When clients refuse to pay...

[Stephen Blair]

all the paperwork is not to protect you from everyone, but just the chancers of the world.

[Graham]

Had a similar thing happen to me many years ago.

 

Did a big job for a guy. All very pleasant with coffee, cakes, bacon butties and jokes amongst men. The job was quoted for approx two weeks but he asked for extras with the assurance; 'just add it onto original quote'.

 

Final bill time and he denies asking for some of the work and states other parts of it weren't carried out to his satisfaction.

 

He wouldn't even talk about it and said that if I took him to court then he would just counterclaim and 'did I have enough time and money to fight him?'

 

You live and learn:001_smile:

[Stephen Blair]

it sickens me to think how some people treat a fellow man, i have had the same many a time, i never knew what to do and would panick incase they said this or that about me and i isnt in my nature to confront folk or be aggressive, and i would worry like hell about it, it wasnt until 2 years ago i was getting bumped for 5k i got my lawyer to get my money, i had done the deal by text, crazy i know but i knew the guy, what an idiot i was, anyhoo i let it really really wind me up, but when i went to the lawyer that was it, job done, 2 days later i had my money and it cost me £60 to get it, and i never heard from the customer ever again, woop woop lol

[Will Hinchliffe]

You should have driven her to the cash machine:lol:

[felixthelogchopper]

I know nothing about French contract law, but in UK law, a verbal contract is just as binding as a written one. The advantage of a written contract is that everybody knows where they stand and there is no argument along the lines of he said, she said. In this case however, it sounds like the extra work was carried out without any discussion as to the price and so a court over here would simply decide a reasonable fee for work carried out.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I think asking people to sign things puts them off.

 

They need to trust you as much as you need to trust them.

 

Out of the last 1000 jobs I have done, I have only had one that did exactly the same as Grahams client 4 posts above.

 

The only difference is he told me over the phone, but he instantly paid when I knocked on his door.

 

Is it really worth showing distrust of everyone of your clients for the sake of one in a thousand.

 

I'd only request a contract on large jobs or jobs for the construction industry

Edited January 18, 2010 by Dean Lofthouse

[Stephen Blair]

dean dean dean, YOU think its distrust, no one else does, when i started doing it i felt the same, but then i found people loved signing it, they felt all important and also they got some re asurance to, i hardly do it now tbh because all my customers are repeat ones now, but new ones get the paperwork treatment, very profesional and straight down the line. Most customers always try and give me there cheque card number aswell, so they feel just as awkward with the trust thing

[felixthelogchopper]

A written quote/contract is equally reassuring to the customer. They know that the big, bad tradesman isn't going to hit them with an unexpectedly large bill

[Dean Lofthouse]

If you are doing mainly domestic then I dont think it's worth it, there's enough paperwork.

 

Most jobs are one day or sometimes half a day. If we were talking big jobs lasting 3 to 4 days then yes, but we are talking piddly little domestic work which isn't such a big loss losing the money for one day out of a years worth of work.

 

I've had one awkward customer in 4 years, hardly worth the effort.

 

Contracts are because of lack of trust

[Mesterh]

I always have a written quote, one copy for customer and one for me.

 

It's not just so I dont get stiffed ie "I didnt ask you to do that" (its all on the quote you agreed to) but also for me so I dont forget what needs doing!

 

A couple of my mates who work on very large contracts laugh at the way I work, no T&C, no signed quotes, no cash up front or payment terms etc.

 

Only had one non paying customer (as far as I can remember) that didnt go bankrupt, thankfully only a £150 ish job.

 

Should never say that though will find then current late payments will turn into non payments:thumbdown: