I'm a Debt Recovery Lawyer.
Today, for the 1000th time, a prospect said to me:
"But I don't want to affect my business relationship with my customer."
Actually bro, your customer is the one who destroyed the business relationship by constantly defaulting on your invoices with zero intention to repay.
Debts usually don't happen overnight, there are always warning signs that pop up way earlier.
Things like:
1. A customer who used to pay in 14 days suddenly becomes 30, then 60, then “next week boss, next week boss”.
2. Random small payments with no commitment to a proper settlement plan. Small transfers that are just enough to calm your emotions but are far from enough to solve the debt.
3. They become harder to reach: missed calls, slow replies, they insist on calling instead of putting things in writing.
4. Excuses like "account problem, bank problem, approval problem, waiting for my customer to pay me first problem".
5. Suddenly raising counterclaims/disputes only after collection starts, e.g. "quality issues" only discovered after invoice become overdue.
These debtors are not dumb. They are just constantly testing your tolerance level.
If your follow-ups are soft, apologetic and inconsistent, you are indirectly signaling that your invoices are optional.
You don't necessarily have to be the loudest or most aggressive creditor, but you have to convey structure:
Clear credit terms, consistent follow-ups, document everything, escalate with no hesitation when red flags appear.
Rudi Cheu (rudi@rulecolaw.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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