The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – recognising the types of payers you do business with!
5th January 2018.
Almost every business owner has to deal with delayed or late payment, and even bad debt and non-payers.
They are the thorns in your side, the splinters in your finger, the bane of your business life.
Don’t despair, or even worse, ignore it!
Don’t let that stack of unpaid invoices get bigger, while your cash flow gets smaller.
After all, you are providing a service to your customers and you deserve to get paid!
Don’t forget that.
It’s an unfortunate reality, but not all customers want to pay you…and some will even go out of their way to avoid doing so.
All customers are different, and it’s important you are prepared for whatever comes your way.
So don’t be too sweet with people who are avoiding payment…
And don’t drive your good payers away.
(They do exist, we promise).
Good payers.
The unicorns of credit management, these individuals are to be treasured.
These are the customers who can be relied upon to always pay on time (sometimes even early) and never quibble about the amount or the deadline.
Keep a friendly rapport with them by letting them know whats new in the company, and suggest new products or services.
Setting up standing orders or direct debits should be encouraged, just to keep them tight to your side!
Slow payers.
These are the difficult ones.
Not the villains, but certainly not the shiny white knights either.
These customers are a little slow on the uptake, usually in need of a slight nudge to get them to make a payment.
These are the ones where a direct debit may also be the way forward to achieve methodical payment.
Not intentionally dismissive of your deadline, but just forgetful or in need of a smoother accounts team.
Bad payers.
These will pay you….eventually.
They will challenge you about everything, whether it’s the amount, the method of payment; or how long they have to pay the invoice.
You give them a bit of legroom, they’ll take a mile. You give them a deadline, they’ll negotiate an extra week.
It will be an uphill battle, but you will eventually get paid.
It would be wise to keep an eye on them though.
A lot of bad payers tend to be afflicted with bad customers themselves, and you don’t need your business harmed in the process.
Non-payers
These are the worst of the bunch.
These are the ones who flat out do not want to pay you.
They will make up excuses and may even make a complaint or two about the quality of your service.
They are expecting a freebie, and you must not give it to them.
Non-payers and bad debt is an unpleasant inevitability of business, but one which can be resolved.
Getting in touch with external credit management companies such as us at The Credit Protection Association can free up cash flow that is preoccupied with bad debtors.
Non-payers are not the grim reapers of business and can be overcome.
Go over your credit terms, and make sure everything is crystal clear. Sack bad payers, and keep alert with new customers to ensure it does not happen again.
Where to go from here.
Customers can come in all shapes and sizes and can be good, bad and very ugly.
It is vital, therefore, that you have adequate safeguards in place to deal with whatever is thrown at you, or your business.
Ensure those credit application forms are filled out by new customers before they become bad customers. Always give customers a courtesy call once the invoice has been sent out. This should them a chance to voice payment concerns before they become overdue!
There are credit management companies that can help. The Credit Protection Association can advise you on your cash flow, and chase those bad payers while the slow payers are crawling at a glacial pace!
You are not alone in this.
If you have outstanding debt, unpaid invoices, or are unsure of your debtor’s identity, do not hesitate to get in contact with CPA for help and advice!
Please pass the matter to us as soon as possible as the quicker we act, the more likely we are to be successful!
The Credit Protection Association is a credit management company established in 1914. If you supply goods or services on credit then we can help you!
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