Can we talk about clients who 'forget' to approve the invoice

Had a guy last month string me along for 3 weeks saying he'd 'look at it tomorrow' on a $600 web design invoice. Finally sent a screenshot of our email chain with 12 follow-ups and he paid within 2 hours. Is there a polite way to call out this stalling game or am I being too nice?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretc4214d ago

Honestly I used to think we were just being annoying with follow-ups but seeing a screenshot of your own ignored emails is brutal. That would definitely make me rethink giving clients the benefit of the doubt (and maybe start cc'ing someone higher up next time).

wade_anderson14d ago

Hang on, is this really "cold blooded" or just the only way to get through to someone? I get the frustration, trust me, I've been ghosted plenty. But sending a screenshot of their own ignored emails feels like it guarantees you'll burn that bridge for good. I'd rather just send one last polite note saying "Hey, need to hear from you by Friday or I'm assuming you're not interested." That way you've set a boundary without looking like you're keeping a grudge file on them. Maybe I'm too soft, but I'd rather lose a sale by being nice than win one where they think I'm a passive-aggressive weirdo.

lisas7814d ago

That screenshot idea is cold blooded. I like it. Did you send it with any note or just straight up the image of the chain? Makes me wonder how many of these people are actually "forgetting" versus just testing how long you'll chase before giving up. What's your cutoff point before you go nuclear with the receipts?