Vent: A client admitted they deliberately paid late because they 'forgot'

Had a call with a guy who owed me $1,200 for 6 weeks of work. He flat out said he knew the invoice was due but just paid things that yelled louder. Hit me different because I realized some clients see us as optional bills they can bump down the list. I'm thinking about adding a 5% late fee to my contracts going forward. Has anyone else had a client say something like this to their face?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivera.hannah4d ago

Right so they're just admitting we're the "snooze" button on their bills while their Netflix subscription is the emergency alarm. 5% late fees are cute until they hit you with the "oh I didn't see that on the invoice" like it's some hidden easter egg in a video game. Maybe we should start billing in "annoying phone ringtones" so we finally get that top spot on their priority list.

hannahj494d ago

Wait, did he actually say "yelled louder" like he was picking between different creditors? That's wild. I had a client once tell me over the phone they knew my invoice was sitting there but they were "waiting for a good time in their cash flow." I wanted to scream. Like my rent doesn't care about your cash flow buddy. I added a 5% late fee after that and honestly it just made them pay late anyway and then argue about the fee. Some people just see us as the last stop before they get their next big check.