Waste no time addressing broken promises

Working with your customers to help them achieve their business goals is part of the joys of operating a business. Seeing their success and being a part of it becomes your success.

So when a customer you work hard to serve breaks his promise to pay, it’s a blow that hits on many levels. No wonder so many put off addressing these kinds of issues right away.

Sadly, broken promises bring to light the character of the individual. Trust is broken and the relationship going forward may never be the same.

The best response to broken promises is an immediate one. Communicate right away, the very day the broken promise comes to your attention. You may wish to limit the customer’s credit or switch over to COD. Whatever response you deem appropriate, execute on it immediately.

While the “act immediately” approach applies every single time a promise is broken, it is especially crucial for that first time offender. You are setting a precedent: You expect to be paid what is owed to you.

Always remember that the longer an issue goes unresolved, the more difficult it becomes to resolve it. You’re much more likely to be paid in full if you strike while the iron is hot.