Because he's a senior! I quoted him $89.00 for some Wood repair, and he called me today stating his senior discount is usually around 15% at some other places he does business. The guy owns a trailer park, is a engineer, lives in a 300k house, and "can't afford" to pay the full Bill, so he will "maybe send me 65$ next week". I installed a visual woodpecker repellent (which he picked out from the choices I gave him), and he immediatly wanted it taken down. He told me he wasnt paying for that but would be happy to pay for Wood repair. I understand this is my fault, as I should have said see ya after his first refusal. Anyone ever run into this? Do you keep bugging them by sending bills? Go the mechanics lean route? It's not that $89.00 is going to break me, it's the point of the matter. I'd spend $100 to get $89.00 from him.

Get an account at transworld systems. Update your contract language....they will help you. Then submit and forget about it. It is a good way to handle small balances.

I had a lady out of state we did local work for, took me 6 months but she paid in full plus $100.00 more and did it all through
some simple emails and a written letter.

Sometimes simple shame works!



Justin

i had a landscape guy hire me for one of his customers saying that she told him she would pay him and he pay me so she only had one bill. okkkkk... but i cant seem to get my money from this landscaper. ive called 6 times only to hear excuses.. ive even billed the lady 3 times and still havent got paid. i did the work the last week of june. this landscaper pushes a lot of mole work my way... but i still want to be paid for my work!!!!

Or ...... save yourself the aggravation give him his Sr. discount with the sole condition as long as he pays off your account in full in seven days. That way he gets his "thataboy" and you got a difficult person to pay.

How did he ever know your $89 was not the Sr Discount price in the first place. Pretend to be a liberal lie right in his eyes and say Sir that was my discount price !

Thanks for the responses, doing bad work is one thing, refusing payment on quality work is plane wrong. He also plays the language barrier card, as he is middle eastern. The more we discussed payment, the less English he knew. Imagine that huh?

We NEVER And I mean NEVER start a job with out a signed contract. Saves a lot of trouble down the road if they don't pay you. If you don't have a contract and they turn out to be a dead-beat you're pretty much at their mercy.

Wiggler, if this guy isn't paying you he can't be that great a contact.

The only client I ever pulled out on, and refused to return calls to was a India Indian - he himmed and hawed on price then when I did not catch as many as he thought in my week of trapping, And, he thought I should stay longer (for no extra charge) and he wasn't going to pay till he was satisfied I caught as many as he thought he had.

I picked up traps and walked out saying "You know what keep your $#@$%$ money!"

He is the last reason I need to make EVERYONE pay up front! No Exceptions!


MikeD

x2

You hit the double wammy there, M.E.s aka camel jockies are shadier than a troop of gypsies and I speak from 33 years of retail experience dealing with them. The other whammy is, trailer park owners, they are notoriously cheap.

Looks like I had the worst possible customer after all things considered. I'll take it as a lesson learned.

Tyson, I always try to look on the bright side. You now have an excellent location for dropping off animals. ( An if you inform the customer ahead of time, it just makes it that more delightful! )

I once put a dead skunk in the culvert of a wealthy client that refused to pay. Whether it happened or not, I still got intense pleasure of imagining her pinching her nose closed every time she got the paper or mail.

Contracts work.I did a raccoon job for a family that was renting this house in a bad neighborhood.The landlord was a slum lord,but lived in a rich area.This poor family had called because the coons came through the ceiling in the closet.House was infested with fleas.3 year old boy had so many bite marks on him from fleas,made me sick.I took the job even though I feard not getting paid.I always get half first ,have them sign a contract,(state law with the NWCO license agreement)and started trapping.Caught five coons out of there .The woman Had said that she needed a couple days notice before I was done to get the rest of the money.So I did.Took a couple a weeks before I was paid most ,but not all.Then a week later she called and said she had the rest.
Not sure what the arrangement between the renter and landlord,but it seemed to me that the landlord made this poor(no money) family pay for it themselfs.I sure hope she took that money from the rent.In any case that is why the rich is rich ,can't let go of the dollar bill.

It has been my experience that most wealthy people are the finest customers to deal with. Having said that, however, if you were born a jerk, it really doesn't matter how much money you do or don't have. You're still a jerk!

they are mostly a good group of people here... "mostly". i had the richest guy ive ever worked for (80,000,000 after his divorce) call to me and whine about a $200 skunk bill i gave him.. NEVER had i had anyone ever call me whining so bad about $200. i told him to keep his dang money and never call me again. He paid me the next day. Some of these people are the worse... the low income people and middle income people are my best people by far.

Dave K, What's trans world systems?
And, yes, many people are tightwads/jerks. Protect your income! Mechanic's liens don't seem to be very useful; some people just refuse to pay, seem to like the "game". Put a "net due in __ days" line on your invoices, then enforce it! Our contract states that overdue accounts have no warranty.

Dave how many days do you give them to pay?
I go 2 weeks then start ringing there phone. I haven't been stiffed yet. Praise God

Paul, it's 10 days for residential/small landlord stuff, 30 days for commercial. They get reminder calls at nine days and 29 days respectively.

Thanks,
I have a couple cabin company's that cut checks on the 30th of the month and the bill has to be in by the 25th. If not you have a long wait.

In that instance, the customer is setting the terms. If that's okay with you, it's okay with me.
But when I do work, I expect to set reasonable terms for payment. As I said, it's on the contract that they sign (I also read the contract to them). Can't claim ignorance about something you signed.