Advice on client priority/stalled payments

[jesskat.livejournal.com]

This is not a beware warning, I'm just looking for some advice/opinions.

If you have a number of people lined up for a commission and the one at the top of the list keeps stalling on payment, how long is it appropriate to wait until moving on to the next person?

I was recently in contact with a client who first seemed excited about me getting started on their commish as soon as possible. Once I was ready, I sent them an e-mail to inform them that I would begin work on the sketch as soon as I received notification of payment from PayPal. They were usually quick to reply, but this time it took them a bit longer (granted, only a week, nothing worth panicking over). I sent them another e-mail to make sure my previous message had been received and they replied again within a few days, so all is well now.

I'm only asking because it made me wonder what to do should a similar situation arise in the future, one where contact was lost for much longer. It made me consider the possibility that some commissioners might at first seem eager for a pic, but as soon as the issue of payment comes up, they might get cold feet and decide to retreat without a word to the artist.

I like to work off my commissions in order of first-come-first-serve. I also never accept payment until I can guarantee I have the time and energy to dedicate to the piece in question. So I never take money from more than one client at the same time in order to ensure that I don't keep people waiting for months for something they've already paid for. I wouldn't have felt comfortable moving on to the second person on the list only to have the first person pop up again after a month of silence, saying: "Here's the money! Now you can start working on my pic!" In that case I wouldn't know which person should be my #1 priority: the person who kept delaying payment but who technically came first, or the second person who had waited patiently long enough and whose pic I was now working on.

In this scenario, what would sound fair to you? That I finish off the second person's commission because they were quicker about payment and politely explain the situation to the first commissioner, OR apologize to the second commissioner and tell them I'd have to put their pic on hold while I finish off the first person's pic because we had an earlier agreement?

In this case it was only an issue of a couple of days, but I would hate to keep people waiting for months just because of one client who may or may not have gotten cold feet and disappeared without a trace. How long is it fair to wait until moving on to the next client? And should client number one pop up again with payment and demanding their share of the trade, what would the appropriate response be? In general, if a client takes an unreasonable time to come up with payment, how far down the list should I move them? In case months had passed, would placing them at the end of the queue seem unreasonable in favor of all the other people who had been kept waiting?

(I hope this wasn't too long-winded. If the mods want me to cut this, let me know.)

Comments

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

I posted something a little similar to this a few days ago. Don't start a pic if they are avoiding the payment issue. That's a warning sign imo.

If it were me I'd send them one more notification that they can either pay up or you're cancelling their slot and moving onto the next person. Not everyone who expresses interest is genuine about it unfortunately.

[dripbat.livejournal.com]

If they can't pay by a certain amount of days, I'd say move on to the next then come back to them. That way both you and the commissioners do not have to wait.

[jakejynx.livejournal.com]

Personally, I work on a first paid, first served basis. If someone takes a long time to pay, they're officially added to the bottom of the list when they do pay up.

[misteroffense.livejournal.com]

I usually take payment upon putting the commission on the list and work on a first pay first serve basis. It works for me, but not every method works for everyone.

I would suggest giving a certain amount of days for payment say...when you get to them they have a few days to provide payment otherwise you will move on and they have to wait until you finish the next commission before you start theirs (providing that they pay you after you move to the next one).

Just a suggestion.

[lichdog.livejournal.com]

I would say have it in your TOS that you expect to be paid within X amount of hours. If they can't, drop em down a notch on the que. And say you have 3 people. Person 1 isn't ready to pay within 3 days, you bump em down. So you take person 2. You finish person 2 and then decide to go back to person 1. Person 1 doesn't respond or have the money right away. So you go to person 3, do them and then ask person 1 again. If they still don't have the money, I say drop them.

But it's definitely a good idea to add in your TOS that you HAVE to have payment within x amount of days

[kappyjeanne.livejournal.com]

I keep a pretty strict policy right off the bat on when payment is expected - I`ll notify when they`re nearing the deadline but once gone I don`t look back. This is business, even if its casual, and should still be respected as such.
I have commission forms set up for all of my different types of commissions, in addition to a mandatory agreement to the Terms of Service (which state the above).

The time of which you determine you've waited too long is really up to you, personally. I like to draw same day as I discuss details with the client, but some prefer to do it on the weekend. Whatever fits around your schedule should be what your clientele agree to.

[niobenox.livejournal.com]

I actually had to rewrite my TOS to include stuff like this.

Personally, I let people grab a slot on my commission list without paying, but I won't start until they DO pay. When they pay, I put a note next to their name indicating that they've paid and then start on their commission.

It's not fair to make paying customers wait for someone who hasn't paid yet. Surely both the nonpaying customer and the paying ones will understand that.

[archteryx.livejournal.com]

From the perspective of a commissioner, I'd say that payment is what solidifies your place on the list, not the initial contact. Think about it kind of like an airline reservation: back in Ye Olde Days, you used to get up to 48 hours after reserving a ticket to pay for it, otherwise the seats were returned to the general pool. But you aren't going to be getting on that plane anyway on just a reservation: you'll be getting on it with a ticket.

I'd say give 'em 24-48 hours or so, depending on how you are accepting payment, but after that, they get bumped down below all those who have paid.

[mandyseley.livejournal.com]

I think it's fair to "move on" to the next commissioner.

Give the first person a deadline (the 10-day deadline suggested above sounds fair).

Then, once that deadline is up, tell them ahead of time that you're moving on and will come back to them, don't wait until they pay up to let them know about the change. Then there are no surprises and you don't have to "apologize" to anyone if the payment comes while you're working on the next one.

[petercat.livejournal.com]

As a commissioner, I'm leery of sending payment too soon, especially for an artist with a long list. Some months ago I commissioned an artist for an animated icon; they said it wasn't necessary to send payment immediately, but would contact each person for payment as their turn came up. About half the people elected to pay early. Unfortunately the artist had to stop work because of health problems, and it's unclear when or if they'll be able to resume. So if I'd paid in advance I'd be out of the money, as it's unlikely the artist would be able to make any refunds under the circumstances.

This is where professionalism and track record come into play. If an artist is known to deliver as promised, I'll confidently pay in advance.

One approach would be to contact the next person on the list as you are doing the previous one, saying "I'll be able to start yours next, please send payment by [whenever]." If they don't respond, move on to the one after them. If they respond late, finish the next one you've started, then start theirs.

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

depends really...Most accounts type of things generally give you say 21 days. I would say with a commission a week, more so for the silly people who go "add me to your commission list" then find out they have a bill or something and use the money for that instead of letting you know.

I'd start working on the others since i'm assuming they have paid. Wait say 5 days, let them know they have 5 days to notify you about payment. If they don't they obviously do not want it and remove them from your list. Or add to a list of possibles??

[lastres0rt.livejournal.com]

I make it clear I don't begin work until folks pay at least half down -- no payment, no work. That simple, really...

[cissa.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the comments at this point, but-

I make jewelry and no one is on the commission queue until they have at least put down their non-refundable deposit- or the full amount if it's a "rush" order (which I may or may not be able to accept at any point depending on the rest of the queue).

No payment? They're not on the list, nor will they be until they pay.

I have sometimes had to cancel a potential commission if it's a "rush" job and the person ordering it keeps causing problems that interfere with the normal work-flow; this happened just a couple of days ago, in fact. If it's a "rush", I do not have time to deal with supposedly ignorant random actions that nonetheless have the effect that it makes it look like I am not going to get PAID for my work and materials; I will decline to continue at the point.

So- I really recommend people not getting on the queue until they've PAID to do so. And so if they delay- well, that just delays things for them. I am very committed to FIFO, but they are not "in" until they've at least placed a deposit. Thus i do not have to delay any paying customers for the sake of people who postpone.