Who owes home service companies money
Homeowners who paid the deposit and not the balance. Tenants who called for the repair and landlords who say it was not authorized. Property management companies that pay in 90 days if at all. Insurance restoration customers who received the claim check and spent it. Commercial accounts, from restaurants to small offices, that treat a service invoice as the last bill to pay.
How home service companies get stiffed
- The after-the-fact dispute. The system runs, the leak is fixed, the roof is on, and then: "it is not what I asked for," "it was too expensive," "it is still not right." The complaint arrives with the invoice, not before.
- The chargeback. The card payment is reversed weeks later with a one-line reason, and the processor sides with the cardholder unless you have the signed work order.
- The insurance check. On a restoration job the homeowner receives the insurer's payment and keeps it, or pays only the deductible and disappears.
- The warranty hostage. The balance is held until you do more work for free.
- The bounced check. Written on the day, returned a week later, and the customer stops answering.
- The net-never account. A property manager or commercial customer that accepts every invoice and pays none of them on time.
Warning signs
- Reluctance to sign the estimate or work order before the job starts.
- A card declined once, then a different card.
- The person who called is not the person who owns the property.
- A commercial account whose past-due balance keeps growing while they keep calling for service.
What to do before you place the account
Pull the signed estimate or work order, the invoice, before-and-after photos, the technician's notes, the warranty terms, the card authorization or check copy, and every message with the customer. For a chargeback, respond to the processor with that packet first. Send a final written demand with a date. Then place it.
How we collect for home service companies
A homeowner who owes for completed work is a consumer account. Our collectors are trained on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and collect firmly, professionally, and by the book, with an approach that keeps the door open for the customer to come back. Property managers and commercial customers are worked as commercial accounts, where we investigate the company and apply pressure on every front. Bounced checks are not write-offs: we locate the check writer, negotiate, and recover the funds.
You choose which accounts to place and which to leave alone, see every account online, and pay nothing unless we recover. One of our BBB reviews, from a plumbing company owner: "I run a small plumbing company and I was more than pleased with the service I received. Professional, helpful, and respectful. I would never use anyone else."
Common follow-up questions
The customer disputes the quality of the work. Can you still collect?
Yes. Disputed balances are part of our core work. The signed estimate, photos, and completion records answer most after-the-fact disputes, and our negotiators resolve the rest.
Will this ruin my reputation in a small town?
We collect professionally and respectfully on every account, and most of our clients keep the customer once the balance is resolved. You decide which accounts to place.
Is there a minimum balance?
No. One account or a thousand. Very low balances may carry a different fee arrangement, and we tell you before you commit to anything.
Talk to us
Tell us about the accounts and we put together a free assessment, usually within one business day. Request a free consultation, contact us, or call 321-710-3530. Ready now? Place a claim and we go to work today. No recovery, no fee.