Comments on: When Payment Never Comes: Options for a Small Business Owner

By: Dilly

Dilly — Sun, 22 May 2011 07:59:29 +0000

That’s way more clever than I was expecting. Thanks!

By: Chad

Chad — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:14:00 +0000

I have experience working for a company that helps accepet payments and depending on the amount and frequency of the payment you are trying to collect, offering a wider variety of payment solutions to customers could curve the rate in which don’t pay. Like Sergio mentioned, you might want to offer payment options — but instead of just cash and check why not give them online payment options? Online payments not only enable echeck and credit card payments, they also simplify payment collection processes, increase on-time collections, and improve customer service. Yes, there are options to collect your payments, but there are also steps to avoid the situation altogether, e.g. recurring billing.

By: Sergio Ferreira

Sergio Ferreira — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:57:00 +0000

You need a client debt management reduction plan to deal with those instances when a customer keeps giving excuses or refuses to pay you.

Here are some helpful procedures to follow:

• You should call the customer directly, instead of sending him/her e-mails, invoices, etc. and create a sense of urgency.

• Be precise with your client. You must give him/her a definite deadline for payment in full.

• You may want to offer your client a payment option: cash or check.

• Also, you could use a third party as an excuse. Tell your client that you need the money to pay one of your suppliers or service providers.

In case these tips to collect your client debt don’t work, then go to the next level:

• Become a nuisance to your client. Send frequent e-mails, letters, faxes, calls, etc., and let him/her know you’re not going to give up easily. This annoyance may be incentive enough to pay you.