicitors letter threatening legal action often does the trick. Whatever you do, don't let them get away with it or word will get round that people will get away without paying you. I pursue any debt howver small as company principle, and will take legal action to recover debts. I often let customers know about this in a round about way in general chit chat so they are aware. If people know that you are going to take it all the way they won't usually risk getting a bad credit rating or CCJ.

 

[Puddle]

If I do larger jobs, I always like to take part payments, so by the end, at least materials have all been paid for, even if I do not need it or the cheque given will not have cleared by the time the job is done, it also gets the customer into payment mode, accepting a quote for £3000 and parting with £3000 are two different matters
Also maybe if they were extras you could have invoiced or taken a payment for most and sent invoice for balance after making clear situation
Once you have moved from personally giving invoice to mail, you have slowed payment down, not many people will get a invoice and send a cheque straight back, especially for a large amount, I don’t ,it sits there a few days or week and then get round to sending, with all the other paperwork/bills, maybe you could have made invoice out the next day and gone back and hand delivered it, you could have told the customer you have to come back to check bath seal has adhered correctly and tap washers/discs bedded in ok, so they will make an appointment
If you dashed off because you had to go to another job or could not get back because of another job on, this is no excuss,the job is not done until it is invoiced and paid, you may as well of had a tap missing off the basin and any job you have on can wait, while you pop round with invoice, you would have had to go back if a joint was weeping and the invoice/payment is more important
It also has been Easter so maybe been away
4 weeks is not long, I know it is when you are waiting for money but if he got the invoice put on side ,then hit Easter and then stuck in Skegness coz he cannot get a flight home, it can take weeks to get payment, I just got one on Friday from January, with a little sorry on it.
Another point, if you know your customer is going on holiday, got a wedding or other big event, always get your money before this happens as they always over spend and it is you who waits
Anyway, what I would do first is go round to the house in the evening, hopefully when they are in,(best evenings are Mon,Wed,Sun,Tues in order or early mornings) with a copy of the invoice, do not put him in defensive mode by saying you have been ringing and texting him, just explain you require payment, when you are there on door step, will probably say, so sorry, meaning to do and pay, if not, explain you have material bills to pay and domestic bills come in
If he says cannot afford to pay it all, as unexpected bills come in, take as much as possible, hopefully more than half or maybe he can afford the main part now and pay extra’s later, alot of people will only pay things, when they have the full amount as it shows they are struggling if they pay part, so if bill is £1000, you may find they have £920 and you can get that and wait for rest
Remember you have to keep your eye on the main target here and that is transferring money from your customers pocket to yours, that is the main thing, if you have to do a bit of groveling,be swarmy and over falsely friendly, so be it, you have to be firm and to the point but do not get aggressive or shout or even get hold of them ,as you may feel you want to, it may make you feel better but your objective will be lost, to get that money owed
As far as contracts are concerned, you do not have to worry about terms and conditions too much as if you have too many, they may be classed as unreasonable and the industry standard conditions will probably cover you
But you should have a signed quotation, detailing works to be carried out and the price agreed, forming the basic contract, this I find helps sorting final price paid but also the works to be done, how can you say something is extra if you do not have what you are doing written down.
On the quotation have a box at the bottom, with any extra works, fill this in as you go along and get signed or get them to look at it and discuss (getting them to sign is better, but most of the time the later will be ok)
But as said, go round with invoice, knock on his door and he will probably pay
Would you stop your van, walk up to a door and hand the owner a envelope with £ 3000 cash in it and say keep hold of that and I will pick it up next month, thats what you are doing by not taking stage payments
Ps if you would, I will pm my address
Hope you get sorted

IMHO

 

[Phil]

Thanks for the great advise,if it came to sending a letter threatening court action I'm sure they would pay straight away but I'm hoping it won't come to that. I've been doing these big jobs in quite a relaxed manner regarding payment and I've always got paid on time. I suppose I think if I can build a freindly and trusting relationship on my part then they will do the same when it comes to paying and so far they have.

This one has annoyed me a little though because if they didn't have the money in the first place then they shouldn't have gone ahead.

Myself I always pay these kind of debts straight away, the ones to small businesses where someone is waiting for money to go in their bank account and not a large faceless corperation,

 

[moony]

something might of come up - if i were you id pay a visit one night. just knock ask politely if theres been a problem with paying for your work to be done - tell them the merchants bill is due and they will follow up any non payments for you, but you wanted to come and see them first to make sure there wasnt a problem.