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Getting Payment

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onesmf

New Member
Either you are confident and assertive or you are not. Individuals, especially business owners, can sense when we are not. I don't think putting up a sign is going to help your situation. If you lack the confidence in obtaining payment, how will you respond when these individuals disregard the sign? Seems as though you will have the same result. In addition, if these individuals are business owners themselves, they will understand. My advice is to sit down and brainstorm a tactful sentence or two in response to this situation. Ask others for help if you are stumped. Once you think you have one, practice the response in the mirror, say it over and over to yourself throughout the day until it is etched in your brain and sounds natural. Sounds corny, but you will project confidence and not have to rely on ad lib responses. So this is one of your weaknesses. Nobody is perfect. Strengthen your weakness. Lastly, after you ask for payment with your practiced response, don't say anything more. Let them have the next word, even if there is a length of uncomfortable silence.
 
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imagep

New Member
Salmoneye said:
I liked an old sign I saw that read "In God we trust, all others pay cash". Put a regular old cash register on your counter if you don't have one already. When "your friends" come to pick up their sign walk over and ring in the amount, say "OK, that will be blank blankety blank, cash, check or charge? It will ad a bit of formality instead of a "yo dude, catch ya later on the money thing" attitude. They might not be prepared for it the first time you do it but they sure will the second.
Click to expand...

Thats a great point!

We also have a cash register, it does help. We do not use it to keep track of money, but I do punch a few buttons every time we put in a payment, just to make sure the customer gets the point that we are a real business.
 
J

javila

New Member
Another thing that helps is when you call them for pickup. Just make sure you state the remaining balance is open and what the amount is.
 
threeputt

threeputt

New Member
It's simple. The behavior that get's rewarded is the behavior that gets repeated.

If you let them walk without paying, then that's the behavior you're going to see over and over again.

Set some rules. Stand by them. Watch happily as your problem evaporates. Simple.
 
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pointjockey

New Member
Sign at Counter says:
50% Deposit required. All Jobs under $250.00 require full payment to begin.

Tell the guy to have his Wife to stop by and pick up the sign since she seems to wear the pants.
 
Air Art Girl

Air Art Girl

New Member
As busy as I am with large orders, I have not had any problem with the entire bill being pre paid. There are some companies, schools, fire depts. etc that will only pay at regular intervals that I always get the PO number first before ordering or starting work.

We have one customer that has a balance that we have to stay on. We know we will get the money but will only do work for him now with a payment until his balance is paid. We're talking $800 not thousands so it's not like we are out a ton.

A deposit is the best policy. If it's under $100 payment when ordered, over, 50%.
 
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