here we have another crappy payer

[visual800]

https://www.adart.com....it seems like Ive seen them mentioned on here before but of course the search option on signs101 sucks. They asked me to quote, and I turned it on and the job was completed Jan 23. Invoice submitted. Since then no response from contacts, so I went above their head and they started responding. Seems that one person was out. I guess when someone is out they dont allow others to check their emails. Finally got a response that the PO was never processed, which is weird because PO is on the invoice I sent. Nonetheless just your run of the mill BS responses. Juat be wary in the future if they contact you

 

[Notarealsignguy]

45 days, that's really not bad. It's pretty common for POs to not get put in properly.

 

[Signarama Jockey]

You have to do your work on time while they need 45 days to write a check.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

That's life in business my friend. There is a process for payments, a lot of it is for their own security and requires steps to approve. You've never heard horror stories of someone's bookkeeper embezzling money or people making fake invoices from fake vendors and pocketing the money? It happens everyday.

 

[Gino]

That's a fact, jack.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

adart is reputable. Sometimes invoices get missed. Happened with AGI the other day. I saw one go over 60 days and reminded her and she forgot to process them. I'm a PM too and get 100s of emails a day... sometimes things get missed.

 

[Signarama Jockey]

That's life in business my friend. There is a process for payments, a lot of it is for their own security and requires steps to approve. You've never heard horror stories of someone's bookkeeper embezzling money or people making fake invoices from fake vendors and pocketing the money? It happens everyday.

Yeah, I hear you. But 30 days? The paperwork for selling my house took a day to fill out and I deposited the check the same day. Maybe they're just slow-boating it out of an abundance of caution. Or, maybe some bean counters have figured out that taking 30 or 45 days to hand someone cash gives them 30 or 45 days of additional interest from the bank.

I mean, I shouldn't complain too much. I have vendors that I am on Net 30 terms with, after all.

So, yeah, I take your point.

 

[netsol]

That's life in business my friend. There is a process for payments, a lot of it is for their own security and requires steps to approve. You've never heard horror stories of someone's bookkeeper embezzling money or people making fake invoices from fake vendors and pocketing the money? It happens everyday.

EVERY DAY & more often than that.

i could fill a column with those stories

 

[Notarealsignguy]

From my experience over the years, net60 seems to have replaced net30. Anyone that used to be net60 have turned into 90-120 day pay. We pay our vendors fast but that is because we are small potatoes and have to unless we want to be COD all over town.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Yeah, I hear you. But 30 days? The paperwork for selling my house took a day to fill out and I deposited the check the same day. Maybe they're just slow-boating it out of an abundance of caution. Or, maybe some bean counters have figured out that taking 30 or 45 days to hand someone cash gives them 30 or 45 days of additional interest from the bank.

I mean, I shouldn't complain too much. I have vendors that I am on Net 30 terms with, after all.

So, yeah, I take your point.

I think you are overlooking the process, how many hands this stuff goes through and the shear volume that a limited amount of staff have to process day in and day out. I used to be that guy who would use the date and my initials for PO's and then take 2 months to answer the A/P girl as to what it was and what G/L code it was supposed to be under. That right there would turn into a 90 day pay from a company that typically paid in 30. Pretty simple thing to happen.

 

[CanuckSigns]

From my experience over the years, net60 seems to have replaced net30. Anyone that used to be net60 have turned into 90-120 day pay. We pay our vendors fast but that is because we are small potatoes and have to unless we want to be COD all over town.

Yup, you need to control your cash flow and plan on waiting 30-90 days to get paid if you want to do business with any larger companies.

Larger companies are very good at delaying payment as much as possible, just part of the game. Usually they will wait until the invoice is past due and you start calling, then tell you there was an issue with the invoice (you invoiced the Judian Peoples Front, but the invoice needs to be made out to the Peoples Front of Judea for example) then you change it and resend, but of course you just missed their monthly cheque run. So next month they email you to get your bank details so they can auto deposit, but not till next month cause you just missed that months run too.

Can you tell I've dealt with this before...

 

[netsol]

and yet we had a number of clients (hanover insurance for one) that would never let us leave the premises without a check for the days work

i automatically give everyone Net10, but we have a handful of clients that insist on paying when services are rendered

AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, i have a small number of clients that take so long to pay you can never remember WHAT YOU DID FOR THEM when the check finally comes in

 

[Notarealsignguy]

AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, i have a small number of clients that take so long to pay you can never remember WHAT YOU DID FOR THEM when the check finally comes in

Those checks are almost as good as a winning lotto ticket!
I like the ones who go silent when they owe you money but always have more work for you as soon as you go collect it. It could be 2 weeks or 2 years, they'll just sit on whatever work they needed until you call for money.
It's funny, after so long of seeing these same patterns so much you can pretty much profile a customer the second you meet them.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Those checks are almost as good as a winning lotto ticket!
I like the ones who go silent when they owe you money but always have more work for you as soon as you go collect it. It could be 2 weeks or 2 years, they'll just sit on whatever work they needed until you call for money.
It's funny, after so long of seeing these same patterns so much you can pretty much profile a customer the second you meet them.

Lol, I have a client who never pays until they need the next job done, could be 6 days or 6 months, but I know when the cheque shows up they will call in a few days with a new job.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Lol, I have a client who never pays until they need the next job done, could be 6 days or 6 months, but I know when the cheque shows up they will call in a few days with a new job.

I think those 2 are brothers. One is patient and the other isn't.

This is the stuff that they don't teach you in business school but should.

 

[rydods]

Is it me or do some customers order 1 thing and then just when you're about to install it or finish it, they order more, then you finish that job and they order another thing. It's like they're trying to avoid the invoice at all costs.

 

[Eforcer]

https://www.adart.com....it seems like Ive seen them mentioned on here before but of course the search option on signs101 sucks. They asked me to quote, and I turned it on and the job was completed Jan 23. Invoice submitted. Since then no response from contacts, so I went above their head and they started responding. Seems that one person was out. I guess when someone is out they dont allow others to check their emails. Finally got a response that the PO was never processed, which is weird because PO is on the invoice I sent. Nonetheless just your run of the mill BS responses. Juat be wary in the future if they contact you

I accept PO's for starting orders. But payment has to be provided when orders are picked up. I've been in this rodeo for too long. I want skin in the game. I've stopped listening to, office won't pay for 30 days. LMF( Y )O. We work for ourselves. Your payment process, has to be part of what we require. We accept 30-60 for our large accounts. All others have to be payment upfront or on pickup. Sure we don't get all the orders. But we have consistent work coming in to avoid these type of issues. It's funny how we were becoming bill collectors when we let them get too far. They become Silence of the Lamb.


Sign Up!

 

[CanuckSigns]

Is it me or do some customers order 1 thing and then just when you're about to install it or finish it, they order more, then you finish that job and they order another thing. It's like they're trying to avoid the invoice at all costs.

Yup, I had a client who owned an indian restaurant, this was his MO, i would install something and he would have me "take a look" at something else he wanted, and would say to just add it to the same invoice, this dragged out for about 9 months before I got paid finally.

 

[Signarama Jockey]

We had a well known hardware store that moved into a new location, and they needed brand new channel letters, window vinyl, and in store signs. Big job, and we were eager to get the work. It went through the normal process of quotes and then we had the channel letters made and everything printed and cut and finally installed. All done, and we requested payment. The customer asked for and was given 30 days to pay, which turned into 60 days, and then it turned into a thing where they started dodging our phone calls, or always being in a meeting or some other excuse. We even sent someone over there and they said they would gladly cut us a check, but they left their checkbook at home. This went on and on, and eventually the store came clean - they were on the brink of closing their doors already, and barely had the cash flow to pay their employees. Again, this was a brand everyone would recognize if I said their name.

No one wanted to drive these people under, so we worked out a payment plan and they managed to pay us the whole amount they owed a little at a time, but I think it was a year after installation until we were paid in full. We don't hold a grudge, but the next time these people need something, they are going to have to come with cash in hand.

 

[CanuckSigns]

We had a well known hardware store that moved into a new location, and they needed brand new channel letters, window vinyl, and in store signs. Big job, and we were eager to get the work. It went through the normal process of quotes and then we had the channel letters made and everything printed and cut and finally installed. All done, and we requested payment. The customer asked for and was given 30 days to pay, which turned into 60 days, and then it turned into a thing where they started dodging our phone calls, or always being in a meeting or some other excuse. We even sent someone over there and they said they would gladly cut us a check, but they left their checkbook at home. This went on and on, and eventually the store came clean - they were on the brink of closing their doors already, and barely had the cash flow to pay their employees. Again, this was a brand everyone would recognize if I said their name.

No one wanted to drive these people under, so we worked out a payment plan and they managed to pay us the whole amount they owed a little at a time, but I think it was a year after installation until we were paid in full. We don't hold a grudge, but the next time these people need something, they are going to have to come with cash in hand.

This is what I don't understand, if you're having cash flow issues, tell me, I'm a business owner too, I get it. I would much rather a client tell me they can't pay in full and we can work out a payment plan vs. Dodging my calls/emails and wasting my time.