Instructing a Debt Collector
Part 5 of our series discussing debt collection strategies for funeral directors.
So the funeral went well, and the funeral arrangements went off without a hitch. The 'funeral arrangement confirmation' form was completed, and the invoice mirrored the totals as quoted. The payment terms were signed and dated, and yet 30 days have passed and you still have not been paid.
Hopefully your payment terms include a settlement date and penalties for defaulting on that date, such as "the recovery of third-party collection costs and contractual late payment interest." If this is the case, then it may be time for some third-party psychology and time to use a debt collection agency.
They will need the following information: a copy of the completed funeral arrangement form, along with signed payment terms, full contact details of the arranger or payer, including any telephone numbers and email addresses, and copies of any pertinent correspondence. With this information in the hands of the specialist agency, it should be possible to recover your fees with little fuss on your part.
Here, at Town & Country Legal Services LLP, we act for many funeral directors and have done for many years. If you have any problems in this area, please call us on 01883 212121 or email enquiries@tclsllp.com, and we will do our very best to help you. We can also arrange a free Zoom virtual meeting with you. We look forward to hearing from you.