What To Do About Bad Debt?

[john_h.1]

<p>Aside from the narrow questions asked, I also suggest developing a different approach to these wedding shoots. Determine what contractual terms are important and realistic and reform the contract accordingly with the help of a professional. In your other post you wondered what point a contract had if it wasn't enforced. You didn't realize that the provision in question fulfilled its stated purpose of protecting you rather than what you thought which was forbidding conduct for the sake of forbidding conduct.</p>

<p>Another sign is this notion of threatening to delete images. Its just unprofessional as well as risking practical consequence. You can require payment up front and avoid these type of confrontations. You can protect yourself in while still offering great customer service even on the business side of things.</p>

<p>Its time to step back and re-evaluate what kind of business you are in and how to conduct it accordingly.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Thank you for answering that question. Your last commentary seems more from a level headed and objective viewpoint - if so that’s good.<br /><strong></strong></p>

<blockquote>

<p><em><strong>I am more emotionally evolved here because it is my wife's business.</strong></em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>You cannot afford to allow yourself to do that. Maybe you are wrong person to be collecting debts for your wife’s business – maybe an ex colleague should do this for you, for this one off instance.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em><strong>"Aside from the narrow questions asked, I also suggest developing a different approach to these wedding shoots. . . Its time to step back and re-evaluate what kind of business you are in and how to conduct it”</strong></em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree. I wrote similar and most bluntly in the last thread. But I reiterate that it seems to me there is a change (the beginnings of an objective evaluation) already perceived in the tone of Manuel’s last commentary.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p><strong><em>"One other question, should we leave some of their images up on the on-line gallery. Or remove those until we receive the payment?"</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>No goods should have been able to be accessed, until the full payment was made.<br />They should never have been put on-line in the first instance.<br />Playing devil’s advocate in a business sense: if web quality images now suffice to the B&G as "these are good enough for our purposes" then why would the clients pay anything more?</p>

<p>After the honeymoon, the B&G are sometimes have a different view and different priorities about what they want in their Wedding Photography.</p>

<p>***</p>

<p>If you have made three requests for payment and none has been forthcoming . . . for this business transaction just remove the web images (<strong>if the contract does not restrict this</strong>) and wait – do nothing – but every month send a reminder overdue invoice - for the full amount.</p>

<p>Take a step back and plan initiatives and procedures as to how to run this business . . . including planning and executing how to channel your emotions and address a policy for client interactions (both Your’s and your Wife’s) such that both are beneficial to the business.</p>

<p>At a Wedding the B&G (and others) are usually emotional – the Professional Photographer cannot afford the luxury to be “Personally Emotional”. You are there to capture the emotion; not to let your emotion get in the way – and it does - I have seen it happen, all too often.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

[rae_wells]

<p>Sorry, I don't have time to read the thread, but no pay equals no images. You've got the hostages, so you're in control. I've got "two weeks prior to wedding date" for full payment in my contract. You might want to include your comfort zone in your contracts from now on.</p>

[mel_unruh]

<p>Manual,<br>

6-8 weeks is not bad debt. It is slow pay. As others have said or at least alluded to, we are in a bad economy. I have one of those "Soul Searching" questions for you. How do you want to be perceived by you customers (current and future)? Do you want to be known as the nice photographer who reached out and found a solution for them. Or do you want to be referred to as the heavy handed guy? Unless your pictures were just total junk, you can bet this couple wants them. So contact them and see whats going on. Tell them you can work out payments. Have them come in to sign the payment agreement and when they do, you have a gift for them...perhaps a free 5X7 or 8X10. When they arrive, show them everything. Let them fall in love with your work all over again. Tell them how beautiful it was and how honored you were to be their photographer. Get them wanting those pictures again.<br>

Offer a trade-out. Perhaps he is a mechanic or house painter or some other trade or skill that might be useful to you. I did that once with a guy who had an ice-cream/sandwhich shop. We ate there every weekend for about 5 months.<br>

You'll love this one: Offer to GIVE IT TO THEM when they send you 3 referrals who actually buy X dollars or more from you. She'll be on the phone to all her girlfriends in a flash for weddings, engagements or just family pics. She'll become your best saleperson because she wants those pictures. You will gain multiple sales and probably new clients for life.<br>

Lastly, if nothing else works, realize that it's your fault for letting yourself get into this position. You should have been paid before the wedding date. Consider it a lesson learned and then do the following: Put a smaller package together of your best shots or even the whole order and package it up and hand deliver it to them. Tell them you understand the difficult position they are in, but their wedding day is just too important for them to not have something. Tell them it is your gift to them and wish them the very best. Give them some of your cards and let them know that those picures didn't come to you for free and that you would appreciate it if they would tell others about you. Do this tactfully and with grace. I knows this one hurts, but you did it to yourself. You've already spent the money. Why not convert into a evangelist? You have nothing to lose at that point and everything to gain. You are the good guy with a big heart. The family may order prints and you WILL get referrals. I assume you have learned your lesson on this, so you will never be in this position again. So take advantage of it. Will those pictures get you ANY referrals setting there in your office or tossed into the trash? I can hear it now... Give your work away for nothing??? The truth is, you already did that. The work is done and your getting nothing either way. I guarantee you will NEVER let yourself be put into this position again and since you're are starting out, you need all the free advertising you can get. You know that "word of mouth" advertising that people always talk about? Here it is. Turn this around and make it WORK for YOU.<br>

Mel</p>

[ianivey]

<p>Regarding Mel's suggestion simply to give the collection to the clients: although that would be bold, I do not think it's a good idea. The kind of reference you'll get from just giving the photos away might sound a lot like this: "It took a while, but if you just wear them out, you can get your photos at a discount by telling them repeatedly that you'll pay them."</p>

<p>By contrast, if you simply take the gallery offline and continue communicating with the couple patiently and with understanding, you are more likely to earn a good reference: "We couldn't pay right away, but they were never mean about it, and never threatened us -- they just waited and kept working with us until we could fulfill the contract."</p>

<p>I certainly agree with the suggestion that you <strong>propose an easy payment plan. </strong>Most people are surprised when a vendor suggests sending "just $25 a month, and more when you can," and are willing to try that. Often, the habit of paying small chunks leads them to polish off the balance one month when they happen to have more discretionary money available. And it shows that you're interested in helping them.</p>

[rachel_peek]

<p>I think some of you have zeroed in a bit too much on the "unattractive" comment and have missed the point of him making the statement. True, it's not a good idea to say something like that here where it can be googled. But, the fact that the couple isn't one he wants to feature in the portfolio is in fact relevant because there is value for the photographer in how the couple looks in the final images. If the couple's image were ones that would be of value for the portfolio, then it might warrant being a little more flexible with the couple in order to continue using the images for advertising. If there's no advertising value in the images, then there's less of a reason to be flexible and the issue comes down to simply collecting money owed for a job already performed.<br>

Deleting the images: Bad idea! Once the product is gone, aside from risking any unknown legal liabilities on your end, there's really no reason for the couple to pay you. We've had clients who forgot (or elected not) to pay their final payments which covers the album and delivery of the negatives. We backup the negatives and hang on the album design files until they come back. And they always come back. It may be 5 years later, but at some point they want their images! Including a threat to delete images because of an unpaid balance is really only feasible for portrait sessions, because they can be retaken. For once-in-a-life-time moments, it's better to just back them up and keep them in storage.<br>

Forgiving the debt in exchange for referrals? I've never heard of that concept, and would never consider it. That might seem like a good out if you're in the process of building a portfolio, but if you're already running a legitimate business, no way! It's a business, not a charity! Doing something like that will degrade your value, as well as the value of professional wedding photography in general for anyone who hears about such a negotiation from the couple who will no doubt tell all their friends.<br>

If I were in your shoes, I would back up the images and then follow up bi-weekly with "friendly reminders" and offers for payment arrangements so that they know you haven't forgotten that they owe you money.<br>

Do you have a non-payment policy in your contract? If not, it'd be a good time to add one in.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p><strong><em>Offer to GIVE IT TO THEM when they send you 3 referrals who actually buy X dollars or more from you. She'll be on the phone to all her girlfriends in a flash for weddings, engagements or just family pics. She'll become your best saleperson because she wants those pictures. You will gain multiple sales and probably new clients for life.</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>I disagree entirely.<br>

WOM (word of mouth) referral should be leveraged to refine the Prospect Group.<br>

Ian Ivey has hit the nail squarely on the head – it is likely if one did this one would just get more of the same, or worse.<br>

***</p>

<blockquote>

<p><strong><em>I think some of you have zeroed in a bit too much on the "unattractive" comment and have missed the point of him making the statement.</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>The reason for it being mentioned was NOT missed by me.<br>

But, the point could have been made simply by the words - "and we see no advantage in keeping the images" or not metioning it at all - such that no return comments would be made. </p>

 

<blockquote>

<p><strong><em>True, it's not a good idea to say something like that here where it can be googled. But, the fact that the couple isn't one he wants to feature in the portfolio is in fact relevant because there is value for the photographer in how the couple looks in the final images. If the couple's image were ones that would be of value for the portfolio, then it might warrant being a little more flexible with the couple in order to continue using the images for advertising. If there's no advertising value in the images, then there's less of a reason to be flexible and the issue comes down to simply collecting money owed for a job already performed.</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>The statement made cannot just “be Googled”.<br>

Many (most?) of threads on Photonet are kept and comments (or links) are not available for editing by the member.<br>

If I were a Prospect looking for a Wedding Photographer (in the USA particularly) - Photonet would be a Primary research tool.<br>

Also, advice to this point was prevously given, in the thead to which I linked.</p>

<p>WW </p>

[mel_unruh]

<p>@Ian, Rachel, William<br>

My suggestion to just give it to them was as only a last resort. The context of this suggestion was if the OP learns the lesson and mends his ways and by that I mean he should have been paid up front before the day of the event. Thus, this situation will NEVER happen again and there will NOT be repeat offenders and word will not spread about 'Just wear them down...'. The reality is because of a bad practice (not getting paid up front), the OP has gotten the shaft anyway in all probability. Therefore, the only way those pictures will ever benefit the OP is to somehow get them (or a portion of them) into the family's hands. They must fall in love with his work again for there to EVER be any orders. This being the case, it is a one-time deal that will never happen again because the OP is (or should be) changing their policies.<br>

Mel</p>

[William Michael]

 

<blockquote>

<p><strong><em>"My suggestion to just give it to them was as only a last resort. The context of this suggestion was . . . Thus, this situation will NEVER happen again." </em></strong>

 

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Speaking for myself only - yes.

 

<br>

I understood both those points and that was the basis of your suggestion: i.e. as last resort and to make at least "something" out of "nothing".

 

<br>

I appreciated (and applaud) the lateral thinking - make no doubt about that.

 

<br>

It is just that I disagree with application.

 

<br>

Whilst in the micro-thinking it is a good idea, the macro implications apropos the potential liability cost of the “advertising”, would not be worth the effort, IMO. Also the time line and the management of it could be far too long . . . three confirmed bookings the last booking pays up three months before and that Wedding is next September . . . too many potential headaches for little potential gain and complete loss of leverage.

 

<br>

 

 

<br>

WW

 

<br>

</p>

 

[neilambrose]

<blockquote>

<p>Offer to GIVE IT TO THEM when they send you 3 referrals who actually buy X dollars or more from you. She'll be on the phone to all her girlfriends in a flash for weddings, engagements or just family pics. She'll become your best saleperson because she wants those pictures. You will gain multiple sales and probably new clients for life.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree with William's analysis.</p>

<p>The only referrals worth having are from clients who you'd love to work with again. A referral made under duress from a broken client/supplier relationship, or from a client who has proved difficult or unreliable, or who doesn't represent the client base you aspire to develop .... is worth less than nothing. In fact, your business would be more successful without it.</p>