Hope you had a good Christmas. Two solutions spring to mind : charge per reminder letter or let the consequences of them not dealing with things take their course. Tell more about this client and the circumstances.
I have tried phoning several times and also emailing with no success - via phone I get told that they are really busy and will get in touch next week - but next week never really comes.
I have now been chasing since October.
I have decided to send letters now as they are perceived to be more formal.
The client has a VAT return due to be filed by the end of January therefore I have decided to send them a final notice today via a letter and if I get no response then I am considering ceasing to act on their behalf.
I'd be looking at charging interest, and would agree with you that this is a client to let go. Doing work and not getting paid is worse than doing no work at all.
If this was a client asking you, what would you tell them?
Oh, meant to say, I would imagine that charging for reminder letters would be something that you'd need to outline in the initial agreement to charge for. I could be wrong though.
I have tried phoning several times and also emailing with no success - via phone I get told that they are really busy and will get in touch next week - but next week never really comes.
I have now been chasing since October.
I have decided to send letters now as they are perceived to be more formal.
The client has a VAT return due to be filed by the end of January therefore I have decided to send them a final notice today via a letter and if I get no response then I am considering ceasing to act on their behalf.
Hi Na,
Your last statement implies the VAT work need only be done during January, not beforehand. If there is that much of it that it will be impossible for one person to complete 2-3 months in one go, then you should, indeed, consider your position. Is it feasable to approach a family member to assist with data-entry work? Like anything else, our work is 90% perspiration.
As for a final notice, the time frame for their supplying documentation should also be clearly covered in your engagement terms, if for no other reason than to avoid crippling worry on your part. You seem to have already taken reasonable steps to ensure they are not late; any more might alienate them. HMRC will hold them to account for paying and filing of the Return, not yourself.
There is only so much you can do with a client that will not respond to you.
Personally I stopped chasing clients more than 2 times for anything, and then I also mention the implications if they do not respond so they cannot accuse me of not telling them later in the last reminder e-mail.
After that they are on their own. If they get their act together and they owe me money I don't lift a finger until I get paid. (Its unusual for a client to owe me money, but occassionally one slips through the net). Otherwise I tell them to go elsewhere. Don't waste your time on timewasting clients, they will not pay you for wasting your time and take you away from finding better clients.
