Why It’s Important to Follow Up with Customers About Payment

This is a pretty simple statement. Why would you wait to collect from a customer? Well some businesses bill out after the work has been done, what’s been sold etc. so they have to wait for the customer to send in the money back to them.

As soon as the work is done send out that invoice. It’s fresh on the customers mind and usually the quicker you send it out the quicker they drop the check in the mail. Make sure and answer any questions they have with the work that was done or the product you send them etc. They may be holding up payment on you because they are waiting to hear from you so don’t let that be the case that you’re not getting paid.

If you have to do additional work for them make sure to follow up with the customer to make sure they are on the same page and want the work to be done as well. Depending on how your business is run and you do a follow up, go ahead and get them to pay for the work done (to make sure you get covered for that) and then schedule the follow up.

Too many people become trusting that a customer will pay them with no problems. It’s sad but you really can’t trust anyone when you do business with them or at least go into each one thinking like that. You always, always have to cover yourself even if you’re doing work for a friend (which sometimes can be the worst situations actually).

The longer you wait to collect payment from a customer the longer it will take them to pay you. They may even say “well it took you so long that I am not paying for that now.” Crazy for them to say that and not pay but it happens all the time.

If a few weeks go by and you don’t hear from them make sure and touch base with them or send out another late payment notice in case maybe they didn’t get the first one. Oh and always make sure you have the right address when you work out the final details. Yeah, this is a simple step but it’s unreal how many people truly forget this and end up with a bogus address or one they “use” to live at. That is one sneaky customer so remember to cover that in the beginning.

These are simple tips but we all forget them from time to time and when we go about our daily routines. Just always be on top of your game and communicate with the customer to make sure you cover yourself for the work you do and that everyone is on the same page. No communication can cost you big time in the long run.