I know, I know, shame on me. Ordinarily I get signed written contracts with retainer fees. But I have allowed this particular client to grow to a (too large) large percentage of my income the past couple years.
I have allowed our relationship to develop into a verbal understanding that I will be paid when my client (a large engineering firm) gets paid. This has been terrible as it has taken me & my above average communication abilities to collect fees, out of the loop from getting paid.
So I have decided to begin to try to change our relationship.
This is a delicate process involving human beings with delicate feelings,, blah, blah, blah, cry me a river, I know. But it is a balancing act.
Probably going to take something like turning a large ship?
Here is this morning's email I sent (the names have been changed to protect the guilty):
Barbara,
Arnold told me that you are still trying some creative ways to get us paid. So I hope you will understand that we really should not be willing to do any more work at Cooper's Pointe until we are paid for these two very old invoices:
1326 $525 402 days
1380 $1500 250 days
However, in the interest of team work & moving forward together I have a couple suggestions on how we can proceed with Cooper's Pointe AFTER we have been paid for the work from last year.
My first choice would be for me to contract directly with Cooper's Pointe for the surveying work (field & office). This way I will have a more direct ability to control receipt of payments. Please send me contact information with whom I should send my survey proposal. Then once under contract I will of course as always share the survey data with (your large engineering firm) as we always have.
Another option is that I can send (your large engineering firm) a written contract to be signed by Arnold authorizing us to do the field work and agreeing to pay our invoice within 30 days regardless of whether or not (your large engineering firm) has been paid. Then (your office cadd guy) could finish the office work etc as always.
What do you & Arnold think?
Thanks, Brad
(By the way this work is referncing topographic mapping, NO boundary work)
It will be a very rare engineering firm that will pay you after 30 days for invoices they know can be 402 days late.
Your first option is fair.....hopefully they will agree.
I would try the first approach without the second included. I had a client who gave me a good deal of work and I pressed them about payments. I lost that client, in fact I have lost several because I demand timely payments. None of them were losses I could not afford, however. If you really cant afford to lose the client, then dont push too hard. I would however, think about the way to get better clients.
Clients are strange people. Generally, those with the biggest bank accounts are the most difficult, especially when it comes to getting paid on time. They know time is money. They want to keep all the money they can. Even if it is pennies.
On the other hand, these are the types of clients to boot you out in a heartbeat. You either make like Ned Beatty or you stay away from the river.