eMail or fax invoicing

[Pants]

If you're doing work for your client that doesn't require an onsite visit, do still you get them to authorize the work, first and/or agree to conditions? How do you do it?

My normal procedure is starting everything onsite, even if taking a computer back to shop up. I get the client to agree to terms/conditions and authorize scope of work by Signature... I do the work and then they are billed.

But if I were to do some remote work, consulting, or call third party vendors for them (for what ever reason) I'm thinking I could send them the invoice (scope of work with terms/conditions) through fax or eMail, have them sign it and sent back to me... Is this how it's normally done?

 

[drpcfix]

Yeah, whatever you are comfortable with..

We ask for an email scan of really large contracts (15k+) - and I usually drive over to pick up the initial check and get a signed copy then.

Smaller than that, I usually don't even get them signed.. an email reply and a check is good enough for me.

 

[4ycr]

As above for smaller jobs I just get email confirmation.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

For remote work I get payment upfront and i charge upfront unless im not confident I can fix the issue. Do not make the mistake in thinking you can trust clients....even the most trusted clients have burned me on payment because bottom line is when they dont have money and have a "computer emergency"

Edit: I deal with residential primarily though.

 

[Y.F.N.C.G.]

I agree with some of the others above. If it's a big complex job then it's probably best to get a signature (I do this via email...normally they will have a means of signing and then scanning the document to email back to me). Otherwise a simple acknowledgement of the terms via email is sufficient, and will usually hold up in small claims court if it ever comes to that.