Credit Control – if you want me to pay, send me an invoice! (5 September 2010)
On 3 August I had a business do some work for me – I don’t want to give too many details for fear of embarassing them! – but we agreed a price of £90.
Yesterday, 4th September I received the invoice for the work done which, quite honestly I had forgotten all about!
Several points to make:
- The invoice was received by 2nd class post and was dated 1st September. OK - I know not everyone emails invoices (although if you can, do!) but at least post it 1st class
- Don’t get hung up on the ‘We always do our invoicing on the 1st of the month’. When the job is complete – send the invoice.
- When you send the invoice, unless we have already discussed them, give me some hint of your payment terms otherwise I will assume 30 days.
- Include on the invoice some idea of how you would like to be paid – bank account details are always useful.
The net result is I will now be sending a cheque on 1st October resulting in payment being received by my supplier two months after work was completed. If they had sent me the invoice immediately and told me payment was due on 7 days they would have been paid within the week!
Do you invoice promptly? If not - call me!