Another day, another business makes an exception and gets burnt.
Look I am just going to come out and say this-
PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T MAKE EXCEPTIONS IN YOUR BUSINESS FOR ANYONE!!
We were just sent a debt for $6000 by a caravan repair company. This was the first time in 14 years they had ever had to chase someone for money because they have a strict “no payment/no release” policy that had always served them well. Until one day last year. A new customer came to them needing their van fixed urgently and promising to come back the next day and fix up the bill. They were staying in the van park literally across the road from the shop apparently and convinced the company to release the van with the promise of “tens of thousands of dollars of future work”. I don’t think you need me to tell you what happened next. 5 months on, they’ve disappeared, haven’t repaid a cent the poor van company are 6 grand in the hole.
Guys, please. If you have payment policies, stick to them. No exceptions. No compromises. No excuses. You cannot trust anyone. I know that is harsh but it is the truth. If they really are the sort of customer you want, they will understand. In fact they wouldn’t even ask. As for the promise of future work in return for you bending the rules- NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!
Cheers