Prepayment on repairs

[Happy Dude]

With everyone except me getting paid monthly I'm a bit fed up waiting on the work getting collected at the end of the month or quite often not picked up at all...

 

Can I ask for peoples experiences of taking payment for shoe repairs in advance, if anyone does this or has done it of course..

 

Due to the changing dynamic in my area (more multicultural) and also due to the recession of course I have fallen a bit behind in my prices, I am thinking of having a 15% increase in my repairs but offering a 10% discount if paid in advance. Has anyone tried this approach before??

 

cheers

 

HD...

[Michael]

I started off by offering 10% discount for payment up front about 10 years ago, then stopped it after a while and eveyone was used to paying in advance. Now everyone does, you will still get a few moaners but you will get a lot less left on the shelves uncollected.

 

After a while you'll wonder why you never implemented it earlier!!

[Forest Cobbler]

Having read a similar thread on here a few weeks ago, and with the Boss seriously hacked off at how many time consuming & expensive jobs just weren't being collected, we started taking payment up front at the beginning of this week. So far all the customers have paid up with no complaints, if anything they are sympathetic and understanding about the reason why. 

[grahamparker]

We take for everything in advance and have done for about 15 years now.

 

I have 4 shields to be collected (paid for) and 1 pair of shoes on the stretcher (paid for).

 

Makes one hell of a difference. haven't had a refusal to pay for years.

[Gray]

I take for everything too.....Got nothing outstanding.......I wouldn't go down the 10% off route either. Just take the money up front, you'll be surprised at how much you don't get left with.

[theleathershop]

started takeing payment up front from the start of jan , didnt like charging my ongoing customers as i never did so before,

when i explained why they were very understanding and nobody so far as kicked up a fuss think its the best decision ive made in years.

[Georgios6567]

I haven't had any problems since I put up a huge sign that says... "Strict 30 day policy. All items left afternoon 30 days will be donated to goodwill"

Helps there is a goodwill next door. Lol

[Georgios6567]

Stupid autocorrect after not afternoon

[grahamparker]

The spelling and grammar police will be along soon.

[Count Muppet]

Only trouble I can see with that one is that they may be able to buy their items back from the charity shop for less than you would have charged them.

[StevenB]

As others have said, payment up front & you'll have virtually nothing sitting on your shelves waiting to be collected any more.

[Count Muppet]

Saw in a Morrison branch recently that they will only take in dry cleaning that has been paid for upfront.

[keithm]

As long as the customer is comfortable that you will carry out the work to their satisfaction, then you should have no problem.  Confidence in your ability and service is what they are paying up front for and thats how they will judge your new payment system.

 

Do it, it makes sense in this day and age!

[Lee]

I don't care for the day to day, they can pay up front or when they collect. its a rarity that something gets left. but for zips and expensive jobs where I feel its not economical I take payment upfront.

[tommy]

Where do you stand when a customer leaves a pair of boots to be soled and heeled for £20 then when you call to get them to collect they say they only paid £3 from a charity shop and do not want them anymore.

It would be nice to know where I stand legally if not for these but for dearer repairs. I do have name and address

There should be a customer standards agency seeing as there is Trading standards

[derek]

Where do you stand when a customer leaves a pair of boots to be soled and heeled for £20 then when you call to get them to collect they say they only paid £3 from a charity shop and do not want them anymore.

It would be nice to know where I stand legally if not for these but for dearer repairs. I do have name and address

There should be a customer standards agency seeing as there is Trading standards

tell the miserable b***ards you have put materials and time into repairing them and they owe you whatever the cost is, 

[grahamparker]

Where do you stand when a customer leaves a pair of boots to be soled and heeled for £20 then when you call to get them to collect they say they only paid £3 from a charity shop and do not want them anymore.

It would be nice to know where I stand legally if not for these but for dearer repairs. I do have name and address

There should be a customer standards agency seeing as there is Trading standards

Take the money up front and this problem NEVER comes up.

[Broms Cobb]

Saw in a Morrison branch recently that they will only take in dry cleaning that has been paid for upfront.

seems all dry cleaners now do this,

[Flash]

Where do you stand when a customer leaves a pair of boots to be soled and heeled for £20 then when you call to get them to collect they say they only paid £3 from a charity shop and do not want them anymore.

It would be nice to know where I stand legally if not for these but for dearer repairs. I do have name and address

There should be a customer standards agency seeing as there is Trading standards

 

As long as you have carried out the customers order, you have completed the contract, it is now a debt. Provided you informed the customer what you was doing, how much it was to cost, how long it would take and given this in writing, etc. etc. You could now take them to the small claims court.

[Flash]

I haven't had any problems since I put up a huge sign that says... "Strict 30 day policy. All items left afternoon 30 days will be donated to goodwill"

Helps there is a goodwill next door. Lol

It is never legal to dispose of someone else's property without their consent.

I hope no one claims a repair after being on an extended holiday, it could be costly.

[Flash]

By entering items for repair they entered into a contract, the terms of which are clearly displayed on the sign.

If they do not wish to have their goods disposed of then they must either:

1, Not leave them for repair;

2, Collect them within 30 days;

Perfectly legal providing the person entering the contract is over 18yo and of sound legal mind.

If the person entering the contract does not have legal ownership of the item, they commit the offence and not you.

 

Unless you have a specific law in mind that prevents someone entering into a contract which my involve disposal of goods?

 

Check with trading standards, customers have rights, disclaimer notices cannot remove these rights. What if the customer doesn't see the sign, or the customer cannot see too good, or the customer cannot read. Etc. Etc. I would suggest the sign is discrimination to certain members of the public.

[Mike at Vauxhall]

The last ( and only time) it has been an "issue" in my shop was a customer wanting to collect two watches after 13 months. One month after I had donated them to charity. She was upset and angry, just did not wash with me. Don't leave it a year . She trotted out they had huge sentimental meaning. Then especially don't leave them over a year. Very unlikely customer would take you to small claims.

However I do think 1 month seems a bit short, but if it works for you then why not.

[Michael]

As I understand from the Trading Standards website, you have to make every effort to contact the customer, preferably in writing (and keeping copies and postal receipts!), asking them to collect their repairs and give them every chance to collect, before issuing a notice that you will dispose if not collected by a certain date.

Those 30 day notices won't mean anything if you get taken to small claims court, that's my understanding of it!

 

Everything biased in the customers favour!!

[grahamparker]

All this does not matter if you take payment upfront. You have no need to dispose of any repair as it is paid for.

 

We had 3 pair of shoes that we stretched collected 6 years later, they where at the back of a cupboard and a bit dusty but as they where paid for it did not cause any issues.

 

It is rare for a job to be uncollected after a week since since we started taking money in advance.

[Mike at Vauxhall]

Pre payment works well on shoe repairs, not so well on watch repairs. I always like to get a watch actually working before taking payment. ( always a nice deposit on servicing.)