AboutDavid Stephensen Expertise I can answer questions about all aspects of designing and producing procedures manuals for small and medium sized businesses, including managing the documentation project, the analysis that leads to the design of the manual, business writing, publishing the business manual, educating the staff about continuous improvement and using ISO 9001.
Experience I am a professional technical writer of 20 years experience, combining this with business analysis over the last 10 years. I have produced procedures manuals for businesses and software user manuals that reflect business processes. I also provide internal quality auditing services. I have created a template for small and medium business operations manuals.
Awards and Honors Merit Award in the Society for Technical Communication Australia Chapter On-line Communications Competition, 2006, for the CPA Australia Event Scheduling Application User Manual
Merit Award in the Society for Technical Communication Australia Chapter On-line Communications Competition, 2005 for the Lensworth Customer Relationship Management User Manual
I started a small lawn mowing business but one of my customers has not paid despite the invoice and reminder.
He got a bit cheeky and said he doesn't want us to do it not that we do a bad job but because he was annoyed that we mowed his lawns on a Saturday yet we've done it that way per his specifications.
Anyway, I have plenty of customers but I want him to pay the $30.00 he owes us as am not willing to write it off as a "bad debt" and let him be the winner.
How can I word something to recover my $30.00. Can you advise a polite way in which I can give it to him in writing.
Answer Don't waste too much of your life chasing after this idiot.
Write to him reminding him of the occasion on which he ordered the work and how he said Saturday was OK or did not specify a day.
Tell him that unless he pays the invoice by x/x/x date, you will pass his debt to a collection agency. Warn him that if the debt is listed with a credit reporting agency that it will affect his credit rating.
This is all nonsense because the debt is too small to refer to a collection agency and you couldn't affect his credit rating with it. It is just bluff on your part.
Spend no more than 30 min on this and then let it go. Really this is all just to make you feel better. You will get these people from time to time. More than needing the money you may be afraid that this will damage your sense of trust in humanity or that if he is allowed to get away with it he will do it to someone else. Be honest with yourself about this so you understand better how you tick. It is a good opportunity to learn something.
To help this not happen again, introduce a more detailed procedure for making your contract for the work. Have a list of questions written down that you ask the customer and write down the answers. Design an order form and keep a supply with you. Have discipline about asking all of the questions and writing the answers.
I got done for $12000 a few years ago through lack of my own basic procedures such as getting progressive payments. Who was the idiot in this case? Me!
