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Lisa Wagner
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 01:01 (GMT) Post subject: Not Getting Paid by My Very First Client! |
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 Ok...now that I got my first paying gig..I'm not able to get paid by this guy. I have done audio for three spots and two are over 30 days past due! I have emailed him and called him and still no payment when he says he will take care of it. I know not to continue my vo services but heck, I'd like to get paid for what I did! I had very quick turnaround to work with too. Any feedback on this would be appreciated. Yep, I've learned my lesson to not go by what they write out in print. |
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Bret Brizzee
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 04:27 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Not Getting Paid by My Very First Client! |
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| Lisa Wagner wrote: | | Ok...now that I got my first paying gig..I'm not able to get paid by this guy. I have done audio for three spots and two are over 30 days past due! I have emailed him and called him and still no payment when he says he will take care of it. I know not to continue my vo services but heck, I'd like to get paid for what I did! I had very quick turnaround to work with too. Any feedback on this would be appreciated. Yep, I've learned my lesson to not go by what they write out in print. |
Thirty days? Wow. That's nasty stuff.
I haven't been doing this for very long, but something I learned early on was to request 50% pre-production and 50% post. You are being quite level-headed in this situation (others would have made serious threats by this point). Did you win the job via Voice123? Another service? Independently?
Wishing you luck in receiving payment! Maybe the guy is simply forgetful? |
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Robert Jadah
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 2627
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 05:17 (GMT) Post subject: |
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We haven't cyber-met, Lisa, but I have:
- a strong and frightening voice,
- experience on both sides of overdue bill collection,
- an excellent account recovery record, and
- friends named Guido and Bulk.
E-mail me (www.voiceman@robertjadah.com) me with the roach's name and telephone number, and I will use qualities 1,2, and 3 only.
For the time being.
Truly.
Muscle On! |
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Andy Froiland
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 20 Sep 2007
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 05:23 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Oh Lisa!
to quote The Princess Bride:
I doubt you'll get such an offer from the eels!! If Robert is offering up I'd take it! he is right! his voice comes in from the outer rim of the toenail on his big toe..... you don't find any deeper more booming intimidating voices that his! you'll have your money inside a week!
Andy
Attack on! |
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Allison Scussel
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Posts: 928
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 06:18 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Well Robert, I need you to be my fellow Piazon! I haven't had problems with paying clients before, but if I should ever fall into the same situation as Lisa, I want you on my side of the Soprano's. 
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AllisonScussel@comcast.net |
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Caryn Clark
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 27 Mar 2005
Posts: 1000
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 14:39 (GMT) Post subject: |
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30 days isn't bad... well, it is from our standpoint, but I've had over 60 days go by before getting paid. Ya just gotta keep following up. Knock on wood, I've never had a client not pay!
Brett's suggestion is a good one -- 50% now, 50% later. Funny, I just thought of this, I actually wrote an article about this subject for V123. I think it's still in their Resource section.
Robert... go get 'em!!!
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Caryn Clark... THE Hip Chick Voice!
www.CarynClark.net
VoiceChick Productions, LLC |
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John Bigl
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 13 Aug 2005
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007, 21:57 (GMT) Post subject: |
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hey !!! yooz bettah pay da nice lady.. 
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"the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." |
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Lisa Wagner
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007, 01:14 (GMT) Post subject: |
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 Wow! I've got a new family...I feel the love..right back at cha guys!! Yep, I will change my terms from this point on but I do want the money owed. No, this was not from Voice123, but rather a lead I followed up on and got some orders. Hey, I'll keep you posted. |
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Deby Cedars
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 1482
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007, 03:17 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| Oh Lisa....I am so in the same boat as you. Bret is right and that's what I'm doing from now on! Let us know what happens. I hope with Robert on your side you can get this chintzy jerk to pay up. In the mean time please Private Message me with the jerks name. I want to make sure I never audition for him. |
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David Oxford
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 505
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007, 03:55 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Not Getting Paid by My Very First Client! |
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| Bret Brizzee wrote: |
I haven't been doing this for very long, but something I learned early on was to request 50% pre-production and 50% post. |
I'll go you one better: I don't do the work until they pay 100% up front. Period.
Look at it this way: when you go to McDonald's, do you eat first then pay? When you go to the doctor, when do they want your co-pay? Before you see the doc. When you buy groceries, do you put everything in the cart, wheel it out to the car, take it home and eat all the food...then show up at the grocery store a week later and pay? Nope.
The way I look at it - if they're legitimate, they can pay me up front. If they have a problem with that, then the way I look at it, I just "smoked 'em out" before they got to me. Now, I'm sure there are many here who will tell me that I will miss out on many opportunities because the corporate entities can't/won't play that way, etc. etc....but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
By the way, my real job is in the advertising business. I've done it for a long time. Unless a client has an approved credit status with the company for which I work, they pay for their ads up front or they don't get them. If they DO have credit status and they don't pay, they've only got a 30-day leash - or they're cut off and, after a reasonable amount of time, it's turned over to a collection agency and they risk a black mark on their credit report. Does it "chap" some of these folks? Yep. But does my company pay all it's bills, along with a big chunk of my medical benefits, match my 401K and give me sick days & vacation? Yep.
And I don't see us gurgling, on the brink of shipwreck, either.
My point is: we are professionals, providing a professional service. A business transaction is not complete without (a) the services being rendered, AND (2) payment for said services being made (and as I said, not necessarily in that order.) Why should we put ourselves into the position of working for free because some jerk decides he wants to beat us out of it?
Just my .02. |
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Andy Quiñones
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007, 11:49 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| Quote: | David sayeth:
I'll go you one better: I don't do the work until they pay 100% up front. Period. |
While I cannot disagree with your rationale for that policy my question is "really?"
Have any prospective clients expressed their dislike or otherwise inability to satisfy your invoices imeadiately? If so, do you just turn them down or how does that work. At this point I'm guessing you do the same as that company you mentioned does. Just curious brother. Thanks
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Live truthfully under imaginary circumstances....--Stanislavski |
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David Oxford
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 505
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007, 19:20 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| Andy Quiñones wrote: | | Quote: | David sayeth:
I'll go you one better: I don't do the work until they pay 100% up front. Period. |
While I cannot disagree with your rationale for that policy my question is "really?"
Have any prospective clients expressed their dislike or otherwise inability to satisfy your invoices imeadiately? If so, do you just turn them down or how does that work. At this point I'm guessing you do the same as that company you mentioned does. Just curious brother. Thanks |
Andy:
Yes - really! And yes, I have had some try to 'haggle' with me about it - a few (most of) them have paid me and a few have moved on. Am I sorry that they moved on? Well, sure - I'd love to have the business...but far many more have "moved on" during the audition process without choosing me in the first place - so I could be sorry about not getting those people, either. Either way, to a certain extent, it's a numbers game like many other things...and a percentage of seekers will meet my terms and some will not.
Now, let me say this: if I get the call for a substantial opportunity from an established seeker (i.e. they have some of that "credit factor" already in place) I'm certainly not going to be hard-nosed about it and lose out on the work. |
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Sid Whatley
Talent and/or Voice Producer - Voice Seeker
Joined: 09 Nov 2003
Posts: 685
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| Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007, 23:41 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| My clients never pay before 30days. Some do 60 days. No big deal. That includes a very few new clients. Course the agencies & individual business's have been with me for many years but occasionally I have to send a "reminder e-mail". The invoices CAN get lost. |
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Kathleen Keesling
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 746
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 00:00 (GMT) Post subject: |
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With extending credit, there are a few things that must be considered:
You should be comfortable with your established credit policy (Yes, you should have one) and do your best to stick to it.
You should practice due diligence and verify the client's creditworthiness. Sometimes, it's obvious...sometimes not so much.
If you cannot afford to lose the money you should not extend the credit. No one really wants to lose the money, but you should have a firm understanding that when you extend credit not only do you risk losing money, you may also incur costs just by the practice alone.
There is a very real cost associated with extending credit...:
Negative work time collecting debt by way of reminders to your client.
Placing past due receivables into collection with collection agencies
Going into personal debt or financial duress to maintain your business due to cash flow caused by delayed, not necessary late, receivables.
Aggravation and negative energy spent worrying and thinking about the debt.
Of course, no matter how careful you try someone can and may take advantage of you eventually.
Always look at extending credit as a "risk" and do your best to realize your comfort level "taking risks" with your income.
Kat
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Lee Gordon
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 1549
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007, 01:35 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| Sid Whatley wrote: | | My clients never pay before 30days. Some do 60 days. No big deal. That includes a very few new clients. Course the agencies & individual business's have been with me for many years but occasionally I have to send a "reminder e-mail". The invoices CAN get lost. |
I almost never send reminders to my clients. I figure if they're going to pay me, they will, and if they're going to stiff me, they'll do that too, regardless of whether I dun them or not. Since I have no particular out of pocket cost for most jobs I just don't get overly worked up about it.
Several months ago, however, a client booked me to put together a four-voice production (me and three other guys I recruited) and I did the job and billed him just before he was set to travel to Europe. A couple of months went by with no money and I had to call the guys I brought in and explain what was taking so long to get them paid. Then I got a phone call from the client who apologized profusely for not having paid me. He said that when he was packing his kid off to college and moving some furniture, he discovered my invoice on the floor behind the desk. A cynic might be tempted to say "Yeah, right" but since he sent an extra 100 bucks, I tend to believe him.
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For more voice over demos, my life story, and other foolishness, please visit my website at www.leegordonproductions.com |
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