Repeated document requests can keep an account circulating without a decision. Build one indexed package and ask the customer to identify any remaining gap.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
The same records keep being requested
A steel fabricator has supplied delivery dockets, signed variations and the invoice several times. Different people at the builder now ask for the entire set again. The accounts clerk spends hours searching old emails while the balance remains unpaid. A controlled document package can make the next conversation about a specific omission rather than another general request.
Start with the current invoice and agreement, then add only the records relevant to that claim. Number or clearly name each attachment. Include the job reference and a brief index explaining what each item establishes.
Keep originals separately. Do not edit an old approval to make it appear clearer or remove inconvenient messages. A tidy package should improve access without changing the underlying evidence.
Find out whether files were inaccessible, sent to the wrong person or considered incomplete. Request a list of actual missing items. A technical delivery problem needs a different response from a disagreement about the work.
Confirm the format and channel the recipient can use. Large attachments may need an agreed alternative, but sensitive records should not be placed in an unrestricted link merely for convenience.
Send the index with the package and ask for acknowledgement of receipt. Record what was supplied and when. Business.gov.au's demand guidance recommends retaining supporting documents and copies of correspondence.
Receipt is not an admission that the debt is accepted. Ask a separate question about whether the evidence answers the customer's concerns and who now makes the payment decision.
Set a reasonable review point for any specific outstanding issue. If the customer asks for the same item again, direct them to its index entry and ask what remains unclear.
Where a real dispute emerges, address that issue rather than burying it in more attachments. If no reason for withholding payment is identified, take the organised file to an appropriate recovery or legal professional.
