what do do about clients who give the run around when it comes to payment?

[xyyz]

i have a client that owes me a small sum... definately a drop in the bucket the way he goes on.

however, when i've tried to get him to issue me a check, he always has some excuse, or he never returns me phone calls.

it's sorta stressing me out...

what's the best way to handle this? the amount is under $150, so I dunno if it's worth sending to collections.

what's the best way to get the cash outta this stingy mofo... other than threatening to break his thumbs?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: xyyz
i have a client that owes me a small sum... definately a drop in the bucket the way he goes on.

however, when i've tried to get him to issue me a check, he always has some excuse, or he never returns me phone calls.

it's sorta stressing me out...

what's the best way to handle this? the amount is under $150, so I dunno if it's worth sending to collections.

what's the best way to get the cash outta this stingy mofo... other than threatening to break his thumbs?

send a large man with a wooden spatula to his house at 3 am with the message "hand over *cash* now or i castrate you with this wooden spatula"

my dad had a guy owe less than $200 on his account here, after over a year he never paid and he took the guy to court :/

 

[Conky]

I am the expert on collections.

If he won't commit to paying his bill, then show up at his place and request a check. Walk past any secretaries and sit in his office until he gets you a check. Collections are easy.

 

[Conky]

P.S. Call him every day until he pays. He will pay you just so you stop buggin him. Outsourced collections are stupid because they take a chunk.

The key to collections is persistance.

 

[xyyz]

can you actually do that... waltz in his office and sit there? i'd figure he'd be in full right to toss me out.

i dont get some of these people... he boasts about spending $48,000 on a new denali for his wife and he can't pay me my $122.50.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: xyyz
can you actually do that... waltz in his office and sit there? i'd figure he'd be in full right to toss me out.

i dont get some of these people... he boasts about spending $48,000 on a new denali for his wife and he can't pay me my $122.50.

He can toss you out, and then that's when you send him a summons.

 

[T2T III]

Just be glad the client doesn't owe you $16.5K like one of my clients does.

 

[xyyz]

been there...

i had a client who happened to be a celebrity owe me $10k. i was told to write it off by my attorney 'cause that person refused to pay and had the pockets to make sure she wouldn't. makes no sense though, considering it would cost more to pay the attorneys than to pay me... oh well... lots of people are really screwed up when it comes to taking your services but not paying for 'em.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Have a collection agency send him a note(which cost you like $10) that you're going to send it to collector if he doesn't pay.

 

[T2T III]

OK, since this is a client of yours. You could:

1) Tell him/her that you really value your business relationship.
2) You don't understand why such a small payment is held up for so long.
3) As a business, you have to charge interest after 30 days - which is a legitimate charge.
4) You'd like to continue doing business with them, but doubt the future because of their poor payment record.

Clients seem to think that they bear the upper hand in a relationship. They think they are needed for your business to successfully operate. However, I think they are really wrong with this assumption. Clients can be "fired" too. As a provider, we can decide which clients we want to do a repeat business with. Not every client will be worthy of supplying future business too.

 

[xyyz]

You know it really sucks when you get clients like this. It's totally demoralizing and then you start to second guess yourself, well I do at least.

Maybe I should say he should consider this a pay off for me so that we can go our separate ways.

 

[xyyz]

sheez... now i just found out from one of his employees that he's moving... and the employee isn't sure exactly where.

is there anyway to track the guy?