This is a question we get asked all the time and our answer is always the same- absolutely you should. But give them one final chance and don’t ever give them longer than 24 hours to respond or pay. Short, sharp deadlines. The time for chit chat and niceties is over. You mean business and they can either pay you today or deal with the debt collectors tomorrow. List the possible consequences they could face if you press that button. They include:
– Possible extra fees and added costs
– The fact it will out of your hands
– They will have deal with someone probably much less understanding
– The fear of the unknown
“Debt collector” still has such a strong stigma that conjures up some really scary thoughts in many people so use this to your advantage. Who’s to say bikies with tats and bats won’t be knocking on their door tomorrow looking for the money? Let their imagination do the hard work for you.
The most important thing however is that if you threaten it, you have to follow through. If you don’t and the debt collectors you’ve just threatened never eventuate then you’ll just look weak. And the likelihood of you getting paid will have plummeted.
Cheers guys!
Should you give your customer a heads up they’re going to debt collection?