Getting paid...

[Warren Fisher]

Brian,

Tell them that if you don't hear from them immediately, you will put it
in the hands of your lawyer.  Do you have a friend in the area who can
go by there to see if they are still there and bug them a little. As far
as leaving the thing there, a good practice is to mention when you make
the delivery appointment that you expect to collect on delivery.  Then
ask to see the check when you get there.  If not leave it on the truck,
drop it off in storage, and mail them the storage receipt when you get
your payment plus the storage charges.  Isn't hindsight marvelous?:-)

Warren

Brian Trout wrote:

> Just had something I thought I'd run by the list...
>
> I've made some mistakes in the past, and I'll admit
> that.  Hopefully, some of these experiences will have
> taught me valuable lessons.
>
> One that's still a bit of a thorn in my side...
>
> Left PA to move to LA in March.  Had a job (reed organ
> rebuild) sitting in my shop waiting to be started.  I
> didn't have time to do it before I left, so I called
> up the customer and asked if I could bring the organ
> with me to LA and return it in May, when I had
> scheduled a return to the area.  (Incidentally, I had
> two of these things to be returned in the same trip.)
> Rebuilt both of the reed organs in LA and returned to
> PA with them as scheduled in May.  The first one I
> knew there would be a delay of payment because I was
> doing the work for another technician who was then
> going to do a bit of cabinet work and return it to the
> customer, paying me upon completion and return to the
> customer, all understood up front.  No problem.  Got
> paid just fine.
>
> But the other one...  Delivered it as scheduled.  Sat
> down and played a song on it, slowly pulling out all
> of the "bells and whistles" all the way up to full
> organ.  The thing sounded fantastic and I practically
> received a standing ovation from the family and a few
> neighbors who came in to hear.  Pulled out the bill
> and handed it to them, to which they replied, "We'll
> see to it that you get this right away.  We're not
> going to pay it, but our daughter who lives upstate
> who will be getting the organ..."
>
> Well, I would have liked to simply loaded the thing
> back into the truck and driven away, but I couldn't do
> that.  It was a rented truck and I was 1000 miles from
> home.  So I left it there and asked that they please
> not put off making payment as I had a considerable
> amount invested.
>
> And you know what's next, you can see it coming.  It's
> going on 6 weeks now.  I haven't been able to reach
> them by phone.  At 4 weeks, I did send off a letter
> reminding them that I haven't received payment and
> that I would appreciate them sending it promptly if
> they haven't already.
>
> I guess the question is, what's next?  If it was just
> a $75 tuning, I could swallow hard and really not miss
> it so badly.  But this bill was about $1000.  (Should
> have been more, but I stuck to my estimate.)
>
> Any suggestions on collecting?
>
> (This is what I get for 'trusting' a retired pastor.)
>
> Thanks for letting me vent a bit.  This one's been
> bugging me.
>
> Take care, all.
>
> Brian
>
> =====
> Brian Trout
> Grand Restorations
> 3090 Gause Blvd., #202
> Slidell, LA  70461
> 985-649-2700
> GrandRestorations@yahoo.com
>
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--
Warren Fisher RPT
fish@Communique.net
1422 Briarwood Dr.
Slidell, LA 70458-3102