It’s exhausting dealing with clients who disappear after the job is done.
Trying to find the right balance between professionalism and getting what I’m owed. I need a more effective way to approach these discussions without ruining relationships.
Been there way too many times. What works for me is setting up a system before things go sideways.
I spell out payment terms in my contracts now:
- Net 15 payment terms
- Late fees after 30 days
- Work stops if payment is over 45 days late
For clients who vanish, I send one email asking if there are issues with the invoice. If they ignore that, I wait a week and send another saying I need payment by a specific date.
After that, I just move on. Chasing people for months kills your hourly rate and your mood. Sometimes eating the loss beats spending weeks playing phone tag with someone who clearly doesn’t want to pay.
The key is making your next contract bulletproof so this doesn’t happen again.
Some jobs just aren’t worth the headache. I keep it simple and move on if they don’t pay.
Ditch those long payment terms. I switched to payment-on-completion and my collection problems dropped 80%. Client gets the final invoice when I’m done, payment’s due right away. For existing debts, send a certified demand letter giving them 10 days to pay. Costs a few bucks but shows you’re serious. Most people will pay up rather than deal with what comes next.
Paper trails are everything - I learned this the hard way. I send a friendly reminder at 30 days, firmer at 45, then mention late fees in writing at 60.
Game changer for me was adding interest charges to my contracts for overdue payments. People pay way faster when they see the bill growing.
For the real ghosts, I send a final notice threatening collections. That usually gets them moving pretty quick.
I just text them until they pay up honestly.
Late payments are everywhere. I now ask for 50% upfront and the rest when I deliver.
For overdue clients, I call instead of emailing. They can’t dodge phone calls like they do emails. Just ask when you’ll get paid - keep it simple.