Guide
Managing customer debt without losing relationships
Allow credit on purpose, with a limit and a record, so goodwill does not empty your shop.
Credit is a decision, not a favor
Selling on credit can keep regular customers. Untracked credit quietly eats your capital. Decide in advance who can take goods on account, and a maximum they can owe.
Write it down in the moment
Record the customer name, what they took, the amount, and the date before they leave. A notebook or Fluide Lite customer list is better than a promise to remember. Send a simple WhatsApp confirmation if you can.
Agree when they will pay
“Pay when you can” is how debts age. Ask for a day: after payday, after market, on Friday. Follow up once, calmly, on that day. People repay more often when the date is clear.
Pause new credit if the old one is unpaid
Do not add more goods on account until the last balance is cleared or a part-payment is made. You can still sell to them in cash. This protects the relationship and your stock.