What's the longest you've waited for payment?

Thanks Wink,

New topic, without going to collections or court, how long has someone dragged out paying you for work you performed in this industry?

I've been in business just 3 years now in March, so don't have much to reflect on, but did have one who took me 8 mos. to retrieve, she had a home in Taos and was from California and that tried my patience but I stayed cordial and respectful and eventually managed to get her to come clean.

Justin

Out of state property owners be them private or corporations can be the worst! With landlords in the same city being next. Credit card on file for inspection and all other charges including repairs is SOP for us on out of state property owners/landlords. Cuts down of the frustration factor and if they are not willing or able to provide card we pass on job.

Our longest wait so far in the beach water park (corporate account)over 2 years now as they filed bankruptcy.

Corporate accounts usually are our longest with net 30, 45, 60 or 90 day term. Some tips on corporate accounts. First ask contact person if they have corporate credit card as many are authorized a pretty good spending limit. If contact person is not able to provide payment submit all pertinent information such as proof of insurance (liability, commercial vehicle, workers comp etc.) W9 and anything else. Nothing worse than waiting 90 days for payment to only get a letter informing you that they need paper work to process payment which results in another 90 day wait.

Great info Charles! Thanks for sharing!

16 months was my longest.

But in her defense she did pay every month, it was just always in very small amounts. But in the end she paid in full plus all interest so while I hated the experience I really didn't lose out.

We do payment plans for folks either on fixed income or those with a fairly high exclusion for birds or bats. Have had some lag months and months but they all have kept paying and appreciated being able to do so. Good topic of its own, payment plans and how they've worked or not for you...

Had a large college account that would pay at 29 days and 23 hours on a 30-day net program. In almost every other case, we didn't collect a dime from customer if they were more than about three weeks overdue. Some people either don't care about their credit rating or realize that it's more trouble than it's worth for us to collect $500.

My favorite is the guy that paid for the service call and for the squirrel and then moved out of state and decided he wasn't going to pay for the closure, so we turned him over to collection. Now after seven years, your slate is wiped clean and you don't have to worry anymore. Well this guy must have needed a loan and paying us for a lousy closure must have got his record clean, because we got an out-of-state check from him over six years later!

I've mentioned this before, but for you new guys, I will repeat it. I removed some squirrels and the customer was a small business owner like most of us. He paid for everything except the $35 for the closure. He went bonkers and I'm here to tell you that my closure on that place was a work of art! So, the next time I was in his area I took down my beautiful closure and we no longer sent him a bill. So guess what happened? A raccoon found the hole and that customer ended up paying us more than 10 times the cost of the closure.

I also had a customer ( I will not mention his religion, nationality, or color ) that screwed the government out of a couple of million dollars. Again, we got paid for everything but the closure. This closure happened to be at the center of the house. Again, removing this man's closure was more fun than collecting the $35 bucks. By the time he got out of jail, I'll bet I depreciated his house by ten grand. Let's hear it for me!

8 months from the tribe, basically waiting for my federal tax dollars to come back. I'm still 100% paid, if I work for YOU are going to pay. Ve have our vayyz!

Salys, did I see you on a guest appearance of "Grimm"?

Grimm??? What's that? NO but I did have a small part in the "Great Escape".

5 minutes. Payment due at time of service. Initial payment after set up, per animal payment when animal is picked up.

5 months on a corporate job

Payment plans typically equal trouble. IMO

Leave that to the banks, if they wont loan to them, why should you?

Bingo!

I've actually not had an issue with anyone I allowed to pay in monthly payments. The only folks who have made me wait or I've been delayed owed the money immediately (within 30 days or less).

We use the payment split for folks where lets say the job is $1,500.00 for example, we allow them to pay 3 equal payments of $500.00 per month for 3 consecutive months. Each month they get an invoice in their email from us on a set date, never had an issue yet with those folks and we've done a fair amount of them compared to our normal business.

Though as I say this, I will say that I know that anyone including myself can be burned by a client. I do however try to get to know each and every client and until I have employees someday many years from now, I always meet, visit with and know the clients on a level beyond just their problem. It isn't in my nature to do otherwise, so when folks aren't paying my company back, they know they aren't paying my wife and I, not just a company.

Again, I'm sure it will happen in the future, but other than the out of state lady that taught me not to bill after for folks beyond the area, I'm happy with the other clients and how they pay.

Did a bunch of exclusion for a woman who was home at the time, wouldn't answer the door, banged around her roof for close to two hours doing the work only to have her tell me she "didn't sign a contract. That was an estimate." (WRONG!!)
Lawyer told me that if I pulled off the work, she could sue me for damage to her house. What do you think?

Dave I am not a lawyer but I have repossessed my my material in the past when it was not paid for. I heard about a guy that did the same with a front door on cold winter night as well LOL

Would have definitely paid to see that!

We have builders doing that all the time. I'm pretty good at myself. I haven't heard of anybody being taken to court.

They said she called the cops the officer chuckled and said I think you should have paid your bill. A lawyer can sue you for anything chances are if they dont have the money to pay your bill they dont have the money to hire a lawyer.

Take her to court immediatley. A guy on here once said he threatened court over $110, because its not fair to those who do pay. You want people to think you do amazing work but will not be taken advantage of. Have your lawyer write something up and send to her, see if she will pay it with the threat of court.

We can get paid to do this?

I don't need to send many of these out, but have them around for when needed.

Dear Customer:

Some time ago, you called us for help with a wildlife control problem. It was important to you that the problem be handled quickly and professionally. We responded to your call in a quick, courteous and professional manner. As yet, we have not been paid ! We run an honest business, and do not believe in keeping critters that have not been paid for.
If payment is not received within 10 days, we will return your critters, with their families as interest to you and your property. I believe they are getting homesick !

Just as you have forgotten our payment, we may have unintentionally forgotten what critter it was we removed for you. In the event that you receive the wrong type of critters, you may call our office to exchange them for the correct type. We will respond to your exchange request with the same speed that you have shown in making your payment to us.

Your in friendship,

P.S.- Some of the Critters do not get along well with small pets or children !!!

Most folks send a check promptly and get a laugh out of it.

And for those of you that think something like this won't work, try it, you'll be surprised. Even a phone call suggesting that the customer might want his animals back, usually does the trick.

In the 20yrs. we've been in the adc business we may have had a dozen clients that didn't pay us. We actually got checks from the collection agency we use from some of them after as late as three years. Here,if you have a lean against the property you can't sell it until that lean is satisfied. Even as screwed up as my state laws are the courts take a really dim view of those that don't pay "contract labor". Key word here being "contract". Having said that, here in Calif. if you install something on a building you, by law, cannot go back and take it off because the owner didn't pay you as it is now considered part of the building and you have to let the courts handle it. Also if you were to actually release an animal/animals on a property because that owner didn't pay you, you would not only get sued and lose but you would also lose your adc lic. in a heartbeat.
We pride ourselves in our work ethics and our honesty and I truly believe it comes across to our clients in such a way as they try to treat us in the same manner. If it happens,and it does, that someone is late paying us and I have to call them,invarably they will say something like "Oh my gosh, I compleatly forgot about your bill and I'll put a chack in the mail today". Thats good enough for me and I tell them so and the check, almost without exception, shows up.

That's easy for you to say. It's all in your name, Bob. Nobody wants the Hassel!

Paul,believe me, I may have heard something like that once or twice before!