Dear [client],
First: Thanks for all of your help. I’m hoping that we can get some firm payment schedules and adhere to them.
The problem is: not only are invoices getting much, much older than [your company] agreed would be the case, but you have made payment promises that were not kept. The money being paid this Thursday is for one invoice, but the lion’s share of the $16,000 that you said was being paid in March is now not being paid until possibly next week... but that hasn’t been confirmed, either.
And that’s really the thing: once payment is promised and missed, the account gets flagged and we need to resolve the situation ASAP.
Could you tell me when you’ll have solid info on what’s being paid next Thursday, and beyond?
I hate saying this, but escalation is an option, and one that I am actually required to exercise if another payment is missed, or we don’t receive a clear idea of how we will be paid in a timely manner. This is not a matter of choice, it’s a matter of our corporate financial health and my contractual responsibilities to this company. It’s my least favorite part of my job, but it’s one I cannot sidestep.
If you could let me know when we will have specific information on what is being paid a week from Thursday (and beyond), that would be really helpful.
[High level VP] is the person who signed the contract agreeing to the payment terms, so he will have to be the point of contact if things escalate.
My sense is that it will not come to that... and for that I’m seriously grateful.
* * *
Love to all. Even you, the lady on my left who is cracking her gum every five seconds, occasionally interrupted by the guy on my right who is coughing all over the place.
9 comments:
Writing demand letters is one of the worst parts of the job. I prefer writing backcharge refusals.
However. I would write those ALL DAY LONG if it meant avoiding a whiny employee. A manipulative, whiny employee. Every day is one day closer to me firing her.
My boss can not wait.
Care to trade jobs for a day? (The fact that I have NO IDEA what you do is not stopping me...)
I didn't know what a backcharge was until just now. WTF? Does that happen a lot?
Yes, I will trade jobs with you for a day... and I don't know what you do, either. I'll try very very hard not to screw everything up.
I work in construction; backcharges happen DAILY.
I refuse them when they are excessive, unfair, or simply not true. Truth be told, I accept far more than I refuse.
I am a department head - the forbidden middle management. I read floor plans and layouts, complete research - and make sure that all 9 women in my department do the job they were hired to do.
I also help run 3 other departments when my counterparts are on vacation or sick.
Grr. Sounds like a sucky part of your job, even if it is vital/necessary.
Hope they pull certain parts of their corporate anatomy out of other parts and get with the program. Nobody needs this kind of headache.
hang tough.
I f*ing HATE collections. It's the worst part of everyone's job.
Now that you're part of a bigger firm, it becomes even worse, huh?
Bummer dude! Sorry about this.
this is why i'm glad i'm not in "management". my last job's customer requested a $23M backcharge to my company. it was a ridiculous request to help them pay for their errors. i got to leave site and management is taking care of it. i don't envy them at all.
You know I love you, right? And collections suck, seriously.
But on a purely professional note - don't ever, ever apologize in a collections letter.
They aren't doing you a favor by paying you. And they need to know that.
You ever need someone to be your bull dog, I'm your girl :-)
yep, one of the most dreadful tasks for me as well :(
Post a Comment