elsolservices.com

In all the years that I have been in business the most amazing thing to me is how so many have such a hard time understanding the whole billing process.  I use an accounting program called Quick Books.  I have been using this program for years now.  Most small business use this very same program to handle their invoicing and accounts receivable.   The way that I have it set up for my pool business is that on the 25th of every month I do my invoicing for that months pool or spa service.  The payments terms for this are 30 days.  At the end of every month I run a report that finds every invoice that is over 30 days due.  I then create a Statement that shows which invoice is over due and they are either emailed or snail mailed out.  Hopefully the customer will then check their records to see if it was an over sight and will send in the overdue payment or they find that they did send in a payment for that invoice that they would contact me and I can investigate the issue to try and find out what had happened.  In the past the post office has lost payments that have been mailed to me, there was a couple of tines that the payment was given to one of my pool techs (which I really discourage) and it was lost and there has been a few times that the mistake was made in the office and not entered properly.  The whole purpose of this process is be sure that no one gets behind on their account.  I never charge a fee for being late.   If I have a check that is returned to me from the bank because of insufficient funds then a new invoice is created and a fee is applied.  We are at every pool every week, rain or shine and spend time and money caring for the pools and all that I ask in return is to be paid in a timely manner.  If someone is having problems paying me then please let me know before you get to far behind.  I have sent this out in my newsletter,  in my customer letter and on this blog but still is amazing how many still do not understand the process.  So if you get a Statement it is because I am trying to find out why there still is an open invoice. 

I also create invoices for repairs and installs that are performed.  The terms for those invoices are Due Upon Receipt.  As had been said, when we do a repair or install a new piece of equipment I have a lot of costs tied up and it is very important to be paid ASAP.  I think that I am more than fair.  Most service companies require payment at the time of the service, we invoice.  Most service companies charge for every visit, we don’t.  There are a lot of repairs done or visits made to evaluate a problem that are never billed.  We do a lot of special chemical treatments that I should charge for but don’t.  Once again all that I really ask is that the accounts be keep up to date and not allowed to fall behind.  At this writing I have over $14,700 in overdue invoices and that is just not good for business.