When three people are chasing the same six-figure customer debt

Helpful calls can work against each other

Consider a supplier owed $106,000. Accounts asks for payment on Friday, the sales manager offers another fortnight, and the owner discusses a possible discount. Each believes they are helping. The customer receives three different messages, while nobody inside the supplier knows which proposal is current or who has authority to approve it.

Start with the existing agreement

business.gov.au advises checking the payment conditions in the contract and confirming what was agreed about late payment. Use that as the starting position for your internal meeting. Bring the latest correspondence as well as the signed terms, because subsequent discussions may require advice. Do not assume the original document tells the complete story of the account.

Source: business.gov.au: What to do when you haven't been paid

Reconstruct the conversations accurately

Ask each staff member to record what they actually said, when and to whom. Distinguish an offer from a question and an agreed arrangement from a proposal still awaiting approval. Keep original messages. If a telephone conversation is recalled differently, record the uncertainty rather than making everyone adopt a convenient version that the records do not support.

Set a clear approval boundary

Choose a contact to coordinate the account and identify who can approve payment extensions or compromises. Other staff can still answer operational questions, but they should refer recovery proposals to that person. The arrangement needs a deputy for absences; a single contact should not become a reason important correspondence remains unread for several days.

Clarify the position without rewriting history

If the customer has received inconsistent proposals, get advice on how to clarify them accurately. A new email cannot simply erase an earlier commitment. In the hypothetical example, the coordinator should establish what the fortnight extension meant before insisting Friday is the only relevant date. Explain any unresolved issue to the adviser with the original messages attached.

Run one short account review

Keep a shared record of the latest customer response, current proposal, decision owner and next contact. Review it before anyone promises a concession. Bring the record to CRP if the account needs outside assistance. A coordinated response makes the recovery discussion easier to assess and helps the business avoid creating fresh uncertainty while pursuing the existing debt.