Get rid of the customer?

[gazzamikes]

Evening everyone,

I do work for a local bakery factory and their shops, not much but works work right? I invoice them end of the month (if I've done work for them) and my terms state 30days repayment, I usually end up 8 weeks + . I've had enough now I call and email them but still no response. I am outstanding just over £300 invoiced 26th of April and so far no money. I'm now thinking of adding on a supplement which is stated on my invoices and then just forgetting them. But then I look and see money is money, you guys would chuck them yeah?

 

[Octopus]

Commercial customers will pay on their terms, not yours.

I work on the basis that the money will show up at about 45 - 60 days.

You need to make sure you have enough cash in your business account to cover these eventualities - I normally keep about 1 months profit in the account for this reason.

 

[oldtimer]

Don't cut your nose off to spite your face the way I deal with it is when I got a phone call and it goes like this can you do xx and I say sorry but you have 2 outstanding invoices that are 3 months old . The reply is yea but thats only worth say £120 and I reply well yep I am a small business so cannot afford to get in any deeper .

2 thing will happen one is the phone goes down on you so big deal you are no better off or ok come down and we will pay the 2 invoices

 

[markythesparky]

Go into one of the branches and order 120 Cornish pasties and when they ask for the money tell them that you will pay in 60 days.

 

[vjsmarwick]

I hand deliver my bills and make sure the customer is happy with the work done and mark my bills payable with in 14 days or a surcharge of 10% will be added to cover extra office time, but I find that 90% pay while I am there with the bills ! Only had one contractor slow at paying so I never finished the job when he called to ask why I had not been back I told him I had to work for those that pay me or I can't live so he delivered the check in person the next morning and I then finished the job and he has never been late again !

 

[Burnt Fingers]

Did a network for a big company who ignored our terms so after a couple of phone calls that got us nowhere I used a collection agency. Some agencys are quite affordable now...but its a last resort.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Did a network for a big company who ignored our terms so after a couple of phone calls that got us nowhere I used a collection agency. Some agencys are quite affordable now...but its a last resort.

I used to go and collect late payments in person taking three of my employees with me: One ex-shipyard Pipe Fitter, one ex-shipyard Driller and one ex-shipyard Caulker / Burner.

Worked every time .....

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I used to go and collect late payments in person taking three of my employees with me: One ex-shipyard Pipe Fitter, one ex-shipyard Driller and one ex-shipyard Caulker / Burner.

Worked every time .....

arnie, sly & the rock

 

[trev]

Read an article years ago about a London based debt recovery company who used to employ homeless people. They'd get them to go along to companies and sit in their reception stinking the place out till the cheque was handed over.
Apparently they had a massive success rate.

 

[Geordie Spark]

arnie, sly & the rock

Great lads they were .... all tattooed to the eyeballs and many of them self-inflicted complete with misspellings and everything else that can go wrong. Shaved heads with scars where 101 bottles had been smashed etc. Hard as the proverbial nails these lads were, but good as gold to me.

I started with just two - the Driller & the Pipe Fitter, but the Driller had to go on the sick after he put his hand through the circular saw, so I took the Caulker / Burner on.

When the Driller came back to work and the Caulker / Burner and he saw each other they immediately started knocking seven shades out of each other, and very soon there was blood & snots flying in all directions.

It turned out they last worked together in the yards 15 years previously and had a fight that wasn't properly finished, so they were just carrying-on where they left off!! :rofl:

 

[SueL]

I think to give an early payment discount is more friendly than a surcharge for late payment. 2.5% seems to be the norm if the customer pays within 15 days. Set strict payment terms and credit limits and once these have been exceeded - no more bread!

 

[Octopus]

I think to give an early payment discount is more friendly than a surcharge for late payment. 2.5% seems to be the norm if the customer pays within 15 days. Set strict payment terms and credit limits and once these have been exceeded - no more bread!

ha, ha. Try telling that to commercial customers.

 

[Kamikaze]

I think to give an early payment discount is more friendly than a surcharge for late payment. 2.5% seems to be the norm if the customer pays within 15 days. Set strict payment terms and credit limits and once these have been exceeded - no more bread!

But then you would have to add two and a halve % to your price so you could knock it off again later. Most builders I know would mess you around with your money for months, and then still knock the discount off for good behaviour.

 

[Cyberprog]

You can always nuke them if you want. This means you go back through the last 6 years of invoices and do them for a late payment charge and interest for every invoice that was paid late.

Look up the late payment legislation - it's on your side!

 

[danzor]

You can always nuke them if you want. This means you go back through the last 6 years of invoices and do them for a late payment charge and interest for every invoice that was paid late.

Look up the late payment legislation - it's on your side!

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