We’ve all been there. You deliver a service or product, but the recipient just doesn’t cough up the cash. Invoices are ignored. Polite reminders are binned. And final warnings are promptly deleted.
Dealing with a tricky client is beyond frustrating, and if the situation is not resolved, the impact on your mental well-being can be significant.
So how do you get your client to pay you?
Follow our 5 top tips to ensure you’re always paid on time.
1 – Build relationships
Trust lies at the heart of good business dealings. So where possible, get to know two points of contact within your client’s business. If any problems were to arise, you can then speak to one of their representatives directly in order to attempt to resolve the issue. Where professional relationships are solid and secure, any financial difficulties can be discussed openly and honestly between the respective parties.
2 – Be clear
The law states that if a payment date is not agreed, the payment is late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice or receives the goods or service. So ensure your payment practices are clearly stated on initial quotes and any later invoices. Highlight your payment expectations and your approach to non-payment. For example, 5 days after receipt of the invoice, you will follow this up with a phone call and reminder email.
3 – Remind
Where possible, remain professional and polite when dealing with late-paying clients. Although it is a drain on resources, contact the client at least twice to remind them that their payment is overdue. Be sure to leave an electronic trail of communication, as this may be required if the situation escalates. Even if you are on good business terms with the client, be unwavering in your approach and stick to your late payment policy. Sadly, it does not take long before clients begin to take advantage of your relaxed approach to payment.
4 – Warn
Remember that the law is there to support you. Through the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, you can charge a business a fixed sum for the cost of recovering a late commercial payment. These amounts are set by the late payment legislation. If you are a supplier, you can claim a reasonable cost for each attempted recovery. You can also charge your customer statutory interest if they are late paying for goods or services. If you are opting to add interest to the money you are owed, it is advisable to send a new invoice.
5 – Get backup
If at this point your client is still refusing to pay, then you need to call in the experts. Cobra Financial Solutions Ltd are debt recovery specialists. Our team of expert recovery agents work right across the UK and beyond to visit unscrupulous debtors. Within just 48 hours of instruction, one of our agents could be speaking directly with your debtor. Our attitude to debt collection is simple: if you are owed money, you deserve it back, no-nonsense and no excuses.
With over 75 years’ combined experience in the industry, we know exactly how to communicate with debtors. In fact, our unrivalled debt recovery practice has earned us an industry-high success rate of over 90%.
So if you have tried everything, and just can’t face wasting another minute on your client, then trust the Cobra team to get your money back in your pocket. Where it belongs.
If you are looking for a professional, quick and cost-effective debt collection solution, then call the Cobra team on 0151 526 4222, and let’s get started.
