Slow Paying Customer Policy

[Farrell]

I'm looking for some opinions on setting a policy for a slow paying customer. A company I have been building soundboards for several years now has consistently been a slow payer. The last invoice they paid up was for $3,500 - it was finally paid this February - they got their soundboards in May of last year - eight full months to pay. And it was like pulling teeth. I currently have an unpaid invoice for them - I have sent three copies of the invoice - the last one with a very personal note in red ink - emailed and phoned them. They owe me $1,500 - they got their soundboard panels last October.

My policy has always been to take a soundboard order, build and ship it, and then bill. Everyone I deal with pays promptly (thank you guys!) - except this particular crew.

I love building soundboards for anyone. But I gotta get paid! I received another order from this same company for more soundboards. I definitely need to have all previous invoices paid up before I start on their new order - I know that. I know many folks who do this type of work will ask for 50% up front and the balance upon completion.

I have always been very timely with constructing and shipping their orders - even on short notice. I'm thinking that because of their demonstrated reluctance to pay their bills, it would be reasonable and really the only sensible policy to ask for payment in full with shipment of soundboards within two weeks of receipt of payment in full.

I hate to have to play hardball - and I know I might even loose this customer because of it - but if I don't get paid, what good where they anyway? I have little doubt that I have wasted enough time over the past few years to have built a soundboard for someone else in the time I have spent tracking down these slow payers.

I'm a one-man-show. I have no administrative help. I'm reasonably efficient building soundboards and related things. I'm very inefficient at administrative tasks. I probably spend ten times the amount of time doing administrative things that someone more efficient at those tasks could be. I just don't have time to spend being a bill collector.

Any opinions on a fair, efficient and productive policy for this client?

Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano

www.farrellpiano.com
terry at farrellpiano.com
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