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[hound 1]

What would you do if when you have booked follow up vists with the customer and they are not in and you have travelled half an hour to get to them. Its just that i have a customer that called me out for a major mouse problem in her wooden bungalow. the first vist she was in ( funny how she was in on the call out) on the 2nd vist she was not in waited 20 mins left a calling note. She then called to rebook which she was in. we then booked for this evening she was not in again waited 15 mins again and left a note. Would you charge her a fee for the wasited vists or just swallow it

[ArchieHood 3,692]

Hard one to call Hound, but seeing its the second time I think she should cover some of your costs.Maybe you should have something printed for future customers?

[Fidgety 8]

Get them to pay up front for all the treatment ..... theyre usually in!

[stubby 175]

I always tell them on the first visit, they can either pay in full, or split the payment to make it easier, I then arrange a follow up visit, but tell them they need to phone me an hour before the due time to confirm they are in.

this may be more of a problem to those working for themselves, rather than us doing "privates"

[hound 1]

after speaking to a few fellow pesties i also think i may have to change the way i charge for my work as i tend to charge them at the end of treatment. Alot of pesties are asking for money up front that way if they aint in i got their money

[comanche 2,799]

after speaking to a few fellow pesties i also think i may have to change the way i charge for my work as i tend to charge them at the end of treatment. Alot of pesties are asking for money up front that way if they aint in i got their money

I was like you. Felt it only fair to the customer that they be aware of a positive result before being asked to part with money .

It seemed like ethical business to me but sadly some people seemed to take my meekness for weakness.It's amazing how many people will pass you going in the other direction as you turn up their lane. Oh yes ,they'll give you a thumbs-up or a cheery wave but will they stop and give you the measly£25 they've owed you for the past six months ?

For rodent jobs I now always ask for at least some of the money on the initial visit . It can always be justified by the fact that I am supplying consumables such as bait ,boxes and trays or providing rat -stations for the duration of the job.

I also carry stamped addressed envelopes so that if a customer is out when I call with a bill all they have to do is pop a cheque in the post .

In these times it does pay to take the money when you can which is a sad reality that my soft business brain still has'nt come to terms with .

As far as your lady in the bungalow goes .She should apologise and pay for your time and fuel without any question . In fact she should phone you to apologise and offer to make ammends . But she probably won't and if you are anything like me it will just get chalked up to experience . Send her a bill with a polite letter justifying your expenses and an SAE. Nothing to lose but the price of a stamp.

Edited January 23, 2010 by comanche

[heart of wales 19]

Personally I explain the importance of the follow up visits in that if the bait isnt checked within the seven day period it will cause more harm than good,I always phone before leaving the last call,rural enviroment dictates the way I work.Reguarding payment it is a difficult one to charge up font as You dont know how many visits You will need just done a rat Job in a small two bed cottage just finished my fourth visit,I havent had problems with non payment,late payment can sometimes be a problem thankfully not a huge problem.Sometimes you can gauge who are going to be a problem and treat them accordingly.

[hound 1]

im starting to think i have been stiched up by this customer. I left her 2 notes last night 1 in her external mail box and the other slid as far as i could post it under her door as she had no letter box. Also i left a message on her mobile last night while sat outside her house also i sent a text message this morning. of course they have all been very polite.But at this moment of time i have had no reply. This would have been her 3rd vist on the 2nd vist there was large takes on baits and she had commented that she had noticed that the sightings and noise had dropped by about %. I would have been veru dissapointed if i had to go back after last night. So im starting to think that i had cleared the infestation and she is now avoiding me.I leave it till monday or tuesday evening and i may just go round and see her

Edited January 23, 2010 by hound

[dean 11]

[Andy you should always charge upfront then you know you have there money and you will find they are always in for the r/v,s because they want there moneys worth lol atb dean

[hound 1]

[Andy you should always charge upfront then you know you have there money and you will find they are always in for the r/v,s because they want there moneys worth lol atb dean

i have learnt a lesson here dean money up front from now on

[Matt 160]

You can also fall back on the fact that by law you now have to remove any bait at the end of the treatment.

 

Just to clarify; I don't get the whole payment up front. I charge for the next visit (if one is going to be needed) at each visit. What I mean is that at the initial treatment, I charge for that and a follow up. When I go back, I charge for the next follow up (again, if one is needed) and so on until the final visit when no payment is collected.

 

So at each visit, I have the payment for the next 'in hand'.

 

I hope that makes sense!

[TOMO 24,874]

upfront for me, i know its going to be a minimum of 3 visits for most domestect stuff , but usualy no more than 5 vists , just dont be to cheap , competative yes , but not cheap.

[comanche 2,799]

Matt made mention of bait removal .You could also leave a message mentioning that you are concerned (for her sake ) with the possible problems ,smells and of course the influx of flies that can be associated with unretrieved corpses -especially as the weather warms -up.

Its too easy to dwell on the tiny minority who let us down-and in most cases as "heart of wales" said the sixth sense(or sight of a coffee table covered in foil and customised Rizla packets) kicks- in and tries to warn us .

Most of my customers are great and it would be a dis-service to infer otherwise .

One chap -who I was begining to have dark thoughts about I'll admit - turned out to have lost a family member in a road crash ,been rushed to hospital with kidney stones and lost his job in the space of two weeks . As he is a mechanic by trade he rather than struggle to pay me he's working on my van come MOT time . I'll probably end up owing him!

[heart of wales 19]

I don't mind late payers as long as they phone you and explain apologise try to give you a goat in lieu of payment, what I cant stand is someone just not responding or acknowledging the debt,when you have move heaven and earth to sort out their rampant problem good luck mate hope you get your money.

Local blacksmith tidy bloke,if anyone owes him money he sticks a big notice up outside his workshop with their names on it,must work nothing been on it for a long while.

[RatSnatcher 0]

It maybe that she is waiting to get paid a lot of people get payed monthly, and what with xmas she may be all smiles and everything at the end of the month.