Are You in a Relationship or in Business
At some point, every company has to make a choice — are you running a business, or are you in a relationship?
When it comes to collecting on past-due balances, too many businesses act like they’re afraid of “hurting someone’s feelings.” They treat customers like they’re at couples counseling instead of managing a professional transaction.
The result?
💸 Late payments.
⚙️ Cash flow strain.
🤝 A one-sided relationship where you’re the only one giving.
Let’s call it what it is…you’re not in love; you’re being leveraged.
😬 The Real Reason Businesses Don’t Collect
So why do so many companies hesitate to chase down what they’re owed?
Simple: they’re afraid.
They don’t want to “rock the boat.”
They don’t want to offend the customer.
They don’t want to lose the next sale.
They’ll bend over backwards for “the relationship,” even if it means letting the other party pay whenever or even never.
But here’s the truth:
If you have to tiptoe around collecting money that’s already owed to you, that’s not a relationship worth protecting.
🧮 The Emotional Math of Bad Decisions
Let’s look at what that fear really costs.
Say you have a customer with a $10,000 balance that’s 60 days past due. You keep saying, “We don’t want to push them too hard.”
But think about this:
💰 That $10,000 represents the margin from five or six other paying customers.
⏰ The longer you wait, the lower your odds of collecting become.
🧾 Every day of delay is a small loan you’re giving — interest-free.
And when that customer finally disappears, you’ve just turned your goodwill into bad debt.
Would you rather risk losing one customer who doesn’t pay, or lose your ability to pay your own bills because you were too polite to ask for your money?
🏦 You’re Not the Bank
Let’s be clear: extending credit doesn’t make you a lender. It makes you a partner in risk.
But partners share responsibility, and when one side stops holding up their end, you have to act.
💼 Collecting money isn’t rude.
✅ It’s responsible.
You earned it. You provided a product or service. You upheld your part of the deal.
If they can’t (or won’t) do the same, that’s not a customer. That’s a liability.
💬 Business, Not Breakup
I get it. You can’t go scorched earth every time someone misses a payment. You don’t need to send a breakup text that says,
“It’s not me, it’s your DSO.”
But you do need to communicate clearly.
📢 Set expectations.
📅 Send reminders.
⚠️ Have escalation points.
And when needed, pull the trigger on credit holds, late fees, or collections.
That’s not emotional. That’s operational.
🚧 The Healthiest Relationships Have Boundaries
The best customer relationships are built on respect, and respect goes both ways.
Your customers don’t respect you more when you let them slide. They respect you when you run a professional, consistent process.
They might not love hearing,
“Your account is past due, and we can’t release new orders until it’s resolved.”
But they’ll learn that you mean what you say, and that’s what creates accountability.
💔 Love Won’t Pay the Bills
Here’s the reality:
💳 You can’t deposit loyalty.
💵 You can’t fund payroll with promises.
📉 You can’t pay your vendors with “We didn’t want to upset our customer.”
At some point, every business has to decide:
Are we trying to keep everyone happy, or are we trying to stay healthy?
