Slow Payers!

[Ground Pounder]

I provide a weekly service. Some customers are too slow to get off their money. They are the first to complain and the last to pay. What do I do??? Do I cut the chaff from the wheat?

[John Allin]

No tickee, no washee.

[Fantasy Lawns]

we apply a fair % service charge for 30 day overdue ....if they complain ...we offer " 1 get out of jail free card" ...payment in full within 7 days .....future slow pay % is applied ...if they call to complain again on this or have excuses .....we stop service ...foward to the collector ...but understand down here we charge a "monthly" rate due on the 15th no later than the 20th ...:->

you may consider charging your present rate "payment with service" and say a rate + $ due before next service

[Edited by theleven on 05-07-2001 at 05:51 PM]

[Toroguy]

Ask for payment within a set period and communicate it to the customer. Then, if problem continues, drop them after payment is received.

[smburgess]

Finance charge is the way to go. I charge 1.8% monthly on overdue payments, minimum .50 (that at least covers my trouble and a stamp). I usally don't have a problem but just last month a client called and said I wasn't big enough to charge a finance charge, he has a million dollar company and never charges for late a payment. To make a long story short, I said bye.

[65hoss]

I recieved payment from a customer from last year. She was only 8 months late. She sent it thinking I would start cutting for her again. I talked to her just minutes ago and told her I didn't have time to deal with her and not get paid on time. :)

[Evan528]

65Hoss, sounds firmiliar!!! I had the same thing form one customer this year! 8 months late! he finally brought me a check a week before mowing was to start! too late!!! I already filed in small claims court!

[Nathan]

We have policies set from the start, with a signature from the customer that shows they understand billing. But like everyone else we have late payers. Normally if an account is delinquent 60 days service is terminated. We made an exception for a constant late payer because she travels from house up here to one in california often. Finally the other day we caught her home and before I could ask about the bill she started complaining about services not in her contract. I quickly got pissed but remained professional. This pissed her off(she did not remain professional). Needless to say, I didn't feel like salvaging this relationship and dropped her. I will not stray from our set policy from now on. Make a policy and stick to it.

BTW, If you have an incident like this and the people don't pay send them to collections and put a lien on their property.

[lawnboy82]

yeah i have one guy who hasnt paid me in 5 months now? he gets me other work so i am not really being snotty now. plus i found out that he lost one of his two jobs. so i am gonna be nice for now. is there any way though that i can write this off or whatever. the guy is a rabbi. as for other people i am thinking about doing the interest thing.

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by lawnboy82
yeah i have one guy who hasnt paid me in 5 months now? he gets me other work so i am not really being snotty now. plus i found out that he lost one of his two jobs. so i am gonna be nice for now. is there any way though that i can write this off or whatever. the guy is a rabbi. as for other people i am thinking about doing the interest thing.

Why would you allow someone to build up 5 months debt? Is he getting free lawn care for the referrals? What a deal! If he lost one of his jobs that should free up time for him to mow his own lawn, if not maybe he can't afford lawn service (well normally, now he's getting it for free).

Contract or no contract, payment must be made on time. Usually when people quit paying (as in the above post) they have no intention of paying, if they can't afford one month how are they going to pay 5 + months at once?

I would insist on payment or resign yourself to the fact that you are this guys free lawn boy...for how long??

No, you can't write of free labor. As for the Rabbi, he should know best the ethics of being in debt and should know better that any that he should pay the bill or tell you he can't afford the service anymore.

Good luck.



[Edited by KirbysLawn on 05-08-2001 at 01:10 AM]

[summitgroundskeeping]

We send invoice after invoice to annoy them until they pay.
I should penalize them but i don't

[lawnman_scott]

Yes lawnboy you can write that off as a bad debt on line 9 of your schedule C 1040 form.

[lawnboy82]

he owes me for fall cleanup which was done in early december. we didnt do anything up until last week. we cut the lawn and did a small cleanup. the guy gets me thousands of dollars in other work (trees / landscaping) so i am not complaining for right now.