As a bookkeeper you can end up acting as a credit controller. While you may have not received any formal training in Credit Control, you are expected to do it. Here are some tips to help you get organised and also you will end up organising everyone else

1. Ensure every client knows what their Credit Limit is. e.g. €10000 and this includes VAT.

2. Ensure every client knows what their Credit Days are e.g. 60 days from end of month or date of invoice

3. Ensure every client has your terms and conditions

4. Put clients on stop if they do not pay (This is going to be the hardest as sales reps want to sell and owners don't want to upset clients)

5. If a sales rep of owner objects to putting someone on top, hand over the responsibility of collecting the money to them, as it will be pointless ringing them as they know they will get supplied

6. Get the reps to call and collect cheques in fact get anyone available to call and collect cheques

7. Set up a Debtor (Customer) file for every customer and put all correspondence, terms and conditions etc. in this file

8. Keep a diary of every client you ring. If your accounts software allows it, record every time you ring the customer and what the response was.

9. If someone makes a promise of payment, send a fax, "Hi Mary, Thank you for taking my call today and we look forward to receiving payment for invoices 1,2,3,4 for the amount of €678 on Friday.

10. Do you have the contact details for the person 1. who signs the cheques, 2. Who decides who gets paid 3. The bookkeeper

11. Do you have all the landlines, mobile numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, postal addresses

12. A great thing to check is the Companies Registration Website www.cro.ie and do a company search (top left of screen) and see if the company you are dealing with is a limited company and have they filed any paperwork and other details like their registered address. You have to pay for other information, but very useful if you need to find the directors home address!

13. Document everything, every letter, every phone call. If you have a reminder program set it to remind you who to ring every day.

14. Get part payment, post dated cheques any amount but don't supply them unless they pay by cash credit card or bank draft (Their cheques will probably bounce)

15. Persistence. Just keep calling and faxing (very effective) and keep pushing the reps no matter how much they hate it to collect money from their customers

16. Meet every week with your supervisor to get them to make decisions on those who refuse to pay or may be 'sensitive' customers

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(c) Nilsson Denver Ltd 2008