If you own a business and have clients that don’t pay their bills on time, you aren’t alone. Many customers fall behind on their bills or don’t pay them at all for a number of reasons. Sometimes the bills are lost within other ones, or your client may find themselves with additional expenses that they can’t afford. Whatever the reasoning may be, your business can suffer from an inconsistent income flow. Southwest Recovery Services has listed a couple of tips for collecting your clients’ debt for this new year.

Transparency: Lay Everything Out On the Table

If you are a service-based company, make sure you are transparent about the pricing of your services from the start. We recommend having a contract that lists all the pricing and information, so you have something to fall back on if the payments aren’t being made. You need to set the payment expectations from the start, and when you are clear and direct, you establish the trust necessary for a positive client relationship.

When you have clarity from the beginning, you will help strengthen your clients’ commitment to paying the full amount and avoid dealing with clients’ unpaid accounts.

Be On Top of Invoices

Running a business is no easy task. There are so many areas that need your attention, and you might forget to do certain things. For example, you might forget to send your client an invoice. And what if you call them about the debt and they never received the invoice? This damages your business’s reputation. We all make mistakes. That’s why we recommend sending the invoice as soon as the service has been performed, or having a team that is dedicated to invoicing. Southwest Recovery Services offers accounts receivable management assistance which helps you stay on top of your invoicing.

Charge Late Fees

Before you begin a service, make sure that you specify your right to assess late fees. No one wants to pay a late fee, so it’s a good incentive to get your clients to pay on time. Back up your late fees with a policy. For example, you have 3 days to pay the bill or you will be charged a late fee.

Bill Before Services Are Provided

Another strategy is to bill your clients upfront before you deliver your service. If you want to reduce or avoid late payments altogether, this is the way to do it. Some clients won’t want to pay for services before they receive them. Reassure them that you will get the work done well and on time. Encourage them to do some research and to check out your online customer reviews, and we’re willing to provide some sparkling references. 

Hire a Debt Collection Agency

The best way to collect overdue bills is to outsource to a debt collection agency, like Southwest Recovery Services. Our agents are professionally trained to work with any type of client and scenario. We will treat every one of your clients with professionalism and respect. . Our agency operates on a contingency basis, which means that we don’t get paid unless there is a successful recovery in your favor.  This encourages our agents to use every available and ethical strategy to collect your clients’ debt. Get in touch with us today to get started!