Getting Paid Without Chasing: Payment Terms That Do the Work
Collections problems are usually design problems. Change when and how a business asks, and most of the chasing disappears.
If a business is spending Friday afternoons on receivables, the issue almost certainly started before the invoice went out. Payment behavior is set by the terms and the moment of the ask, not by the follow-up.
Ask while you're still in the room
Collection rates fall off a cliff the moment the tech drives away. On-site payment capture, card on file, tap, or a link sent while the customer is standing there, moves the majority of jobs into same-day settlement.
Deposits are a filter, not a squeeze
A modest deposit does two things: it funds materials, and it identifies customers who were never going to pay. Owners resist because it feels adversarial. In practice, serious customers barely notice it.
Make the follow-up sequence boring
Three touches on a fixed cadence beats sporadic heroics. Day 3 reminder, day 10 note with the payment link, day 21 phone call from a human. Same wording every time, sent by the system, not by the owner.
Track one number
Percent collected within 48 hours of job completion. Not DSO, not aging buckets, one number a team can move. It tells the team whether the on-site ask is actually happening.