Im SPESHUL!

[AquaGirl]

Begins Monday morning.
SC: just need my delivery, your automated system says I can't have a delivery since im past due but that's crap, you guys know me, when is it?

Bring up account and see that it is 68 days past due. Accounts at 60 days are cut off (earlier in some regions). "Cut off" means the driver's handheld device locks up and will not allow him to key in a delivery without a payment. In cash. Credit/debit cards unlock it in 48 hours, checks in 7 days. The only way he can deliver is if he leaves it for free. Needless to say in a commission based business this does not happen often.

However there are exceptions so I didn't immediately say that
I notice that he is past due because his credit card that was in auto pay has declined. When that happens, a customer is put on "cc hold". This also locks the account until a valid credit or debit card is added and successfully charged for the balance. Still, I tread lightly.

Me: Well, today is your delivery day; however it looks like we were unable to process your-
SC: NO, NO, NO! Every 7 or 8 months you guys mess up my credit card, its fine! You don't charge it like you're supposed to and then you think I'm past due! Its not my fault, its yours!
Me: okay. Well I apologize if we made an error with your card. However there is a hold on the account. Id be happy to reenter the infpr-
SC: NO! you don't need to do anything! My driver knows to call the office and they push a button and its fixed!

Okay, this is pure bull excrement. When a cc declines, it is inactivated by our system and must be completly entered, full number and all. In fact, I could see where this had been done. Further the decline reasons were insufficient funds. I tried talking him down but he screamed to deliver or cancel his service and hung up.

Cue today.

SC: You guys didn't deliver!
Me: Unfortunately, we have ben unable to process your cc and a hold has been placed on your account. Also, your balance is now over 60 days past due, which is preventing delivery.
SC: NO, NO, NO! You guys know me, you always deliver and this is your fault, not mine.
Me: I apologize; however I would needto update your cc and receive a payment of *amount* to-
SC: No! You guys know me! You always deliver even when my balance is past die!
Me: Well, sir...it appears that we don't.
SC: click

Bonus

Have you ever heard of a "prompt payment discount"? The State of Massachusetts has and apparently since we don’t offer one, they only pay us every 60 days. That's right, since we don't take something off what they owed 30 days ago for paying on time, they hold our money an additional month. I wish I could do that.

[Teskeria]

Seems that Taxachusetts needs to be charged late payment fees every month they do not pay exactly on time. It should be listed as 'not payed on time fee' (must have gibberesh) Then when they question the (let's say $25) $25 fee each month, you explain sweetly 'Oh, anyone who pays on time does not get charged that $25.00 fee of course. Since you do not pay on time....'

[blas]

I really can't believe so many people are delusional in the thought they possibly couldn't have forgotten to or just didn't want to pay a bill and let it slide for so long. No, every time, it's someone else's fault, they made the mistake! It's not that I'm lazy or stupid and worthless, it's always someone else's fault!

Hey, I've been wrongfully charged before and there was even one company (*COUGH* AT&T *COUGH*) who TWICE "lost" our monthly payment. But situations like these are rare and not as common as people just forgetting to or just not paying their bills.

[Skeen]

Hey, I've been wrongfully charged before and there was even one company (*COUGH* AT&T *COUGH*) who TWICE "lost" our monthly payment.

UGH! The cable company did that to me EVERY MONTH that we had cable, despite countless promises that it was all sorted out and my bank getting involved to prove that yes, money had come out of my account on time for each payment. Needless to say, we have Dish now.

[blas]

I'm well aware that it does happen, so I just wanted to make that clear.

And although I've never worked in collections or anything similar, I had a coworker a while back who, I kid you not, never paid a freaking bill to save his own life. And there was always an excuse or someone or something to blame.

It just sickened me. I've never missed a rent payment. This guy had been living in this house for almost a year and never paid his rent. I guess that's what's nice about private landlords. But still.....and he never paid his phone bill, never paid electricity, skirted on the fact that in the winter in Wisconsin, they can't shut you off.....UGH.

[It's me]

Have you ever heard of a "prompt payment discount"? The State of Massachusetts has and apparently since we don’t offer one, they only pay us every 60 days. That's right, since we don't take something off what they owed 30 days ago for paying on time, they hold our money an additional month. I wish I could do that.

In my line of business this is pretty much the rule. P.O.s usually have terms like "2/15 Net 30" which means we'll give a 2% discount if paid within 15 days, with payment in full due in 30 days.

[Treasure]

my company has a "Net 30" on nearly every invoice (these are YEARLY support renewals) and we have companies that tell us that means they have 30days to CUT the check; we've tried explaining to them that if they try doing that with their personal bills they'd end up with a lot of late fees, (we've been told that Counties don't have to pay late fees wtfever) fortunately we got "new software" that puts companies with unpaid invoices of 30days or more, on Credit Hold - this doesn't seem to bother the ladies in Accounting, but the Techs have a FIT when they get that email or told when they call in and get that "sorry we can't help you."

[bainsidhe]

Heh. Oh yes, I just love those customers who dictate what payment terms you will offer them. They have a history of taking six months to pay, yet get all insulted when we change their terms to prepay. "Our terms are 60 days!" Well, they were actually 30 days, but that still doesn't account for the extra 4 months.

[MoonCat]

We've had people try to tell us things like that. The bill says "due on receipt" and they start counting it as past due at 30 days; then they go to 60; I think they start getting snarky at 120 (I never see the bills because most of what I take is prepaid). Some companies can get away with this for a time if they spend a lot of money with us, but I always laugh when I hear of someone who tries to pull the "we pay at 60 days" (or some such number) crap.

[Seshat]

Have you ever heard of a "prompt payment discount"? The State of Massachusetts has and apparently since we don’t offer one, they only pay us every 60 days. That's right, since we don't take something off what they owed 30 days ago for paying on time, they hold our money an additional month. I wish I could do that.

Yes.

It's otherwise known as building the late fee into the apparent cost of the item, and taking it off for people who pay on time.

[EricKei]

If the State wanted Terms for an early payment discount, they should have asked for them a long time ago... ~_~

[AquaGirl]

Yes.

It's otherwise known as building the late fee into the apparent cost of the item, and taking it off for people who pay on time.

Wish Id had the guts to say that.

[Jetfire]

Wish Id had the guts to say that.

Suggest it to Marketting/managers. It would let you sneak in a price increase without pissing off too many customers (especially the ones who pay on time as is. )

[Caractacus_Potts]

SC: NO, NO, NO! Every 7 or 8 months you guys mess up my credit card, its fine! You don't charge it like you're supposed to and then you think I'm past due! Its not my fault, its yours!

NO, NO, NO! Every 7 or 8 months I max out my credit card and the autopayment to you gets delined, its fine! You don't charge it like you're supposed to and then you think I'm past due! Its not my fault, its yours!


Fixed that for him!

[Dips]

SC: No! You guys know me! You always deliver even when my balance is past die!
Me: Well, sir...it appears that we don't.

Have you ever heard of a "prompt payment discount"? The State of Massachusetts has and apparently since we don’t offer one, they only pay us every 60 days. That's right, since we don't take something off what they owed 30 days ago for paying on time, they hold our money an additional month. I wish I could do that.

We just received an 11 page from from the fair Commonwealth to fill out and sign for the privilege () of selling to them. I noticed that little condition buried somewhere on page six.

It's not just Massachusetts either. We've had other states and municipalities and national governments who have gone so far as to attempt to charge us a "processing fee" to get on their "approved vendor list." I guess that was to cover the cost of filing the multi-page form they had us fill out. Yeah.

Customers who expect you to jump through hoops and even pay them for the privilege of shopping with you? They're going to be SCs. Always. But it is nice of them to give us the heads up so we can refuse them service right from the start. Saves a lot of hassle down the road.