This feature in Pumper® reports noteworthy conversations that take place in Pumper Discussion, an e-mail based forum for industry professionals sponsored by COLE Publishing. Pumper Discussion provides for the exchange of information and ideas on septic and drainfield installation and maintenance, trucks and equipment, portable sanitation, chemicals and additives, and much more. To find out more about Pumper Discussion, or to subscribe, visit www. pumper.com.
Information and advice in Overheard Online is offered in good faith by industry professionals. However, readers should consult in depth with appropriate industry sources before applying such advice to a specific business situation.
What do you do when customers refuse to pay?
Question:
In general, how big of a problem are late or non-paying customers? What do you do to remedy the situation: collection agencies, refuse service, etc.? How many of you offer early-payment discounts?
Answers:
We have drastically reduced the number of slow-paying customers by sending them to our competitors. We call it selective marketing! Our most effective collection method for portable restrooms is to call and tell the customer we are suspending service until we get a payment. This tactic usually works well. I found if we pick up a unit, we rarely collect for it. So we leave the unit in place and suspend service.
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In general, on pumping, drain cleaning and jetting, we require payment upon completion. Either the customer can leave a check on the door if they are not going to be home, send payment before service or pay by credit card. Commercial accounts are different — net 30 days. Some commercial customers are offered a discount if they pay within 15 days. You learn fast which customers you want. We tried a collection company about 10 years ago, but didn’t have great success. So we try to get our money when we do the job. Accepting credit cards has really helped.
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I was sick of the same problems, so over the years I have weeded the bad ones out. Just be careful what you tell them. It could be ammunition for a lawsuit if you offer 24-hour service or could leave the door open for a call from the local health department. I got threatened more than once, but after I explained that the customer had an outstanding bill and after stopping twice to collect, I was not going back. The same people burn you time after time. To remedy this, I give a cash price, a check price and a charge price. The charge price is knocked down if the payment is received within five days.
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We stop service. We don’t even tell them. Eventually they get tired of the odors and call us to complain, then pay us. After they pay, we pick up the (portable restroom) unit instead of cleaning it. The customer gets mad, but if they don’t pay you once, they’ll do it again.
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We will cut off service. And most of the pumpers in our area get along with one another, so we put the customer on a black list. Then when they call, we tell them the terms are “cash only” when the job is complete. For the most part, our work is cash, credit card or check when the job is done.
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Be careful taking credit cards. I did a job several months ago, then recently received a letter from the credit card company advising their customer decided he wasn’t happy with our service and wanted a refund. And he got it. I didn’t know the credit card companies could take back my money. Needless to say, we don’t take that card anymore.
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Don’t let situations like these stop you from taking credit cards. We learned that you must check into the site you set up with the credit card companies to check on your account. Do this often. They suggest daily if you are taking a lot of charges. Basically, you have 10 days to reply to a charge-back before they credit the customer. One company said it sent us an e-mail and a letter in the mail regarding one situation. We didn’t receive either. The moral: Take all the credit cards you want, just make sure you do your part by checking your site.
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Aren’t the credit card companies giving you charge-back notices? You should always be notified of a charge-back and have time to prove services were rendered in a professional manner and satisfactory to all parties. That mainly means signatures on all transactions, and documentation on everything done, and the responsibilities of each party.
Refill plastic septic tanks?
Question:
I’m wondering what everyone else does after pumping out a plastic septic tank. Since I have no freshwater supply, are my only options to put back some of what I pumped out, or risk it and leave it empty?
Answers:
I’m not a pumper, but an installer. You have to be aware of the depth of the tank, for fear of flotation. A lot of areas have a high water table, which is a concern. It’s almost impossible to know all the water tables unless you installed the tank. Some plastic tanks are installed with flotation straps, secured in concrete. It’s best to ask the homeowner if any system plans are available and try to make an intelligent decision to re-ballast with wastewater or start running a hose.
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I am a pumper. I tell customers to fill it with a hose. I had somebody put their own tank in, and it floated and pulled the inlet pipe out of the tank. I’d never dump septage back in the tank. That defeats the purpose of pumping it in the first place.
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Before I pump the tank, I tell customers that they are to fill the tank at least 3/4 full as soon as I pump it out. I will explain why and how to the customer. I will make note of this on the bill and get the customer to sign the bill. Most are repeat customers, and we have never had a problem. Our company may pump, at the most, about 10 plastic tanks a year.
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From experience with steel tanks, the tank won’t lift right away. I wouldn’t want to say how much time you have to get water back in the tank, though. I’d say the customer could opt to fill the tanks or pay for a water delivery.
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In Wisconsin, the installer is responsible to anchor the tank in high groundwater conditions or in wet soils. So you can check with the local sanitarian/planning and zoning office to see the permit if there is an issue. No matter what you think, if the tank pops out of the ground, you will get blamed as an industry professional, and you should have known better. Let the customer know that this could be an issue if the tank is not properly anchored.
