Comments on: Calling in the Big Guns

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:43:00 +0000

I never have, Susan. The mere threat of it has always resulted in the payment – minus the late fees, of course. It’s clients like that who make me back away completely. If you’re late as hell and you don’t pay the late fees because you feel you need to “win” something, so long. It’s been real.

By: Susan Johnston

Susan Johnston — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Ugh, I'm right there with you, Lori. Aside from that icky client I blogged about several weeks ago, I have three other clients in various stages of delinquency.

Maybe I should be more uniform, but my approach often depends on the relationship. For instance, if there's someone else at the company I can CC on an email, that often gets their attention (after I've tried the regular methods, of course).

I'm curious if you have actually taken a client to small claims court because I may be getting close to that on some of these. How does that work if you're in different states?

By: Amanda Nicole

Amanda Nicole — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:26:00 +0000

You’re much more patient than I am! I send my first reminder a week past the due date. Not getting paid weighs so heavily on me that I become a Royal Pest rather quickly. I’m glad you’re pursuing these payments!

By: Angie Ledbetter

Angie Ledbetter — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:54:00 +0000

The very worst aspect of freelancing.

Clients see freelancers as a valuable, less expensive alternative to hiring staff, but then don't seem to realize those same contract workers also have bills to pay. Ug!

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:22:00 +0000

Most smaller companies are good about paying, as far as business clients; but often, the magazines who pay the least have the attitude of “you should be glad we’re paying anything” and take forever, whereas the magazines who pay more also pay more promptly.

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Then again they have to actually receive the invoice in order for them to pay it…. That’s where the most overdue one stands right now – between my contact and the AP/AR department.

Their “float” is about to sink. Litigation notice went out with this one. Oy.

By: Kirk Petersen

Kirk Petersen — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:03:00 +0000

I’ve found that smaller companies and individuals pay more quickly than large corporations.

If a company is big enough to have an accounts payable department, obviously that adds another layer of bureaucracy… but such a department also has an incentive to capture the float by letting payables “mature.”