How to Write the Inquiry Collection Letter
Before you employ any harsher means, try to discover if the customer has extraordinary circumstances that are preventing him/her from making any payment. You can help maintain a good relationship with the customer and go a long way toward collecting your debt if you are sensitive to any potential problems. The Inquiry Collection Letter demonstrates your willingness to help the customer solve his/her current financial difficulty by offering new terms. If you are willing to accept a partial payment now with regular payments after that, most people in financial difficulty will be grateful for this option and agree.
Remember, it is better to collect your money through a series of payments than not to collect it at all. It is also better to work with your customers than to alienate them, because their present difficulties may resolve and they may prove to be more reliable in the future.
The First Inquiry Letter
Make a request for prompt payment, and add your willingness to help the customer by offering new terms for repayment.
The Second Inquiry Letter
Use positive wording, but state firmly that the customer will pay a penalty for continued nonpayment, such as a late fee, a collection fee, or interest on the amount owed.