Big Argument On Last Job

Originally Posted by rocco

Hello

I have been in my own business now just over 2 years and last month was the first big argument I had with a customer. I would like to know how you guys approach this situation I am about to talk about.

I was doing a small job last month, 4 days total. I explained to the customer payment is due immedietl upon job completion. The day before I finished I told the customer I will be done tomorrow about noon. The customer was home all day, all 3 days I worked and then the fourth day he went to work! He came home for lunch on the fourth(last) day and I told him I will be done in an hour. He said He wo,t be home till 5 oclock if I want to come by for the check. Calmly i asked if he would leave a check since he won,t be here when I am done. He did not like that idea at all. He started pacing in front of me stating he is not comfortable with doing that since he cannot see the finished product. I said I really don't want to have to come back during rush hour to get paid. He become increasingly agitated. Long story short we started shouting. I kept cool for a few minutes while he tried to intimidate me and outsmart me. I explained how I told him i was to be paid immediatley upon completion. I told him that is why I let him know the day before I was to be done. I even told him how convenient it was for him to go back to work on the day I was to finish!

Don't get me wrong--I have gone back many times to get paid, butI am trying to stop that. I think some bigger companies don't get paid for weeks. But I am just me and I am living paycheck to paycheck. So what do you guys tell your customers? Is it unreasonable to ask for a check if they are not going to be there when I am finished? Is it unreasonable to ask for payment immediatly?

Thanks rocco

Originally Posted by daArch

George,

There are many expenses involved with a business that are not part of the actual production work. One needs to understand all of them and build them into the estimates. It's called "cost of doing business"

Originally Posted by George Z

A built in business expense that can be replaced with a contract line
or credit cads...
Spend that overhead on fancy shirts for the crew, maybe some training,
what about a company pic-nic, even a new truck.

Chasing cheques, cashing them, bouncing cheques...
Two hours in traffic, bank line ups...

I don't relate to any of it.
What am I doing wrong again?