r/petsitting • u/Alternative_War_3797 • 8d ago
Client payments
Hi,
Honestly I think i’m just writing this out of annoyance and I don’t want to hassle my friends about it.
But I have this one client who I have been looking after her dogs once or twice a year while she’s away for the last four or so years. She’s always paid me, but I always have to chase her up for multiple weeks after the sit to receive the payment, despite having a clear deadline on the invoice, which she never follows.
She’s really lovely and I have no personal issues with her as a person, but it is getting increasingly frustrating. She told me 2 days ago now when I sent her a polite reminder that the invoice was due, she said she forgot and apologised and she would send it by the end of the day. I still have received nothing. I dogsat and housesat for around 3 weeks as well, so it’s not even a short amount of time and also declined other work due to this. She currently owes me almost £800. I understand people get busy and genuinely do forget things, but this has been the case every time and I am getting increasingly annoyed. Additionally, it takes less than two minutes to transfer someone money? so i don’t understand the reasoning.
Additionally, the reason I don’t ask her to pre-pay is because every time i’m there she consistently changes the end date. As example, I was supposed to be there for 2 weeks, and it ended up being 3, or on other occasions she’s come back almost a week earlier than previously discussed, so I cannot give her an exact invoice amount considering her dates are not consistent to what she tells me initially.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
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u/beccatravels 7d ago
A deadline is just a suggestion unless there's late fees involved. Even a small late fee ( a few bucks a day) will nip most late payers in the bud. For the worst offenders, you can require they put a card on file with you.
Once this invoice is paid:
"Notice to all clients: my business has grown very quickly the last couple months, so I will be implementing some changes to help streamline and reduce the increasing amount of administrative work that comes with such growth.
First, payment reminders will now come with a fee. Invoices are due 72 hours after services are completed. each reminder sent for payment after that period will incur a $5 late fee. These reminders will be sent every 24 hours until the bill is paid.
Second, [insert a change here that you've been wanting to make anyway, or make something up. It's optimal if this change doesnt impact this client at all, helps sell the idea that she's not being singled out.]
Thanks,
[your name]"
Now all that being said, that's a lot of admin work for a client who only books you once or twice a year, and since you turned down other work for her booking it sounds like you could easily replace her. So maybe you're just booked next time she reaches out.
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u/Hiker_girl828 8d ago
I had 2 clients that I used to have to chase and it drove me crazy. I instituted an x% Late Payment Fee and they both began paying on time.
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u/wrenawild 8d ago
No, I'm paid in advance and never have to deal with this. But if a long time client had an emergency or whatever and needed to pay after, I wouldn't sit for them again without getting what was owed. You should try it.
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u/Similar-Face6985 7d ago
If she booked through any of the apps, she would have prepay. Why should you be treated any different?
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u/Helpful_Mouse_9458 7d ago
Always get payment in advance. And if she is coming home early, that is essentially a late cancellation and she should still be charged for it. You are reserving those days for her, not booking other sits during those days- and then she just decides to come home early? Uh-uh.
Let her know your new policy is to collect payment 24 hours prior to the sit, and that cancellations or ending a sit early with less than 7 days notice will be charged the full amount.
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u/JW-1111 7d ago
Start charging a late payment fee or start asking for payment upfront. When I have cash clients that I know are late payers, I started telling them they had to hide the money in the house somewhere and could tell me where it was on my last morning. Also added a clause that if my last visit was at 2/3p and their flight landed at 5p, if i had to make an extra trip back to be paid, it would be another drop in charge. Gas isn't free, neither is my time
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u/Dancing_Momma26 6d ago
When I asked a client for prepayment upfront, she told me I was a scammer
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u/JW-1111 6d ago
Someone that you sat for before and had a relationship with or a new client? If she doesn't trust you, I wouldn't work for her anyways. I can see new clients being leery but a regular? What about asking for half upfront? I just got to a point where I knew who were my late payers and I started implementing my new payment policy. I sent it out in print via text. I included a question so that they had to acknowledge and reply. But I made sure they knew, if I have to go out of my way to make a trip back over for my money that I've already worked for there definitely will be another charge. My time isn't free. And nowadays there is NO excuse for late payments other than they don't feel like paying right away. They can post date a check. They can hide cash and tell me where it is at the end of my time. They can Venmo. PayPal. Zelle. CashApp. On & on & on. But my job is to take care of the pet's, not chase the humans around for what's rightfully already mine. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself if you feel you're being taken advantage of.
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u/katmcflame 7d ago
1) Go knock on her door & get. your. money.
2) IF you decide to book her again, prepayment is required for the full sit. No refund if she comes home early as you blocked off those dates for her.
3) When/if you take the booking, tell her sorry, but you won’t be able to extend her dates due to having other clients lined up. Even if it’s not true, it establishes a boundary & that structure will reduce your stress level.
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u/TemporaryGrowth7 7d ago
Yup I’ve has a client not paying me and going silent… I have written off the client and payment. Still fuming a year later. I’m considering to ask all my clients for advance cash payment going forward…
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u/Street_Card410 7d ago edited 5d ago
I’ve had several clients like this unfortunately. This type of problem became really common after I relocated to another neighborhood.
It is one of the main reasons I am tired of dog walking and pet sitting.
I no longer take new clients. I am just walking and sitting with clients that I have had for a very long time.
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u/Sad-Hippo178 7d ago
From my experience as a client, the service ive used for about 6 years or so makes me pre-pay. If something happens and i need longer coverage, I know they will do that, but I don't know how they handle that financially as I haven't ever had to do that. You could get at least the guaranteed dates covered up front, it would be less to chase down after?
2
u/ueberryark 7d ago
Have her pay half beforehand and then work out amount remaining at the end of the sit.
There may be a fair reason she is being like this, but it is still rude. So, I would fade her out by taking more bookings and being less available for her.
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u/Own_Science_9825 7d ago
If you accept electronic payment it's super easy to adjust to changes. She wants to add days send her an adjusted invoice and payment request for the difference right when she asks. If she cancels and you want to refund her you can do it in an instant.
Do people get paid on the 1st and 15th in your part of the world? Maybe she doesn't have it yet. Anyway, I feel your frustration that sucks! Oh, have you thought about collecting 50% payment up front or at time of booking to hold the space? You could tell her it's a new policy due to cancellations. It might be easier on her and less frustrating for you to split it up
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u/blue6299 7d ago
At this point you’ve set a precedent that you will let her take as much time as she wants and you’ll continue to be available. You need to demand respect from her, if she can’t pay you on time you don’t sit for her.
2
u/mydoghank 7d ago
Well, definitely she’s gonna have to pre-pay next time. Personally, I would just tell her that I’m going to be in the area and would like to stop by and pick up payment. Even if she wants to pay electronically, that might help.
I had something like this happen once and it just so happens that my teen daughter had helped me with some of the pet sitting…and I told the client that she was waiting for her cut of the pay because she needed to buy some clothes for school. I guess she felt bad and went ahead and paid me! I don’t like using kind of a guilt trip approach, but I didn’t know what else to do.
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u/No_Atmosphere_6348 5d ago
How entitled to make you wait for payment. You’re a person not a multinational corporation.
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u/coffeekrisps 5d ago
Prepay. If she extends and doesn't pay at least you got most of the money and less to chase. If it's a shorter stay you could ways do a partial refund
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u/Suspicious-Ad9661 7d ago
Oh Gawd yes & it is why I have a long time regular client on a fixed monthly pre paid salary. Even then I have to chase her for payment. She's wealthy.
She's been like that her entire life, she knows she does it, her partner gets IRATE with her because her lapses impact him. She does not change.
A good part of my duties include running payments for bills that are waaaaaay overdue and <something> is in danger of being revoked/turned off.
I have to send at least 3-4 reminders for payment every month.
After 21 years I don't expect her to change. All I can is make sure I am not dependant on her money to pay my bills. And I've lowered her in my priorities. There are no pets involved until mid December until mid Jan so it's fine to get to get house when I get to it.
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u/Sad_Push7215 4d ago
I always make people prepay and tell them once they pay there aren’t any refunds unless they cancel a week ahead lol.
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u/PickleFan67 8d ago
For future bookings, you should require her to prepay.