When the client withholds payment over a disagreement: the dispute and the cheque apart
The fitness-club client dislikes one transition strip and says the flooring invoice will stay unpaid. The contractor believes the rest of the work is accepted. A call is needed to identify the actual disagreement and ask for a payment decision on the remaining balance.
Define the disputed item and amount, then discuss the remaining invoice as a separate proposed payment decision. Ask what would resolve the item and put that review on a dated track. Check the invoice, contract and applicable payment process with the company's advisers before offering concessions or changing work arrangements. Your suggested split is a negotiation proposal; it does not establish legal entitlement, concede a defect or guarantee that the client will pay.
Separate the invoice conversation from the item review
- Check the figures and records. Reconcile the issued invoice, received payments, agreed credits and any other relevant amounts with accounts. Locate the client's stated objection and supporting project records. Do not choose a convenient disputed figure that excludes related work or disguises a wider disagreement.
- Ask what the client contests. Clarify the location, requirement and reason they are holding payment. Listen for whether the dispute is quality, scope, price or timing. Describe your current understanding without agreeing to an unreviewed allegation simply to move the conversation forward.
- Propose two clear decisions. State the requested payment on the portion you consider undisputed and the separate process for the contested item. Ask whether the client agrees with that distinction. If they do not, record the reason; a balance labelled undisputed in your notebook is not automatically accepted by the other party.
- Give the item a workable review. Propose a sample, inspection or document comparison with the appropriate people and a realistic date. Confirm who can approve a remedy or credit. Do not commit to replacement, free work or a reduced price before the actual obligation and company authority are checked.
- Confirm the response and obtain advice. Record the figures, proposed payment date, review owner and unresolved position. Have the authorized lead check formal notices, rights and any continued-work question. A conversation note must not replace necessary steps or imply that you have agreed a release.
A specific request for two decisions
Common mistakes
- Treating your own split as the client's agreement.
- Offering a credit before reviewing the item and authority.
- Threatening to stop work without the required advice.
Checklist
The two decisions to record
- Reconciled invoice and payments.
- Client's defined objection.
- Proposed split and actual response.
- Payment request and date.
- Item-review owner and date.
- Required rights and notice review.
Check your understanding
The client refuses your proposed balance because they say another item is disputed too. Is your original split settled?
