I've usually just billed after completing small jobs and have only had a few minor problems with collecting - I can only recall three liens and a just a few times of sending more than one 'reminder' in over 20 years.
In the past few months, I have had an unusual (for me) number of slow payers - meaning three bills had to have a second notice. It's not a big concern to me as I'll collect, either now or later with interest.
However, it is very annoying that each of the slow payers was VERY communicative when seeing if I was going to get their survey done by the expected time - to the point of wasting my time with responding to them too often. One in particular texted me several times to confirm. Yet now that the bill is due and they have gotten a second notice, they seem to have forgotten how to communicate. Any time I've sent a second notice, those who intend to pay willingly send payment shortly after receiving the second notice. Those who don't respond to the second notice at all seem to always be the ones that I have to file a lien on their property.
Meanwhile all the people who were laid back and just accepted that the work would be done when I told them it would be done all paid either before or upon completion of the work.
