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I do all kinds of work: I repair turnkey apartments, fix and assemble furniture, carry out minor electrical work and change faucets. Sometimes I work alone, sometimes with a partner. All this is design work or “master for an hour” classes. Of course, there is no talk of any salary. Therefore, each call is also an exercise in arithmetic: you need to be able to correlate not only the number of services provided, but also the time spent, while maintaining a balance in your favor. If you are a freelancer, you have to work in this mode all the time. And it doesn’t matter if you are busy at a construction site or cutting dogs.

If you have a strong internal accountant, you will not be lost. But a certain financial clarity is also a matter of experience. When you take your first orders, a lot of things are new. Not all customers behave in the same way, not all work is carried out in the same way, even if you screw on the same brand of faucet. There is always room for unforeseen circumstances. You need to be prudent and as prepared as possible for force majeure. This is especially true for money.

When to ask for payment

You can demand money before, during or after work. It all depends on what you have to do, whether you need to buy consumables and how many days the work can take. If this is something short-term (in my case, this is, say, a fixture for a chandelier or a picture), you can ask for money later. If you plan to work for several days, break it into parts and agree on a phased payment.

A separate issue is the purchase of materials. The master always knows better what materials are needed in each case. For example, you need to change the lock. It costs about 2500 rubles. I buy it, but I ask that its cost be transferred to me on the card. This is a kind of deposit and prepayment. Naturally, I provide a check for him. In case something breaks due to the fault of the customer, I will have a lock that I will either put in for someone else, or I will be able to return it to the store and get the money back.

If the customer forgot to pay

There are situations when the work is done, and the customer says “thank you” and waves his pen. You never know, I forgot, maybe a man. Or does it on purpose. And asking for payment is somehow inconvenient, or something. Some of us have an altruistic streak in our mentality. It happens, but not with me. Seriously, how can you not get paid? After all, you've wasted your time. First of all, start respecting yourself and your work, and only then do charity work, if you have such a need for it.

If you are jarred by the phrase “So many rubles from you”, use a more neutral one - “Does it convenient for you to pay in cash or put it on a card?”. This is a very convenient move, because immediately after this question there is a price clarification if there were any additional work.

Another thing is if they really want to “throw” you. The main salvation is an advance payment. I always take at least half of the listed price. In addition, there are many more schemes that are best stopped at the very beginning. For example, you agreed to do work with one person, but another person turned up at the facility. Immediately ask him if he knows that he will have to pay you off.

Caution can also save you. Once I was invited to repair the roof. It was a third-party object that had nothing to do with the customer. As soon as I asked about the payment, he immediately built a very strange scheme in front of me: “The person who is in the other entrance will give you the money.”

In order not to get into such situations, try to probe the customer in advance. For example, on the site YouDo.com I always read first. If someone recommended me, I ask who exactly.

The human factor is also an important thing. It is essential to build trusting relationships with customers. I have regular customers who not only never forget to pay me, but also give me their card so that I can buy the necessary materials. In this case, the purchase amount can reach 300,000 rubles.

How to say that the cost of work has increased

Often, the job on site is more difficult than anticipated. Find out in detail in advance what exactly you need to do. Ask for photos or videos. First, I discuss everything in detail with the customer in a chat, and only then I go to the place. If already at the site you understand that the work will take longer, or additional materials will be needed, warn the customer immediately. Explain what and how and why it will affect the final cost. Do not put the client in front of a fact when everything is already done.

When I finish doing something to order, I am often asked what else I can do. Suddenly it turns out that in addition to replacing the mixer, you also need to hang a chandelier or repair a bedside table. I undertake to do something else, but I immediately stipulate how much the total amount will increase.

Some customers ask about the extra cost right away, others don't. In the latter case, it can turn out to be very inconvenient, because a person counted on one amount, but more came out. Make a price list and feel free to introduce it to your customers.

But even here there is a subtle point - it is necessary, among other things, to be able to correlate the total time spent and the additional work that has arisen. For example, I came to fix something. I will be paid 4,000 rubles (2 hours of work) for this. It takes me 40 minutes to do the whole thing. And then they ask me to do something else, which will take me another 10 minutes. I will do it for free, because my time turned out to be, roughly speaking, paid in advance. Sometimes people themselves appreciate such a kind gesture and add something on top as a thank you. And everyone is happy.

Don't be afraid to talk to customers. So you can avoid awkward moments at work and protect yourself. And most importantly: do not be shy about money, and then money will not be shy about you!

So, you sit and look at your empty bank account, and already you are on the verge of hysteria. You do not know what to do with a client who is still unable to pay for the work. And you counted on this money - even if you lowered them in a nearby bar.

The thing is, you're in trouble. What about your client? He is silent.

Know your rights

Personally, I don't want to go to court. Of course, I put a lot of time and effort into writing a large contract, but this is already an extreme case, a fallback.

None of us creates contracts with the aim of dragging a client through the courts. A contract is such a thing, looking at which we are sure that the client will definitely pay.

Which, of course, he should do.

However, when you write or call your debtor client, you want to know your legal rights. You want to know that the contract can actually protect you.

Legally speaking, what is a contract between two people?

You may be surprised to learn that a contract does not have to be written. Indeed, an oral contract can carry as much weight in a court of law as one written on paper. An oral contract is valid as long as it includes three factors, legally binding for a written one:

1. Offer

2. Acceptance of this offer

3. Consideration

The first two are obvious, we all know that the offer and acceptance of this offer are obligatory, otherwise what kind of contract is it? But what is "consideration"?

It's simple. Consideration means that "I will do it if you pay me." It's just that both parties agreed that what X does will pay for Y.

And this is the main thing - you do not work for free. You work honestly for fair pay.

And as long as you and your client agree on that, you have a consideration.

Now it is important to provide evidence that you have an agreement with the client. In this case, the benefit of concluding a written contract comes into play. If the contract is in writing, it is easy to prove.

But how can you prove a verbal agreement? Or one that was created between dozens of letters?

I don't have a contract

This can really be helpful for you, for all your client calls, even if you have a written contract in place.

What if you met this problem face to face and didn't record the conversation?

Then, you should ask yourself if there is a possibility that someone overheard the agreement reached between you and your client and could back up the claim. Because without it, words like "he said/she said" won't help you win the argument.

However, in the absence of a written or written contract, you can still legally prove a contract based on the actions of both parties.

For example, if your client claims that he did not agree with you about any work, but he accepted and commented on the layouts that you sent, it is easy enough to prove that he is lying.

After all, why did he send you a request for revision of the project? Boredom?

I don't think so. And most courts probably won't think either.

Ideally, you would always sign contracts and record conversations. But in the real world, you can get into a situation where the client does not pay, and you have nothing on hand.

In this case, save every bit of information you discussed with the client. Text messages, emails, even phone records and WhatsApp screenshots. Whatever you get, keep it now.

Talk first...

When you've dealt with defaulters before, it's easy to panic when a customer is only a few days behind on a payment.

Oh no, again, you think. And your instinct immediately makes you do whatever it takes to get your money.

But you know what? You won't win by writing threats. In fact, most people will immediately go on the defensive in such a situation, and this is a sure way to ruin customer relationships.

You need to keep calm.

For now, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. The client, for example, could not know that he was late with the payment, or that you are suffering because of it. Of course, he must remember that he is in your debt, and you must not remind him of this.

This is not kindergarten, and this is not your job. But sometimes, customers just forget. This happens. Remain calm, at least in the beginning. It is better to be smart and with money.

First things first, keep an eye on your score. Make sure you actually sent them an invoice, and then set a reminder every 10 days after the fact. After those 10 days pass, email them and politely remind them that they must pay for the work. For some clients, this is all that is required. According to others, every reminder is a hint that you are serious and will come to them even in dreams.

Write. Remind, contact higher authorities, subtly hint that non-payment of bills is unprofessionalism. It should work.

combat readiness

But what happens if your attempts to remain polite don't work?

If you have the budget for this, hire a lawyer to mail your client a letter. Having a great lawyer on your side can help you reduce the chance of having a non-paying client.

Clients who don't pay tend to be cowards. They don't pay you because they think they can just disappear. They think you are weak and easy enough to ignore. So if months go by and your reminders go unanswered, it's time to scare them a little.

You must state in the letter that the client is in breach of contract and you have no choice but to withdraw your services. You file a claim with the court on a certain date and they will be responsible for all debt recovery costs.

If you have a contract, threats of lawsuit and intimidation by a lawyer will be even worse.

But even without it, good legal jargon can intimidate a client enough to make them fork out, which they should.

If you don't have the budget to hire a lawyer, look for a friend (or girlfriend) who is a lawyer (or who isn't afraid to pretend to be a lawyer).

But in this case, be sure of what you are doing. Because if your client catches you on the fact that you are just pretending, he will laugh and never pay a dime.

On that note, never make the mistake of pretending to be a real lawyer. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but the last thing you want is to get sued for fraud.

Or…

There are clients for whom none of the standard methods will work. They have nerves of steel, the ability to ignore, and have no desire to pay.

Many freelancers in this case go to extreme measures. They write comments on the customer's website, contact the media, use social media to get the case public. Scandal, of course, has a great impact on the customer. But he puts a stain not only on his reputation, but also on yours. It is unlikely that then someone else will want to do business with you.

Stay tuned!

Information frombooks"Pay Me Or Else" By Lior Frenkel, The nuSchool and Webydo

How to make the client pay on time? Seven ways from an expert

The foundation of a successful business is money, money and more money. The more money floats into your pocket (and the less floats out of it), the more firmly you stand on your feet. Make it a rule to carefully plan all monetary transactions and count every penny. Of course, optional clients can confuse all your plans by violating the terms of payments. Here are seven ways to get them to pay on time.

1. Ask for a signature

The terms and conditions of payment must be drawn up by the legal adviser and signed by the client. No one wants to pay interest on late payments - but resist the temptation to let things take their course "so as not to scare the client away." By the way, if you are dealing with a large company - be especially careful. Large companies - those still non-payers!

2. Check solvency

An indulgence like a thirty-day payment deferral should be a conscious decision based on facts, not a self-evident right of everyone. Having made inquiries about the client, you will certainly not give a loan to a bankrupt. Make a ranked list of your clients by choosing the size of their potential annual debt as a criterion, and pay close attention to those who top this ranking.

3. Make inquiries

Try to keep abreast of the affairs of your customers. If the client is new - make inquiries. For example, contact those who have already worked with him. How long did the collaboration last? Were there any outstanding payments? If yes, how much was the total debt?

Of course, no one will give you the contacts of those with whom he did not have a relationship. If you are guided by recommendations provided by the client himself, keep a fig in your pocket and remember that in addition to “ideal scenarios”, there are harsh everyday life.

4. Watch and listen

When talking to managers who work with your new client, ask how things are going. The slightest signs of anxiety or phrases like “It could have been better” should be a wake-up call for you. Perhaps the problem is not a quick enough manager. But it is possible that the client is not a gift either.

5. Offer a Discount to the Most Disciplined

The main thing is to approach the implementation of this idea wisely. Offer a discount to those who pay their bills quickly, such as within a week. You will see: those customers who will try (and be able) to get it will themselves be very successful in business. As a result, you will strengthen ties with reliable partners, and if you put a discount in the budget, the slowest customers will provide you with additional income.

In order for an idea to work, it needs to be promoted. Include a promotional card describing the promotion with every invoice you send out. Constantly tell customers about the discount - let them want to get it.

6. Make invoices clear

Some people think that an invoice is just another marketing tool. Meanwhile, an account is a tool for making payments, nothing more. He must tell the client how much, to whom and when he must pay, as well as how he can do this. For this, the presence of your logo is not even necessary on the form.

7. Act decisively

The longer you wait for money, the less likely it is that you will eventually get it. Let customers know that they intend to take decisive action in the event of a payment delay. They say that some can be re-educated.

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One of the business owners asked for advice on how to collect receivables. Here is a short excerpt from the new book Financial Planning: The Art of Income Creation.

The work of collecting fees has its own technology, which consists in the fact that the client needs to be reminded in time, gradually increasing the pressure. This requires a very high level of discipline, organization and the ability to enforce commitments. Such qualities are not usually found in salespeople, whose talents are usually to quickly build trust and maintain interest.

1. Phone call with a friendly and polite reminder that within the next 3 working days the client needs to pay the bill.

2. Call on the last day of the payment deadline. In the middle of the working day, the client finds out if the payment has already been made. If the payment is not made, he is kindly but firmly reminded that he has committed himself to pay within this period, and demanded that he make the payment before the end of the day.

3. If the client has not paid on time, the next day he should be sent a letter by fax or e-mail. The letter must indicate the requirement to pay or penalties will be applied.

4. After sending such a message, you must call and demand that he either pay within a day or provide an official letter with the date of payment.

5. If there is no payment and there was no letter with a request to reschedule the payment date, you must call the next day and demand an official letter.

6. If the client has not sent a letter within a few more days, a formal claim is sent to him with a warning that the case will go to court if payment is not made within a certain period.

7. If the client has not complied with the requirements, send all the necessary documents to lawyers and start a court case.

This sequence may seem too hard, but this is just an example, you can develop a softer one based on it. Please note that in order to perform this work, the employee must enter the “level 1 impact” task on the calendar for each account, and then punctually complete this task. In order not to miss any payments, he must maintain the appropriate tables, constantly work with the calendar. Performing a “2nd level impact” requires calling not just on some day, but at a certain time. Sellers tend to just forget to do this. Considering that a company can have dozens or hundreds of invoices to pay, that's quite a lot of very specific work. When they try to entrust such work to sellers, the result is always the same - they often cannot complete even the first step on time and correctly, they are almost guaranteed to “forget” about the second step, and they are afraid to even think about the next steps.

When we implemented a “gradual increase in pressure” approach, it always resulted in an increase in revenue and a significant reduction in receivables. After all, most customers make payments rather chaotically, they pay first of all to those who require payment. Of course, this approach can lead to the fact that the company will lose some small part of customers, but, oddly enough, such losses also contribute to revenue growth. The reason for the growth in income is easy to understand - sellers, instead of clinging to their last strength for problem customers, are forced to look for new ones. At the same time, the company gets rid of customers who eat up resources (working capital and working time), they go to competitors and create difficulties for them in their work. But, interestingly, when implementing this approach, the sales department most of all disagrees, they always say the same thing: “We will lose customers, everyone will leave us, it would be better if we collect payments ourselves.”

I work in a SaaS enterprise equivalent to a gym membership. The client knows they should use it because it's good for them (earns them $$$) and once they're in the swing they love it. But despite my best efforts at UX, the subject matter is inherently dry for creativity, and if they get distracted or hesitant, they tend to stop “going to the gym.” As a "personal trainer" I have to stay vigilant to keep everyone happy and motivated or I'm losing clients...hence interpersonal skills.

Some clients don't pay their bills on time and the system automatically cuts access to profitable parts (along with a courtesy email to their accountant and account manager). Once a month, a user emails me and says (to paraphrase his tone), "I can't access my data because you're too late. I'm trying to get a job done and it's making it difficult to work. Can you restore access, please?"

(For context, at the moment I'm answering something like " Sorry, it automatically disables you when the account is expired. I have regained access. [name of acct manager on copy] processed invoice “By what date can we expect payment? »)

Can anyone give me an explanation of these users' attitudes and a strategy for what I can say or how I can behave:

1. Increase the likelihood that you will be paid on time and at the same time;
2. make those users happier as a result of these actions (i.e. avoid "enforcing" payment compliance through punishments. I can think of a lot of enforcement actions I could do that would decrease user happiness).

The clients in question are usually in Latin America.

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2 responses

Some clients don't pay their bills on time and the system automatically cuts access to the profitable portions (along with a postal letter to their accountant and account manager).

How is this letter written? Do customers/users receive or just the accounting department?

Has the user been warned that they will be disconnected from the service?

A simple solution would be: when a payment is late, send a friendly reminder first, both for the account and for the actual user. Then, wait two weeks, send another reminder, and only turn off the service after, say, a few days.

This should leave them enough time to either pay or remember accounting to do so. This also ensures they don't have a nasty surprise when their service is cut as they have been warned...

The reaction you don't want is "Damn, this thing doesn't work!" but you need a reaction: “Damn, we forgot to pay!”

The error page should also say something like:

"Please make sure your spam filter is set to accept the two warning messages we sent you in previous weeks to avoid further inconvenience."