William Brown
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You provide the services, but they refuse to pay! How do you get your money?
How do you handle clients that won't pay you for your services?
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Porthos
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Are you talking on site, remote, or in shop?
William Brown
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I do all of those, but in this case, it was an onsite call.
Porthos
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Was it a new client? Did you set expectations of cost in advance? I assume it was an hourly job?
Sky-Knight
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New customers onsite I don't leave without being paid, but I don't take payment up front. Ultimately, if the client just flat refuses all I can do is black list them and move on.
But I've only had this happen once, and it happened with plenty of warning I was just stupid enough to go along with it. But in general I find if a client isn't willing to pay, it's because I've screwed up. Happy customers always pay their bills, even if they pay late because of their own circumstances.
But I've only had this happen once, and it happened with plenty of warning I was just stupid enough to go along with it. But in general I find if a client isn't willing to pay, it's because I've screwed up. Happy customers always pay their bills, even if they pay late because of their own circumstances.
timeshifter
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Without knowing more about the situation you describe my answer is: You don't. You write it off and move on.
lan101
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Were there any red flags before going or when you got there? There almost always is. This only happened to me twice but it was in my first year and there were red flags in both situations but I stupidly ignored them at the time. One of them the person said "the wife had the checkbook" and he didn't have any cash etc. said he'd mail it out later etc.....but I just knew he was full of BS. Of course I never got a check sent to me. I called him a few times and he did finally answer. He apologized and said he'd mail it in the morning.....never did...so I blocked his number and didn't worry about it. It was a virus removal job so nothing major. The other person that screwed me over only payed me half the bill at the time and said they'd pay the other half next week blah blah blah....couldn't ever reach them after that. Most of the time now if I have any suspicions I just say I need cash upfront or a credit card and that usually solves it or eliminates the job altogether.
Porthos
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Have not done on-site in a long time. Basically, I set expectations at the start before I even go on site. First one is if it is a job that will take longer than 30 min to an hour the computer comes back to the shop and is done at a flat rate. If they do not like it I pass on the job.
If therer any further issues in shop, over the above the flat price quote, I get approval and state there will be a diagnostic fee if they do not compleate the repair. That fee is stated in advance of me even going to them in the first place. That weeds out the people who are not serious about fixing the computer.
No one wants to spend more than what a computer is worth or what it would cost for a replacement to fix it.
If therer any further issues in shop, over the above the flat price quote, I get approval and state there will be a diagnostic fee if they do not compleate the repair. That fee is stated in advance of me even going to them in the first place. That weeds out the people who are not serious about fixing the computer.
No one wants to spend more than what a computer is worth or what it would cost for a replacement to fix it.
How much are you owed?
I usually start by sending a letter letting them know they have an outstanding balance and have x number of days to complete payment or they will be sent to collections and or we will begin legal action to recover our money.
I usually start by sending a letter letting them know they have an outstanding balance and have x number of days to complete payment or they will be sent to collections and or we will begin legal action to recover our money.
Umbra
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You resell their "bill" to a 3rd party, which gives you less (they take their share ) then it becomes the 3rd party problem but they have "muscles guys" to deal with the customers. Lol.
alexsmith2709
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I only do in shop work for residential and i make it clear that once the sign-in sheet is complete they pay the diagnostic fee (1 hour) to get the machine back unless it is not economical to fix. This is explain verbally as well as it being in the signed t&c's.
I dont really do many business call outs as i have 1 contract with a big company which takes most of my time. I invoice them monthly and they pay within 2 weeks. Never had a problem.
If i was in a situation where payment was being refused i would try and find out why and if sending a couple of letters by recorded post didnt work i would use a debt collection agency if it was big money, if it was less than £100 i'd probably write it off and blacklist the client.
I have had my business for 5 years and the only debt i've had to write off is £21 because my client went out of business sometime between the goods being provided and the due date of the invoice.
I dont really do many business call outs as i have 1 contract with a big company which takes most of my time. I invoice them monthly and they pay within 2 weeks. Never had a problem.
If i was in a situation where payment was being refused i would try and find out why and if sending a couple of letters by recorded post didnt work i would use a debt collection agency if it was big money, if it was less than £100 i'd probably write it off and blacklist the client.
I have had my business for 5 years and the only debt i've had to write off is £21 because my client went out of business sometime between the goods being provided and the due date of the invoice.
sapphirescales
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Simple - collect payment before you do the work. I would never give somebody thousands of dollars worth of work and then leave and send them a piece of paper in the mail hoping they might pay me a month later. I'm not lifting a finger until I'm paid.
Archon Prime
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Learn to get a credit card while you're booking the appointment. Collect 1 hour. Tell the client this holds their appointment. Then you have it at the end to finish the invoice.
Archon Prime
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yup. I do this with Square. I won't scheduled a pickup/drop off appointment without one.
William Brown
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Thank you for your thoughts. I have not been stiffed for quite a long time. This is actually a company that did it, but it was for only an hour worth of work. Not that big a deal, but it is the principle of the thing.
You didn't provide much detail.
So you did a 1 hr service call for company and they "refuse" to pay?
How exactly did they refuse? Did they flat out tell you they are not paying or is the bill just overdue?
Have you talked to them? What communication have you had?
So you did a 1 hr service call for company and they "refuse" to pay?
How exactly did they refuse? Did they flat out tell you they are not paying or is the bill just overdue?
Have you talked to them? What communication have you had?
JoelM
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You really did not provide much information. If you'd like a more helpful answer please give more detail. Ask yourself what would you need to know to help. 
"It's all about the details"
"It's all about the details"
Archon Prime
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He probably just fucked up and they didn't pay him because of it. That's the only thing I can think of as to why additional information was i omitted.
William Brown
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Sorry, not on here allot.
No I did the work for the client. They were happy. Really just a basic networking job for me. They received the bill and are now late. Like 3 months.
It is a construction company so my assumption is that they are just a bit disorganized, but it seems that they really have no desire to actually pay for the work that was done.
Sucks, but it is only an hour. I wanted this thread more for a topic of conversation, than to have an actual fix. I assume that I am not going to see this fixed.
No I did the work for the client. They were happy. Really just a basic networking job for me. They received the bill and are now late. Like 3 months.
It is a construction company so my assumption is that they are just a bit disorganized, but it seems that they really have no desire to actually pay for the work that was done.
Sucks, but it is only an hour. I wanted this thread more for a topic of conversation, than to have an actual fix. I assume that I am not going to see this fixed.
