Had a client ghost me after delivering the project. It’s been a month, and the invoice is still unpaid. I value our working relationship, but I also need to pay my bills.
Anyone dealt with this before? How do you strike that balance between being firm and not burning bridges?
I’d send a polite but firm email. Remind them about the invoice and ask if there’s any issue.
If no response, follow up with a phone call. Keep it professional, but make it clear you expect payment.
Don’t work for them again until they pay. It’s not personal, just business.
Yeah, I’ve been in this spot before. It’s a pain, but here’s what works for me:
First, I send a quick email. Something like ‘Hey, just checking if you got my invoice from last month. Let me know if you need anything else.’ Keep it light.
If I don’t hear back in a week, I call. Most times, they just forgot or it slipped through the cracks. A quick chat usually sorts it out.
Now, if they still don’t pay after that, I get more direct. I’ll say something like, ‘I need to get this invoice settled so I can pay my suppliers.’ It reminds them there are real consequences.
One thing that’s saved me a ton of hassle: I always get a 50% deposit upfront now. It weeds out the flaky clients and gives me some cushion if things go south.
Remember, it’s your work and you deserve to get paid. Don’t feel bad about following up.
Look, this stuff happens. First thing, shoot them a quick email. Just a friendly heads up about the invoice. If that doesn’t do it, pick up the phone. Most times, it’s just slipped their mind.
Now, if they’re still dodging you after that, you gotta be firm. Tell 'em straight: you need to get paid for the work you did. No need to dance around it.
One thing I learned the hard way: always get a deposit upfront. Saves a lot of headaches down the road. And don’t do any more work for them until they square up. It’s not personal, just how business works.
Ugh, chasing payments is the worst part of freelancing. Here’s what I usually do:
Send a quick, friendly email first. Something like:
If that doesn’t work, pick up the phone. Sometimes stuff just slips through the cracks.
I’ve learned to always get a deposit upfront. Helps avoid these awkward situations.
And yeah, don’t do more work until they pay. Gotta protect yourself.
Been there. Hate chasing payments. Maybe send a friendly reminder email first. If that doesn’t work, give 'em a call. Sometimes people just forget.
Just call em. Probably forgot. Happens to me sometimes too.