How to encourage a client to pay

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MrMilbank

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between LB and Head
In NJ; Client owes us around $1700. Dude has a nice job doing network setups for large firms across the US. Hes not a charity case. He was a relative of a client who paid us promptly. Our big mistake was sending him a "trusted customer" discount price bill by mail about a week after the job was completed. this was 5 months ago. Legally speaking I'm beat. any ideas?
 
Rewire

Rewire

Senior Member
Location
Lake of the Ozarks
MrMilbank said:
In NJ; Client owes us around $1700. Dude has a nice job doing network setups for large firms across the US. Hes not a charity case. He was a relative of a client who paid us promptly. Our big mistake was sending him a "trusted customer" discount price bill by mail about a week after the job was completed. this was 5 months ago. Legally speaking I'm beat. any ideas?
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Get legal advice from a lawyer as to what your options are. We have our lawyer send a demand letter that is usually enough to spur payment.
 
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bkludecke

Senior Member
Location
Big Bear Lake, CA
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Nag him to death. Make sure you call at all different times of the day so his wife or others in his home know he hasn't paid the bill.

Last resort is a collection agency, they're jerks.

On a more productive note, try asking him why he hasn't paid, was there a problem with the work?

And never assume that if someone appears to have money that they actually do. People in all income brackets are capable of spending much more than they earn.
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
"Yo, my name's Vinny. Mr. Milbank sent me to pick up something that I belive you owe him. I'll wait. By the way you have a very nice home, it would be a shame if anything were to happen to it.":cool:
 
tkb

tkb

Senior Member
Location
MA
MrMilbank said:
In NJ; Client owes us around $1700. Dude has a nice job doing network setups for large firms across the US. Hes not a charity case. He was a relative of a client who paid us promptly. Our big mistake was sending him a "trusted customer" discount price bill by mail about a week after the job was completed. this was 5 months ago. Legally speaking I'm beat. any ideas?
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Send him a new invoice and raise the price by taking off the discount.
That may get his attention.
 
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MrMilbank

Member
Location
between LB and Head
I would increase the price on the invoice, and resend.. again. but truthfully at this time i would accept less as a resolution to cover my already incurred expenses.

Demand letter sounds legit, but im weary about investing money in a lawyer on such a small job. has anyone used a collections agency? if so what were the results like?
 
ultramegabob

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
mivey said:
Has your client offered any suggestions on dealing with their relative?
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If the original client is not involved with the business dealing and you have a good business relationship with them, I wouldnt get them involved with this issue, just my opinion...
 
weressl

weressl

Esteemed Member
Location
Texas by the Gulf, geat crab, great shrimp
MrMilbank said:
In NJ; Client owes us around $1700. Dude has a nice job doing network setups for large firms across the US. Hes not a charity case. He was a relative of a client who paid us promptly. Our big mistake was sending him a "trusted customer" discount price bill by mail about a week after the job was completed. this was 5 months ago. Legally speaking I'm beat. any ideas?
Click to expand...

Call my cousin Vinnie in Bayonne, he will take care of it......

What do you prefer, leg or 'wing'?:D

It's Yojsie for heaven sake.....:smile:
 
mivey

mivey

Senior Member
ultramegabob said:
If the original client is not involved with the business dealing and you have a good business relationship with them, I wouldnt get them involved with this issue, just my opinion...
Click to expand...
I was thinking the client may have used some of that good relationship status to get their relative the "trusted customer discount price". If so, that good relationship should be a two-way street.
 
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MrMilbank

Member
Location
between LB and Head
ok so i guess i have 2 options: continue to call him and hear "I'm gonna take care of it" or pay a few hundos to get a lien attorney to send a letter. Does anyone have a similar experience where they got results?

more info: this was not a contract job. he signed nothing before work began. everythying was riding on the account history of the reffered relative who was reliable and does not call back at this time..
 
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hardworkingstiff

Senior Member
Location
Wilmington, NC
If you pulled a permit (documentation), I'd take him to small claims court even though you don't have a contract.

In these days folks, an agreed upon scope of work with payment terms should be SOP for all jobs over $100. It doesn't need to be a legal sounding contract document, just something that says what's to be done and what it costs with customers' signature.
 
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