[Rick Carver]

John
I see what your saying. I agree with you more then you may realize.
I did put into place systems to eliminate collections and to improve cash flow.
After litigateing collections one to many times a CCP judge gave me a kick in rear end and told me to start thinking more professionally and quit taking chances etc etc. Was some good advice.
I was doing a lot of things wrong with contracts and such and he called me out on them.
The QAR methodology helped me tons!
Credit cards for maint was another easy thing to help with collections and cash flow, especially with the slow payers. I understand what your saying with project work and again I agree with your thinking.
only thing is this regarding our customers busy schedules and family lives etc.
MINE IS NO DIFFERENT. ;-)
SOOOO, if at time of contracting to do say, a 15 G project I make it clear and part of the contract that customer MUST make themselves available to inspect the work, like say in 24 hrs or even within 5 days,,, (that's all company specific not QAR specific) what would any customer object to for paying me what is owed at this time? If they contracted for the job then they must have the money, and when I am finished the job and my ADMIN is on the ball with final invoicing then why would I not EXPECT full payment when I am finished and the job is acceptable etc.
I know how much it cost's me to allow another person to hold my money for another month (30 days etc) and I know what positive effect on my cash flow management prompt payment has. Also, I only want what is best and most cost effective for my customers, which is a tightly ran company.
For sure some of the stuff I have done and suggest seems pretty harsh,,,, I know it,,,,
But
I always ask myself why does it take an install customer so long to pay me after I am done? Did they have the money when they contracted, and now they don't? I mean seriously, why should it take a home owner another 30 or 60 days to pay me?
I have been told the main reason is because we (owners) allow for it and then we set up for it.
One last thing with credit cards,,, if you contract for install only use credit cards for the last piece of the installment or final payment etc. OR use it for just the down payment with a condition on your contract that final payment is do at XXX time after completition and if not the customer by virtue of signing this contract agrees to the contractor that final payment may be taken from the credit card on file etc etc

Rick