November 13 Is World Kindness Day: How to (Kindly) Collect On Past Due Bills

Kindness seems to be a lost art these days, everybody's looking for a quick return on investment. "If I do this for you, what's in it for me?" Personal relationships, along with business, if it doesn't net an immediate profit...forget about it. You buy a widget for a buck, you expect two-fifty in return. You cut grass, paint a house, build a website, create a design, write some words (all the intangibles) you want your money.

But what if there were a way to increase your profits by collecting on unpaid debt, all based on kindness? Nothing more. Wouldn't that be appealing? What if all it cost was one kind, respectful conversation. You know, that old fashioned way of doing business. What if instead of texting, emailing, sending a past-due invoice stamped in red, you made a call and set up a meeting for a cup of coffee and a chat?

Now some will automatically shake their heads and say there isn't enough time in the day to schedule coffee meet-ups, so consider this scenario...

Your long-time customer has an outstanding bill – she owes you over a thousand dollars for goods received more than three months ago. Her hair salon seems to be busy. Why isn't she paying you? Even more infuriating, she doesn't return your calls. The message you've been leaving, "Hey, ______, I'm still waiting for the money you owe me on your last invoice dated 120 days ago! I'm going to have to put this into collections."

Here's where kindness can get you paid. She's a busy store owner and probably won't be able to meet you to discuss her outstanding bill, so you stop by 15 minutes before store opening carrying two steaming, aromatic cups of coffee, fresh-baked muffins, and a kind attitude. You ask her how she's doing, is everything okay with her, her family, her business. Note, asking about her and her family is the personal inroad and should be the genuine way to begin, for as we all know, especially if you have children, you can only be as happy as your saddest child.

Once your conversation gets going, you may be surprised at what she tells you. "My husband's business failed and I've been paying all the bills through my salon." Or, G-d forbid, "My child is in hospital and the medical bills are dragging us down."

When you've gotten a grasp of what's going on in her life, you can set the wheels of kindness in motion and earnestly discuss a payment plan with her. Maybe it's taking another month or so of no payment so she can start preparing to pay, and then suggesting $100 or even $50 a month until she gets caught up.

The question you want to ask yourself is, "Is it worthwhile contributing to another person's anguish and still not collecting what is owed me, or can I take the high road, retain what was always considered a good-paying customer, and help her work through her challenging times by setting up a payment plan that allows her some breathing room, and allows her to save face?

Whatever we think we know is pure conjecture. Until we are in that other person's shoes and fully understand what is going on their life, be it business or personal, we haven't a clue.

Kindness opens up a door to a world unknown until you gently tap upon it and ask, "May I enter?"

S. Deborah Desser ? 2016. All Rights Reserved.