Re: Customers Behind on Payment

SysOp ( sysop@i-star.net )
Thu, 08 Jan 1998 22:07:28 -0500

> We have been doing it for the last year, since first installing Emerald,
> and yes we do get some complaints, but you should see the line at the door
> when they get cut off. We make it VERY clear on the invoices, that if the
> bill is not paid by 12:00 Noon on the 15th the their service will be
> discontinued. If you want to, you can extend their date for a few days, to
> allow for stragglers.

Same here, but we have since switched to anniversary billing with
Emerald after 24 months of month to month billing with the other, "cool"
billing program. This gives us steady cash flow daily, without the
burden of being overwhelmed on any specific day for billing issues. :-)
way nice...
>
> We are "NOT" the phone company, electric company, or any other company that
> carries deadbeats for ever. We provide a service, and expect to get paid
> for it.

Agreed, I don't work for free, nor does anyone else I know of. Plus this
is not a life line type of service where someone could be placed at risk
for not having the service.

If they wan't to play, they have to pay. PLUS, with Emerald, I can now
invoice my customers THIRTY DAYS (30) in advance, more than ample time
to pay, to pay the $19 we charge monthly....

>
> We are glad that Emerald does this for us. It is one of the few reasons
> that we like Emerald. (Sorry again Dale) If we could just get Emerald to
> Account for the money better (No not General Ledger) and more ACCURATE
> financial reports, We would be satisfied.

For one "I" would hate to see Emerald become an "accounting" program, I
would rather them concentrate on the ISP "getting paid", managing user
accounts, and overall customer service.

Nor do I believe the IEA staff want to deal with an ISP's accounting
issues, these are better left to full borne accounting programs and the
accountants.

Now maybee a .dll hook into something like Quickbooks, to report daily
"income" automaticly, that would be nice..

Just my 03 cents... inflation ya know.

Dean