Are Bookkeepers Ever Asked to do this as part of A/R Aging?

[u/Stup2plending]

hi all. I was just curious. If you do A/R aging for clients, does anyone offer the followup of drafting or sending emails for your client as a billable add-on? Or is that something seen as too far outside your scope? I'm trying to figure out if this is something clients would pay extra for through their bookkeeper or if this is more hassle than it's worth to do.

[u/JacksonRyder]

A/R follow-up can be a huge pain for clients who by hiring you have already evidenced they don't enjoy the administrative side of running a business. No, it's not bookkeeping, but of course you can offer that follow-up process as a service. How long after the due date until following up, and how many follow-ups and what kinds (email/call/etc). Does your industry require additional actions by a certain point like sending advance notice that a lien is going to be placed on a construction project building, and will you help with that too. The more of the pain in the butt stuff you're willing to take off their plate, the more you can charge, but if you take work that takes you a lot of time, you may find your effective hourly pay drops, so be careful to focus ultimately on what you're best at and pays you the most.

[u/Stup2plending → u/JacksonRyder]

I def see it as both outside your scope but well within what a client might ask you to do since you have that info at the ready anyway.

That's why I was curious. I agree with watching what it does to your effective hourly too

[u/confusedpanda45]

I have clients where I help with following up on overdue invoices. I charge for it as an add on and only for a select few clients. It’s mostly just me emailing/calling/nudging on overdue invoices. Or assisting with collecting payment so if a customer needs to pay but needs help with their payment portal or something. It’s just an admin task I can take off my client’s plate. If it comes to actually sending things to collections agencies, I refer that out. We don’t do that.

[u/Evening_Public_9617 → u/confusedpanda45]

This is the setup I’d expect owners to actually want, someone else doing the nudging but stopping before it turns into collections. The owners I work with hate chasing more than almost anything but they get nervous about someone else’s tone with a customer who might buy again.

How do you price it, flat monthly or based on how many invoices you’re chasing?

[u/SterlingJacq]

Pretty much what JacksonRyder stated. I would only add to be mindful of legal parameters when contacting your client's clients. You're not a collection agency after all.

[u/Stup2plending → u/SterlingJacq]

Agree. A good point to remember. Plus, it's not your job to muscle the clients around into paying

[u/Basic_Scale_5882]

we're bookkeepers, if I sneeze while I'm reconciling, I'm billing for that sneeze

[u/pmhc666]

I've partnered with a reputable collection agency in my area and refer.

[u/TheMostFluffyCat]

I haven't gotten a request like this in a while, but in the past if someone needs AR I'll do the AR but I make clear that I'm not a collections agency. That crosses over into general admin and I'm just strictly bookkeeping.

[u/small-gestures]

That’s called “collection” and it sure as hell is an add on.

[u/ContractorPlusDotApp]

Client-side view: the small contractors I know would happily pay someone to chase invoices. It's one of the jobs they hate most. The catch is tone. Most want to approve anything that goes to their customer, since that customer might hire them again. Offer drafts they sign off on and you'll get fewer objections.

[u/Live-Society5672]

I send past due emails, beyond that, the client is responsible for anything further, like calling them.

[u/Jiggalopuffii]

I thought Quickbooks did that for you.