Ok in a nutshell I need to know if I handled something properly:
I have client that has a very large clientele base and shoots many photos which I then retouch. The money is good, but it can be stressful at times. In the last 3-4 months my client has been getting rather bad at paying on time and in the full amount of an invoice. They always have a bit of a running tab added onto each statement (I should have nipped this in the butt from the get-go).
At the beginning of month I uploaded a batch of photos and with the running tab it ended up being $800 + due. The client then was unable to be reached for the whole month and just popped up again last Thursday saying they were uploading pics due for this week. Not a problem, I thought until I saw she uploaded 18 photos and said more where coming. This was all with the statement that they were mailing me a money order for the previous balance...BTW they are only sending $700. My deal is that if the client gets me the photos before a weekend, I can return them by the following Thursday. This was with the understanding of 10 photos per batch. As of Saturday there was no money order to be found so I did not begin work.
This morning I sent them an email telling them that work did not begin because the money order was not received and they might want to send me a list in the order in which they need the photos done. Not all 18+ will be done this week. I also went on to state that since I did not enforce my policy of payment in full within 2 weeks that I was being taken advantage of. ::I was mad:: I continued on about how I do not charge them for rushes, yet they do not pay in a timely manner...and on on on.
I found out the money order is not being mailed out until today (and for less than the invoice)...JOY! And that they feel I should give discounts for bad retouches...HUH??? I do unlimited corrections based on the instructions given to me by the photographer. They also rubbed in the fact that I did indeed state to them that there is not a rush if photos are uploaded before the weekend, but they forgot the part about the 10 pic max.
Should I collect my balances and drop 'em?
Is it correct to demand balances paid in full before begining new work?
What about this "bad retouch" stuff? It was the pictures they did not like, and no amount of retouching could help.
How do you stick firm to your policies without coming off as mean. I guess never let them slide.
I bend over backwards for people and I hate that I always seem to get the feeling of being screwed.
I have client that has a very large clientele base and shoots many photos which I then retouch. The money is good, but it can be stressful at times. In the last 3-4 months my client has been getting rather bad at paying on time and in the full amount of an invoice. They always have a bit of a running tab added onto each statement (I should have nipped this in the butt from the get-go).
At the beginning of month I uploaded a batch of photos and with the running tab it ended up being $800 + due. The client then was unable to be reached for the whole month and just popped up again last Thursday saying they were uploading pics due for this week. Not a problem, I thought until I saw she uploaded 18 photos and said more where coming. This was all with the statement that they were mailing me a money order for the previous balance...BTW they are only sending $700. My deal is that if the client gets me the photos before a weekend, I can return them by the following Thursday. This was with the understanding of 10 photos per batch. As of Saturday there was no money order to be found so I did not begin work.
This morning I sent them an email telling them that work did not begin because the money order was not received and they might want to send me a list in the order in which they need the photos done. Not all 18+ will be done this week. I also went on to state that since I did not enforce my policy of payment in full within 2 weeks that I was being taken advantage of. ::I was mad:: I continued on about how I do not charge them for rushes, yet they do not pay in a timely manner...and on on on.
I found out the money order is not being mailed out until today (and for less than the invoice)...JOY! And that they feel I should give discounts for bad retouches...HUH??? I do unlimited corrections based on the instructions given to me by the photographer. They also rubbed in the fact that I did indeed state to them that there is not a rush if photos are uploaded before the weekend, but they forgot the part about the 10 pic max.
Should I collect my balances and drop 'em?
Is it correct to demand balances paid in full before begining new work?
What about this "bad retouch" stuff? It was the pictures they did not like, and no amount of retouching could help.
How do you stick firm to your policies without coming off as mean. I guess never let them slide.
I bend over backwards for people and I hate that I always seem to get the feeling of being screwed.

Comment