Welcome to our ongoing series of blog posts in the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Center: “Jeff Allen’s Collection Tip of the Week.” Each week, we’ll highlight one collection tip from Allen, JD/CPC, the world’s leading placement lawyer.
Since 1975, Allen has collected more placement fees, litigated more trade secret cases, and assisted more placement practitioners than anyone else. He’s also the author of 24 books and a regular columnist for The Fordyce Letter, one of the leading publications in the recruiting industry.
Below is this week’s collection tip for recruiters, courtesy of Jeff Allen.
What the Client Says:
“We thought the referral was a free sample.”
How the Client Pays:
Some fee-avoiders think that the more outrageous the lie, the more likely it will be believed.
For this bizarre “defense,” the hiring authority simply says that he believed the fee schedule was for “future placements.” So you gave a freebie to prove all that rootin’ tootin’ recruitin’ really works.
You must set the record straight before the send-out. You must date and personalize your fee schedule. You must get a client signature or at least nurse an e-mail acceptance.
It’s just not realistic to expect an “unclient” to admit a fee schedule was even received, let alone accepted.
Documenting receipt and acceptance of a fee schedule by either a signature or e-mail reply will avoid this nonsense forevermore!
(Know how to collect your well-earned fees? Test yourself! Visit Allen’s Placement Law website and click the “Placement Fee Collection Quiz” button. Allen can be reached via telephone at 310.559.6000 or via email at Jeff@PlacementLaw.com.)