Let’s not encourage OP to broadcast a complete lack of professionalism to the maximum number of potential clients.
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I also agree that you shouldn’t call her out in front of a group of people. Maybe just “casually” bring it up with her in front of the trainer if you plan on doing that.
While I would not be happy over losing $45, it seems like something that just needs to be moved on from eventually. Keep bugging her a bit longer and if she doesn’t comply just stop giving her discounts that are given to others. Time and effort is valuable and she should have paid. This way if she paid full price for a clip it could hopefully cover the $45 lost and teach her to learn some manners.
If it was me I’d keep sending her a bill for the $45 every month, and add on a 2-3% service charge every month.
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OP it’s $45 dollars. I would let it got. When the trainer calls about services for the barn and if this particular boarder is on the list I would at that point calmly tell the trainer that you cannot braid/clip whoever’s horse until you get paid from the last time. Make sure you have proof of non payment and I would start using an invoice system.
You don’t need to be bitchy about it or involve the trainer beyond that.
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I’ll have to agree that $45 is not enough money lost to lose professionalism. It’s gone as annoying as that is, especially that she’s a friend. I honestly think that’s what’s bothering you the most. I would send her a polite message stating how it has made you feel and be done with it. You may not get your money back but hopefully you will get your peace.
No, don’t involve this trainer over something that happened between you and one of their clients months ago they had no knowledge of. True, some trainers make good on any clients debts to service providers and bill the clients but that’s with prior knowledge and agreement on both sides.
You got no agreement with trainer now and certainly didn’t have one way back when you performed the service. You got stiffed, no more business with that person.period. Take steps to avoid a repeat. Like you get the check before you clip. Period. Many, if not most, barns have owners leave checks for farriers and clips and vets either want separate billing arrangements with individual owners or an agreement, in writing, with trainer or BM to pay them upfront and then collect from client.
Trashing them on social media has three negatives.
- won’t get you a dime
- makes you look like a mean teen as readers won’t know what happened originally, or care.
- she’ll trash you back and cost you future business.
Remember reputation and trust is everything in the horse business. Keep business disputes PRIVATE and never post anything negative about any client past or present. Future potential client gets the impression you’d trash them too for any disagreements like a late or cancelled appointment or mechanical failure resulting in an incomplete job (which happens) and just get somebody else who has proven themselves more professional.
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First, you were not nearly persistent enough at the start. Payment is due when service is rendered. Establish a billing and payment system. Be professional.
If the trainer ever hires you to do work in her barn for any of her customers, I would inform her. Not ask her to pay, but just to say, ‘Sally has not paid what she owes from last time so I won’t be able to do any work for her.’
In the future, Sally has to pay in advance. You do not need to have a universal policy for people who are bad pay.
You need to call her, not text, and remind her she still owes you. You need to be firm, not apologetic. “Sally, I really need you to pay this very past due bill just as soon as you possibly can.” If she says she’ll pay you tomorrow, call her the next day and remind her she didn’t. Do you ever leave bills for these clients? If so, leave one for Sally every time you go out. I do not let these things go.
Do not publicly out her. Very unprofessional.
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I am totally on your side, BUT, this isn’t exactly a “clean” business transaction. The transaction started as a friendly bet. My advice to you would be to above all, not sacrifice your professionalism. I totally agree that she owes you the $$, but the waters are a little muddy here. If you go to explain to people, it’s going to sound unprofessional–“We made a bet, I lost, then she asked for some extra clipping, then she didn’t pay, etc.” It starts to sound like a personal disagreement vs. a simple unpaid bill.
Do not send an invoice to the trainer. She had nothing to do with this transaction, so you can’t fairly involve her after the fact, though I think most trainers/BOs/BMs like to know about any of their clients not paying bills to service providers that do work in their barns. I think it is okay to mention to the trainer the next time you do business that there is an outstanding $45 bill from X client. Then I would take the opportunity to say something to the effect that you have decided not to continue pursuing it since the transaction started as a friendly bet and perhaps there was some misunderstanding on her part, but you would feel funny to clip her horses again either since you feel taken advantage of.
In the future, keep your business transactions clear. Do not muddy the value your services by offering them up as part of a bet or as trades. If you do offer services as part of a trade or other type of transaction, keep those services separate. Clearly invoice people at the time of service. Do not allow weeks to go by without being paid. Have a clear payment policy, and I would try to get payment at the time of service–perhaps increase your prices slightly and then offer a small discount if people pay you the same day whether it’s check, paypal or Venmo. Get proactive about payment for something like braiding or clipping after a week or two. Whenever possible, bill through a barn owner or manager who will keep their clients in line. Make sure that your prices are high enough that they cover you for an occasional no-pay client.
In general, I’m a stickler about bill payment, but in this case I think the client in question could easily spin things to make you look bad since the transaction started as a friendly bet. Also, at this point I think your likelihood of getting paid no matter what is VERY low, so you might as well take the high road. Absolutely do NOT resort to social media to solve a problem like this. You will make yourself look far worse than anyone else ever could.
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Thank you for the replies. Just to clarify, I would never take this to social media or public shaming, and I did not even consider that suggestion. I have no interest in being unprofessional with this, and this is a group of people that I would consider my friends (or at least prior to this no pay situation with this particular person) so I have no desire to throw a nuclear bomb on it. And I do know it is a relatively small amount of money, but it is just so disrespectful that someone I know personally and have given breaks to is the only person I have experienced who doesn’t pay. But thank you for your advice, I will let it go and simply notify the trainer that I will not be able to provide work for this client until the balance is paid. .
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I agree that it doesn’t appear the the system is breaking down. ONE client is not paying. While I agree that payment at the time of service is best, if the relationship (both as a client of trainer and a service provider at current) has been a favorable one and payment at the EOM has always worked, why punish the rest for the misdeeds of one?
I imagine that this stings more than just the $45, but because you thought of this former barnmate as a friend, someone you trusted. That said, let it go. No use trashing your own reputation my smearing her. The only reason that the BO needs to know is that in the future she may ask you to provide a service for that client. She needs to know that the client’s non payment means that you will not be providing services for her until she’s made good. (You might want to forego the promotional pricing for her too, if you ever work for her again.)
To play the devil’s advocate for a moment: Non payer and you were friendly enough to be making playful wagers etc. Sure the bet was for a partial clip and you did a full, but could she just be feeling like you, as a friend should have just made the full clip your payment of the bet, as a favor or courtesy? Could she be wondering why you are foregoing a friendship over $45?
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I personally would do no more work for this person even if she does eventually pay up. She has burned her bridge with you doing work on her horse. Let her try and find someone to come out to that barn for ONE horse. She will come to regret her actions and hopefully learn from them.
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Then again, why is the customer foregoing a friendship over $45? People often complain about their trainer raising prices, saying, we are friends and she knows I’m not a billionaire. My question is always, if she is your friend, why do you not want her to make a living?
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I think the non-payer is in the wrong, but can see a possible scenario on the other side by which a friend says "Hey, It getting hot and she needs a full clip, can’t you just take it all off…? How clear was the OP at the time that the non payer was assuming a $45 debt. OP has asked for payment so clearly the non payer knows that she expects to be paid but as is often the case, arrangements between friends can get a bit fuzzy.
As mentioned, I do think she should pay for the service.
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Sneak out to barn, and with a pair of clippers clip “you still owe 45.00” on horse’s butt.
Just kidding, but it makes me smile to think of the look on her face if you did that.
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In business, we call this bad debt, and it’s unfortunately common. You write it off (literally, you can do so on your taxes), and refuse any further services to this client. But for $45, it’s simply not worth losing sleep over.
Except she wouldn’t write this off. In order for it to be a bad debt, she would have had to declare the income. Since she most likely uses the cash accounting method, there was never any income to declare.
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Eff that.
Customers who received services don’t unilaterally decide that they won’t pay.
OP, you need to be the squeakiest wheel. Those are the creditors who get paid-- those who insist on not being blown off.
If you have sent her repeated requests (and via e-mail, with the phrase "thank you for your prompt attention to this matter), I think you are well within your rights to go to her pro/your friend and explain what’s happening. Perhaps some peer pressure will do the trick.
If she doesn’t like it, too damn bad: She earned this by not paying you and giving you the run around.
Nossirreebob, I don’t like seeing people not pay just because they don’t think they have to. I make sure I am never anyone’s sucker.
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I think a small business owner might not be able to afford/get any benefits from writing this off. If $45 doesn’t matter to you, then God bless, But please don’t assume that someone else can or will be able to buy peace of mind for getting ripped off.
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I will let it go and simply notify the trainer that I will not be able to provide work for this client until the balance is paid
NO
IF the trainer asks you to do service for the whole barn, you can then say all but the one person. Until then this is a private deal gone wrong, it never involved the trainer.
They are not your parent and they are not the cops.
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Wait until you get a bad check that causes you to bounce another of your own…
