A shared promise record should show what was said, what changed and what actually arrived. Preserve the history so the next person acts on evidence rather than an optimistic summary.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
Three staff remember three different dates
A hire company owner, salesperson and bookkeeper each speak with an overdue customer. One remembers Friday, another next week and another a payment after a job finishes. Nobody records the conditions. The next reminder contradicts the customer’s recollection and the cash forecast relies on a date no one can verify.
Record the contact date, person, invoice, amount, expected payment date and any condition. Keep the original email or a factual note of the call. Identify uncertainty rather than choosing the most convenient interpretation.
Business.gov.au dispute guidance recommends records of discussions. The record should be made promptly enough to preserve what happened, without turning opinion into an asserted agreement.
When a date moves, add the new statement and reason while retaining the earlier one. Distinguish a customer revision from an internal forecast adjustment.
A history helps show whether the obstacle changed or the same unsupported promise keeps returning. Do not delete missed commitments simply to make the latest account note look current.
Assign someone to verify the bank or account entry and record the actual payment. Match partial amounts to the relevant invoices with any allocation issues identified.
Keep promised, processed and received statuses separate. A remittance advice or message saying paid may require checking before the business treats the amount as available cash.
Show who owns the next contact and when it should occur. Keep access appropriate and avoid unnecessary personal information. Staff should be able to understand the account without searching private message threads.
If the record reveals repeated failure or a substantive dispute, obtain advice on the appropriate next step. The log supports a decision; it should not become an endless archive of promises without action.
