Business owners and service providers often come across a situation when they have to remind a customer about making the due payment. Certain customers neglect the payment even when the due date has passed. There may be several reasons behind such negligence. For instance, they may be facing financial difficulties or might have simply forgotten to clear their dues owing to an irresponsible attitude.
Whatever the reason may be, it is a challenging situation for business owners. They have to make sure that the client is reminded about the payment without making him feel offended or disgruntled. Such a reminder can be made by means of a letter. It is very important to choose the right words and the right tone for this letter.
Here are some guidelines for composing a letter in order to remind a customer that payment is past due.
- State your Purpose
It is a formal letter with a definite purpose. State the reason for writing the letter in the opening paragraph. The writer should be able to understand that it is a reminder about an overdue payment. You may mention what product or services the client needs to make the payment for. Other relevant details can also be added. For instance, you may mention the dates of purchase and the payment deadline.
- Maintain a Courteous Attitude
It is important to keep your tone polite while you remind a client about his overdue payment. You should be careful not to offend the customer in any way. Adopting a professional attitude will help you retain your clients.
- State the Consequences of Further
Delay
Do inform the client about the consequences of further delaying the payment. You may state the company’s policy regarding such matters. For instance, policies about taking a legal action against non-payment can be mentioned. Similarly, some companies cancel future subscription or membership for a client who delays previous payment despite repeated reminders. Mentioning this information will compel the reader to take this reminder seriously.
- Offer your Assistance with the
Payment
You may offer your assistance if the client is facing a genuine problem preventing him from clearing his dues. The kind of assistance you offer depends on the company’s policies regarding such an issue. For instance, you may extend the payment deadline. On the other hand, you may also allow the client to make the payment in installments. Likewise, depending on the rules and flexibility offered by your corporation regarding this matter, offer all the assistance you can. Not only will it provide convenience to your client, it will ultimately be beneficial for you as you finally retrieve the overdue payment.
- End on a Friendly Note
Wind up the letter on a friendly and polite note. You may express your gratitude to the client for patronizing your business. On the other hand you may also ask the client to contact you in case of any queries or issues. This is a professional way of closing your letter.
Sample Letter -1
Dear Customer,
According to our records, your account shows an outstanding balance of $500/- membership fees for 2 months. This payment is now overdue by 1 month and 10 days. We would like to remind you to clear these dues in order to continue to avail the club’s services and facilities.
Kindly make your payment as soon as possible. Failure to do so will compel us to cancel your membership as per the rules of the club. However, we hope we do not have to resort to such a serious action. The club does not want to lose a valuable client like your.
You may contact us for any kind of assistance regarding the matter. We hope to hear from you soon.
Sample Letter -2
We are writing this letter as a reminder to you about your overdue payment. You owe ABC Company $500/- for the services we provided to you last month. Although you were supposed to clear the dues by the 1st of March, we have still not received the payment. For the sake of your convenience, we have extended the deadline. We request you to make the full payment by the 15th of this month.
In case you are still unable to make the due payment within the given time, kindly inform us about your difficulty. We are willing to assist you with the matter. Do let us know what we can do to make it more convenient for you. Perhaps making the payment in installments is a good solution. We look forward to hearing from you in order to discuss more helpful ideas to solve the issue.
