First off, I'm an established company that has done commercial repairs for over a decade. I have worked for many many maintenance providers like RCI Services. I realize that when working with companies like this, there's usually some headache factor built in. But these guys are rediculous.
They first contacted me in December, and they had an emergency job they needed done that day. I completed it without issue, and gave them all the needed startup paperwork and the invoice. Next contact was a few weeks later, they had another job, which I completed without issue, and faxed in all the required paperwork. Their stated payment terms are net 45. Fast forward to March 16. They called, and needed an estimate on a big job. I had kind of forgotten them, but I looked through my pile of invoices waiting for payment, and I saw that the two invoices for these guys had not been paid, and were currently at 62 and 76 days. I asked the guy who had called me, and he said the accounts payable girl wasn't in. So I emailed them, asking that they contact me about it. Candy emailed back, and indicated that the accounts payable girl wasn't in. I waited for a call, but never got one.
So on 3-21, I called RCI and talked with Charlie Haas. He tried to dust me off, again saying the accounts payable girl wasn't going to be in for a few days. I explained that I had been waiting five days for her to contact me about two significantly overdue invoices, and that I would like someone to give me some kind of answer. He got into his computer, and found the invoices. He said, although unconvincingly, that they would probably be mailing my check out Friday. Well, I can't tell you how many times I've heard that, so I asked him (politely and professionally) if there was a reason for the delay on payment, as these invoices were now at 67 and 81 days. He immediately got rude, and said (paraphrased) "Well, usually when people hear they're going to get paid they are happy, but if you're not, there's not much I can do" and he hung up on me. Well, up to that point, i had been nothing but calm and professional, but nothing ticks a guy off like a company that's way overdue with payment, brushing you off then hanging up on you. I called Fed Ex where I had done the work, and they put me in contact with FM Services, who is the primary maintenance providor. I talked with them, and they were very nice, and said they would make some phone calls down the line, which is what I think actually got the ball rolling. Then I emailed several email addresses at RCI, and admittedly I was less polite. As they were now very overdue, I demanded that they cut my check, and get it to me by friday. I didn't think that was unreasonable. I've never been late with a bill in my life, but if I was ever that late, I'd certainly be willing to write the check immediately and send it express mail. Well, Charlie emailed me back and wrote: "John: I did not get rude with you. I told you I would get you paid this Friday and I will. Then you didnt seem happy with that, to which I said normally when I tell a vendor there are getting paid they are somewhat happy. You went on and I didnt have much more that I could say, so the conversation ended.
Thanks
Charlie"
Kind of funny how he characterized hanging up on me as "the conversation ended". Well, they didn't get me my check by Friday, but I did finally get it. Needless to say, I will never work for that company again. The lateness wasn't the big problem, I understand that sometimes there's delays, but when a company that's well overdue with payment first won't call you back, then blows you off, then hangs up on you, that to me is just outrageously unprofessional, and shows me that they have no interest whatsoever of paying their bills on time, if at all, or don't have the money to pay their bills. Either way, that's not the kind of headache company I want to deal with.
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