“One of my clients sent me a message to inform me they won’t be able to pay their invoice, due tomorrow, on time. The money they had allocated for my services got eaten up by an unexpected expense and they didn’t want to overdraft their account. They just needed a few more days.
All my contracts include provisions for late fees and nonpayment. I also require autopay for contract balances that are paid over time. These are necessary protections against the occasional bad client who may slip through the cracks.
But I value clients who communicate. I know what it’s like to run a business on a shoestring. And I’ve lived with the stress of knowing you have impending bills and not knowing how you’ll pay them.
I modified our contract to change their payment due date. Now they won’t get billed until after they have the money to cover it. And they don’t have to worry about late fees being applied to the total.
They have some breathing room. I have the information I need to plan my finances. Everybody wins.”
Big thanks to Rebekka Van Der Does for allowing us to share this wonderful story of how kindness can show up in business.
Check out even more stories of kindness:
Leadership for Personalised Care.
Mud Buster and other goodies shared in Facebook group.
Gaynor restores faith in humanity after stranger’s car trouble.