Make sure someone owns the next dispute action

The reminder fires but nobody acts

A response date is recorded, yet the email sits unanswered because sales assumes accounts is handling it and accounts expects the director to decide. A deadline needs an owner and a next action. Define those before sending the request so the business can respond consistently when the date arrives, including if the usual person is away.

Name the decision and the task

Imagine a contractor asking a customer for supporting details of a deduction. The bookkeeper can monitor replies, but the project manager must assess the records and the director must approve a legal instruction. Record those roles separately. Do not give the bookkeeper a vague instruction to escalate without explaining what can be done and what needs approval.

Keep warnings realistic

business.gov.au advises that a demand should mention only action the business is prepared to take. Match any stated next step to actual authority and resources. If legal advice is needed before deciding, make room for it in the internal plan. A strong-sounding warning is unhelpful when nobody has authority to carry it out appropriately.

Source: business.gov.au: Write a letter of demand

Prepare a usable handover

Keep the latest correspondence, account position and outstanding questions together. Identify the backup contact and what they should check before acting. In the contractor's example, a reply may arrive in a site manager's inbox rather than the central account. Agree how it reaches the person tracking the matter so the absence of a central reply is not mistaken for silence.

Check the situation on the day

Before following up, confirm whether payment, documents or a substantive response have arrived. Update the record and refer new issues to the appropriate person. Do not send an automated threat that ignores a response already being assessed. Consistent follow-up means using current information, not mechanically repeating a scheduled message regardless of events.

Keep formal dates independently monitored

Have relevant legal or contractual deadlines checked by the adviser and assigned clearly. The internal follow-up plan should support that timetable rather than replace it. Review missed handovers after the immediate issue is addressed. A small improvement in ownership can prevent a valid request from becoming another unresolved message that everyone thought someone else was handling.