Start Paying, Stop Credit, Stop Yelling!

We have a customer who is terrible at paying on time. If it was decent money, maybe it would be okay, but we’re talking less than $100 a month. Our credit terms are thirty days following invoice month.

In June, I notice that this customer hasn’t paid an April bill for $25. I call and email and get no response. This gets the account put on stop credit. I continue to call and email, chasing payment. I finally receive a response at the end of July.

Customer: “Travelling in the states — will pay when I am back.”

Fast forward to September after many more calls and emails chasing payment. A man walks up the stairs and asks the receptionist why the sales staff sent him to us.

Receptionist: “Oh, it’s because there’s a small overdue balance on your account.”

Customer: “Yes, I know. I got your emails. Why is my account on stop credit? It’s only $25! This is pathetic! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SPEND HERE?!”

Receptionist: “Well, I’m sorry, but it’s company policy. If you settle the bill, we can take the account off stop.”

Customer: “But it’s such a small amount, and I told you why it wasn’t paid, so why am I on stop?!”

At this point, he is yelling very loudly at the tiny little old lady receptionist and I’ve had enough, I don’t think he’s noticed me at my back corner desk in the office. Also, I’m younger, stockier, and taller than him, and I was printing his invoice while this was starting.

Me: “Actually, that was me. I was the one emailing you, and I put the account on stop. Since you were out of the country, I thought it best to avoid any fraudulent activity until we knew you were back, so now we can reopen it. We just need the balance paid and you’re all set.”

Customer: “HOW DARE YOU EVER PUT MY ACCOUNT ON STOP CREDIT?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SPEND?! I’VE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR FIFTY YEARS! I’VE SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS HERE! THIS IS DISGRACEFUL I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! I’LL NEVER DARKEN YOUR DOORS AGAIN!”

Me: “I’m very sorry about this. Let’s go downstairs and process payment of this account so we can close it for you.”

This whole thing started at 4:55. We are supposed to finish at 5:00, but we got stuck at work being yelled at by this man-child until 5:15. None of the men downstairs came up to try to calm him down. (Both of us office staff members are women.)

And after two months, the man came back and the manager took his account off stop credit, which meant I had to call him repeatedly for the next year that I stayed with the company. 

He was and still is a jerk.