Accounts Receivable Tips

Handy Hints

Telephone Tips
Any Excuse is a Good Excuse to Make Contact Kim Radok June, 2018

A manufacturing business will or should, conduct regular maintenance programs to keep the machines going in good order. Accounts receivable contacts with customers can be considered a form of trading relationship maintenance to assist in keeping...

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The Competent Employee in the Dysfunctional Business Kim Radok May, 2018

One of the key objectives you have when contacting your customers' employees by telephone or email is to develop a relationship of mutual respect. This can be a really difficult objective to achieve when the person you are contacting has no...

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Sometimes, You Have To Tell It As It Is! Kim Radok February, 2017

Mostly when contacting our customers for the unpaid invoice, we take a customer service style approach. Occasionally however, we need to be more assertive and say it how it really is! For instance, when you have to tell the customer that the...

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Preparing For Rejections And Dealing With Difficult People Kim Radok October, 2016

The professional credit / accounts receivable person over time becomes relatively expert at handling unusual situations when making contact for the unpaid invoices. For the uninitiated, the situation can become somewhat daunting. The answers they...

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Helping Accounts Payable Do Their Job Better Kim Radok April, 2016

Accounts payable professionals are people, just like you. Therefore, one of the best ways a credit or accounts receivable professional can improve their cashflow and payment of outstanding invoices is to work with their customers' accounts...

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Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable - The Jobs With Business Potential Kim Radok March, 2016

In far too many business organisations, the work of accounts employees is often deemed to less valuable than that completed by other employees. Where such a situation exists, there is the perception, the accounts payable and receivable employees...

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Accounts Receivable - The New Professional Kim Radok January, 2016

As we enter 2016, we are also entering a new paradigm of dealing with outstanding invoices in the B2B environment. For instance, we can no longer demand the customer pay, unless your business is committed to legal action in the event of...

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Making Pre-emptive Contact For The Outstanding Invoice(s) Kim Radok October, 2015

Historically, and in even in many business enterprises today, there is still the perception you must wait until the invoice is past due your terms of trade. In certain industries, this may still be the way business is conducted. In...

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You Have Been Handed The Account From Hell Kim Radok June, 2015

You may have joined a new employer, or your employer has decided that messy account now just has to be brought in to order. Irrespective of how or why you ended up with the account from hell, it is your job to bring in to order. Often when you...

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Tread Carefully When Making That Contact Kim Radok April, 2015

Irrespective of whether you are telephoning or emailing your customer, care is always required. It is so easy to read a file, have built up a negative impression about the customer, or just have had a bad day. In such situations, it is not...

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Accounts Receivable - The Information Channel Kim Radok March, 2015

In the previous blog, I suggested the Accounts Receivable role should be developed under the theme of becoming an information channel between the supplier and customer. The world of business has changed substantially over the years. Consequently...

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Accounts Receivable - The Communication Channel For Good Business Kim Radok February, 2015

One of the key roles of the credit or accounts receivable employee should be to become the trusted communication channel between the supplier and the customer. The fact is most credit and accounts receivable employees lack the authority to make...

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The Three P's of Telephone Contacts Kim Radok October, 2014

Making telephone calls for outstanding debts or invoices is not a job for everybody. However, it is a job which can bring you many unforseen rewards as you discover the way money influences people behaviours. Furthermore, your experiences will...

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That Difficult Customer Kim Radok August, 2014

Every business has difficult customers. Some will be worse than others. Occasionally, even if you do not want to, you just have to pick up the telephone and speak with them.

Those customers which are particular hard to deal with and make your...

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Not Another Call To This Customer! Kim Radok June, 2014

You are faced with another call to this slow-paying customer which you are dreading because it always seems a waste of time. No matter what you say, the customer rarely responds with a positive answer or a payment.

What can you do except go...

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The Telephone Call For The Unpaid Invoice Is A Sales Call Kim Radok March, 2014

Is a telephone call for the unpaid invoice: a sales call or a debt collection call?

In my view, a telephone call for the unpaid invoice is always a sales call. The reasons for this point of view include:

1  obviously the first reason is - a...

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Knowing Your Customer Kim Radok January, 2014

Professional credit / accounts receivable employees have learnt over the years, every customer is different. Therefore their telephone conversations will be tailored to suit the customer they are about to contact for the unpaid invoice(s).

In...

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No Prejudice Telephone Calls Kim Radok October, 2013

When making the first telephone call to a new customer, it is often difficult to manage your own prejudices. For instance, you know statements, and follow-up invoice copies have been sent, and there has been no response from the customer.

Based...

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Managing Our-Self Doubts When Telephoning A Customer Kim Radok August, 2013

There are two types of telephone calls, those that we like and those we dislike.

We can easily make a telephone call when it involves something of interest to ourselves, or when we feel comfortable about the subject. For instance, we make a...

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Telephone Calls For The Unpaid Invoice Kim Radok April, 2013

What is a telephone call for the unpaid invoice? Most business people consider it to be  a "debt collection" call. Perhaps it can be viewed as such from time to time.

However I believe you should consider the call as a customer service or sales...

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Recording the Contact for the Unpaid Invoice Kim Radok February, 2013

Whenever you make a telephone or email contact, it is essential to record your responses in a consistent manner - somewhere easily retrievable.

In the smaller business you can keep basic records through the file notes in your accounting...

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Timing of the Telephone Call (2) Kim Radok December, 2012

Timing of the Telephone Call (2)

In the previous blog, the focus was on the importance of making the telephone call when the customer or their representative was available.

This time, the focus is on the missed or next payment and will look at...

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Timing The Telephone Call (1) Kim Radok October, 2012

Timing The Telephone Call (1)

To make an effective telephone call you must make the telephone call for the unpaid invoice(s) when the appropriate person is available - not just when it suits you.

It is not unusual for the micro or the...

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Why Are You Contacting Your Customer? Kim Radok August, 2012

WHY ARE YOU CONTACTING YOUR CUSTOMER?

To make effective customer contacts you have to know why you are making the contact. Equally important, is you must be able to tell your customer clearly why you are contacting them. This situation applies...

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What is your attitude? Kim Radok July, 2012

What is your attitude?

We know that having a positive attitude is so important in everything you do in business. Nowhere is your attitude more important, than when contacting your customer about unpaid invoices.

Your attitude is so important when...

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