How to Handle ‘Sticky’ Client Invoicing Situations

In an ideal world, you’d receive payment almost immediately after issuing an invoice. However, reality is much different. You’ll often find yourself chasing up payments, and how you handle them is crucial for a quick resolution.

In this post, we’ll look at some of situations that can arise when it comes to invoicing your clients – such as incorrect entries and non-payment – and discuss how to handle them while keeping everyone happy!

What Constitutes a ‘Sticky’ Client Invoicing Situation?

In a nutshell, a sticky client invoicing situation is basically the equivalent of the ‘awkward conversation’. This is usually a scenario that isn’t ideal for boosting customer relationships, but is necessary for the smooth and consistent running of your business.

Invoicing is usually high on this list. In simple terms, the exchange will often be a variation of “You should have paid us, haven’t, and need to do so”. However, you’ll usually need to be ‘cute’ in order to get the outcome you desire, and we’ll talk about this in more depth next.

How to Handle ‘Sticky’ Client Invoicing Situations

While there are plenty of potential situations that can arise, let’s take a look at the most likely issues to crop up.

1. Incorrect Entries During Invoice Creation

This situation is one of the worst to find yourself in, mainly because it’s your fault. Not entering details or entries correctly probably happens more times than any finance department cares to admit.

Obviously, there are different problems that could arise here. If you’ve simply misspelt a line, that’s not necessarily a problem (although it could be seen as unprofessional). However, getting a monetary value wrong will always see the invoice become delayed, especially if the value is too high. This can erode trust and confidence in your customers.

Fortunately, rectifying this is completely within your hands. Firstly, proofread each entry for mistakes and errors, and fix them when they arise. Next, make sure your invoicing solution can calculate as much for you automatically as possible.

For example, Hiveage includes time tracking functionality, as well as mileage and expense trackers. This lets you leave the complex calculations to us, and invoice payment to your customer.

2. Delayed Payment by the Customer

Next, we’re talking about when clients fail to pay on time, no matter the reason. If you’ve got everything right your end, you obviously can’t ascertain why a client fails to pay their invoice, although you can make sure you’re chasing them up promptly.

Having a system in place helps here. For example, Hiveage offers comprehensive reports to help you manage any outstanding invoices. Giving customers an easy road to payment is also key, so offering a one-click solution makes it easy for invoices to be settled.

Of course, sending payment reminders is also a crucial step, and by automating the process, you negate the need for direct discussions that could turn sour without the expertise to handle the situation.

Conclusion

Invoicing your clients is usually one of the most stressful parts of running a business, regardless of scope or the size of your team. Because your income relies largely on the process running smoothly, you’ll often choose to focus on outstanding invoices rather than consistent payees.

Late payment for invoices usually occurs due to two key reasons. Let’s recap them quickly: Incorrect entries during invoice creation. Delayed customer payments.

Is there a sticky client invoicing situation that’s more important to you? Let us know in the comments section below!