Disappointing when good customer doesn't pay...

[Stacey K]

Just venting...I'm quite disappointed the last couple weeks in a good customer of mine. He's ordered quite a bit from me over the last year. At first, he would pick his orders up and pay CC. Then a couple times he needed "as many shirts as I had done" for the weekend so I would deliver on Friday then the remainder the next week. He would stop in the following week to pay via CC...and then it turned into what I think is a game. "Can you deliver to my house (literally 2 blocks from my shop) and I'll stop in next week and pay?" Then...it would be 1-2 weeks with a reminder email/FB message. So, the last order...same thing..."can you deliver?" Well, it's been 5 weeks now and no payment. I emailed, FB messaged, etc. Three occasions he was to stop in and pay, most recently yesterday...no show. It's uncomfortable to be put in the position of having to call, email, message, etc. There is no way in hell that I could go to his restaurant and run up a $1,000 bill and pay for it 5 weeks later. I actually ate there last week and I was uncomfortable for him! I'm sure he will pay as it's a small town and word spreads fast if I happen to mention anything but geez...just put it on your card if you don't have the cash and don't be a douche bag! Ahhh, that felt good to vent...

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

deadbeat

 

[unclebun]

We do shirts payment in advance.

 

[Gino]

Just insert your customer's name here and put this outside your shop. Guaranteed to work quickly.

 

[Billct2]

It may require a face to face visit to his business...

 

[Andy D]

I had a boss who called a preacher, who was way overdue payment and told him "pay what you owe
before Friday or I will be at your church Sunday morning and will collect during the service" It worked.
I would insist on free lunch everyday until he paid his bill as interest.

 

[iPrintStuff]

Go to his place of work, rack up a decent bill then when they ask you to pay just ignore them or say you’ll get it in a month or two. See how they like it!

Also a huge fan of Gino’s approach but that’ll likely be the last time you get them as a customer lol

 

[Gino]

Go to his place of work, rack up a decent bill then when they ask you to pay just ignore them or say you’ll get it in a month or two. See how they like it!

Also a huge fan of Gino’s approach but that’ll likely be the last time you get them as a customer lol

Haha..... that's the whole point. Would you really want them as a customer anymore ?? If I ain't gonna get paid, I'm goin' fishing or something I like to do for free..........

 

[iPrintStuff]

Haha..... that's the whole point. Would you really want them as a customer anymore ?? If I ain't gonna get paid, I'm goin' fishing or something I like to do for free..........

True! Get them named and shamed! Everyone else pays a bit quicker too when they don’t want their name on your window haha

 

[Dennis @ Sign FX]

I've had to email a guys Mom. Hahaha. We live in So Cal, I did a fairly sizable, multi color graphics job on his van just as he was getting ready to move to No Cal. He told me he would pay me the following week, which obviously didn't happen. A month goes by, after multiple attemps to reach him, no returned call, text or emails. Only email I had was his Mom's, as I had to send a proof over to her email once. Sure as shit, after I sent her an email about it, I got a call the next day, and payment soon after. He is still a customer, but is on prepay from now on.

 

[rossmosh]

You have to understand that some people just don't care about paying their bills. They just don't. So unless you make it a problem for them, they just don't care. It's not that they are necessarily bad people or have bad intentions, they just are not focused on paying you.

So go down to their house/place of business and collect your money. Don't leave until you have money in your hand. Everyone carries around plastic so they have no excuse not to pay.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Just venting...I'm quite disappointed the last couple weeks in a good customer of mine. He's ordered quite a bit from me over the last year. At first, he would pick his orders up and pay CC. Then a couple times he needed "as many shirts as I had done" for the weekend so I would deliver on Friday then the remainder the next week. He would stop in the following week to pay via CC...and then it turned into what I think is a game. "Can you deliver to my house (literally 2 blocks from my shop) and I'll stop in next week and pay?" Then...it would be 1-2 weeks with a reminder email/FB message. So, the last order...same thing..."can you deliver?" Well, it's been 5 weeks now and no payment. I emailed, FB messaged, etc. Three occasions he was to stop in and pay, most recently yesterday...no show. It's uncomfortable to be put in the position of having to call, email, message, etc. There is no way in hell that I could go to his restaurant and run up a $1,000 bill and pay for it 5 weeks later. I actually ate there last week and I was uncomfortable for him! I'm sure he will pay as it's a small town and word spreads fast if I happen to mention anything but geez...just put it on your card if you don't have the cash and don't be a douche bag! Ahhh, that felt good to vent...

We've been in a VERY similar situation ourselves, lately. Our customer still owes us $900 for their last screen printed t-shirt order and we get the same runaround. They've even bounced a couple of checks but always pay up. We've been doing stuff for these guys for over 4 years now and even though they are a pain in the butt, they are actually one of our largest clients as far as the volume they order so it's hard to press the issue sometimes. However, as our business continues to grow and newer and better clients come along, they're going to be really lucky if we don't end up eventually firing them as a client.

 

[2B]

It may require a face to face visit to his business...

This walk-in and request XXXXX, explaining there is a matter of an invoice overdue by XXXX number of days to settle. do it during a busy time for most impact gossip.
Employees will move quickly and if they are getting the run around for wages, it will become VERY awkward.

 

[binki]

I don't know where you are but in California you would file in Small Claims Court. Once you get the decision then he would have 30 days to pay. After that if it is a commercial account you get the Sheriff to do a collection. It can be a till drop (they take cash right from the register or safe) or a seizure of property like the oven, refrigerator, etc. The best part is the Sheriff adds their cost to the process. For non commercial you can put a lien on the house or seize private property like their car, again using the Sheriff.

Good luck.

 

[Johnny Best]

We have all had this happen to us. Just do not forget how you have felt when he comes to pay you and wants to place another order. Tell him your going to charge him for the new order with this bill he owes you for.

 

[ikarasu]

This is when the asshole tax kicks in.

"Due to my suppliers prices going up.... This order will be 10% more expensive than the last"

Or... Put terms in your invoices. Payment within 30 days or interest at x% per month begins to incur. You can bet they'll start paying 29 days after the invoice... But at least it'll be consistant and you won't have to awkwardly ask all the time.

 

[#racewraps]

Either a CC on file or up front pay at the time of order. I stopped being a bank years ago, haven't felt better since. We can't go to the store and buy groceries or clothes and "stop by next week to pay."

Don't do it, or collect interest on it or somehow penalize slows payers by charging more under the thought that they are a riskier customer that might not pa their bill so don't let it get to that point.

 

[Stacey K]

Thanks for all the responses! As much as I reeeeeeally don't want to go to the restaurant, I'm going to go there Friday night at 5:00 with my invoice. I have my CC thing on my phone so I will have it all ready to go. And yup, no more orders from him unless he pays upfront. It's a small town...I'm sure it will take me a few minutes to get to the bar as I usually know almost everyone in there LOL Will probably be the last time he orders from me but that's OK because it will be the last time I go in his restaurant too. Funny because I have a standing Wednesday night dinner with friends there once a month...no more!

 

[Gino]

A lot of you are treating this as if these feckless people actually care about your rules and terms. They have no respect for your policies or anyone else's. Once the red flags start going up, it's time to put your main rule into effect. Your lack of funds will never impact on my funds. Good-bye.

 

[Stacey K]

A lot of you are treating this as if these feckless people actually care about your rules and terms. They have no respect for your policies or anyone else's. Once the red flags start going up, it's time to put your main rule into effect. Your lack of funds will never impact on my funds. Good-bye.

Do you actually put a sign outside like that? Or have you? Not sure if I have the guts to do that...