By Ric Rooney, Sun Spot Atlantis

Respect for our customers is something so ‘Business 101’ that it just goes without saying. However, respect is a two-way street, and when customers no longer respect your business, it needs to be addressed. Two months ago I made the difficult decision to reinstate our collections policy and quickly turn bad debt customers over to a collection agency 30 days after we fail to collect a legally due EFT payment.

I hated to do it, as it invariably upsets customers. I got an angry email from one customer telling me how upset she was with me for turning her over to collections “over $20.00.” But sometimes you have to show a little tough love to your customers and demand that respect flow both ways. Since instituting our new policy, our bad debt number has dropped 75 percent.

Here’s part of my reply to the angry customer.