Title: Would you email invoices?
Post by: sobriquetnic on April 07, 2004, 08:17:45 pm
Hi all
I have recently toyed with the idea of emailing invoices to people however I am told by our Financial Director that there is some issue with invoices which have been faxed or emailed and that in all cases, the original copy should be posted.
I currently do my invoices on Excel and print them on to our Headed Paper and post them out. Obviously, if I was able to email them, I would need to protect the document so that it could not be amended or convert it to a PDF or something.
I just wondered what everyone else does? With emailing, at least I would know that the invoice had been received (or in most cases!).
All the best,
Nicola.
I have recently toyed with the idea of emailing invoices to people however I am told by our Financial Director that there is some issue with invoices which have been faxed or emailed and that in all cases, the original copy should be posted.
I currently do my invoices on Excel and print them on to our Headed Paper and post them out. Obviously, if I was able to email them, I would need to protect the document so that it could not be amended or convert it to a PDF or something.
I just wondered what everyone else does? With emailing, at least I would know that the invoice had been received (or in most cases!).
All the best,
Nicola.
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: chris68 on April 07, 2004, 08:20:58 pm
Nicola, That would be my worst fear right there is what you said about hoping the email was received and read. That is the one bad thing about it. I suppose it's no different than mail, but I just cringed at the thought of emailing an invoice. I personally don't have a problem with it as I've been trying to migrate all my bills to online payment, but business wise I'm not so sure it's a good idea.
I'd be curious to see what others think about this.
Chris68
Peer Moderator
I'd be curious to see what others think about this.
Chris68
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: Christine Itterly on April 07, 2004, 09:11:59 pm
I e-mail invoices, contracts, proposals all of the time. For my bossies, that is their preferrred method of delivery. Most everything we do is done by e-mail. That said, we have never, not once in the six years I've been here had a problem with the "paperwork". They only time we ran into a problem is when our service provider up and left and we had no e-mail for a full day. Talk about coming to a stand still!
I think it depends on the nature of the business and the clients you are working with. Most of our clients work the same way we do, so it's almost common practice for us.
Just the way we do things!
I think it depends on the nature of the business and the clients you are working with. Most of our clients work the same way we do, so it's almost common practice for us.
Just the way we do things!
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: countrigal on April 07, 2004, 09:19:25 pm
Personally I see more and more businesses going to electronic invoices and bills. Heck, even some of my utilities and other household bills give me the option of having a paper copy sent or an electronic one. I would think that you would be fine sending invoices out electronically, but have a plan in place that if someone calls and claims not to have received it, that you will follow up with a hard copy (for that one customer) and if you have ongoing problems from certain customers, that those will be flagged to receive hard-copy invoices only. I really think that a lot of folks are willing to do more electronically in order to save the world (aren't we all recycling, cutting down on the paper we use, etc?) and this is one more step down that path. But I'd definitely want to give customers the option of how they would like to receive the invoices, or at least take a random survey to see if enough of the customers think he would be a good idea to make it worth actually pursuing.
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
CountriGal
Peer Moderator
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: gee4 on April 08, 2004, 08:57:34 am
I work for a large global company who's head office is in mainland UK. We have an invoice system online where we approve all invoices that get submitted. The accounts dept scan them in so that when we receive an email, a link takes us to all the details and there is also another link which opens up the scanned invoice that was sent from that particular company - I have to say it works very well and we don't get any paper invoices to our office. All invoices are all sent to our head office as the original PO has that billing address.
G
G
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: peana on April 08, 2004, 09:34:05 am
The invoices we receive here often have to go through a lengthy approval process, and every now and then one will get lost along the way (I think there must be a bottomless pit lurking at the back of our post room). In those circumstances we will process faxed or emailed invoices - bossie is not too keen on the idea as usual practice, but it works fine.
I can't imagine it will be too long before it does become standard practice.
I can't imagine it will be too long before it does become standard practice.
Title: Re: Would you email invoices?
Post by: sobriquetnic on April 08, 2004, 09:56:28 pm
Hi all
Many thanks for the responses. I definitely am going to put this system in place as soon as possible.
It's always great to get your views - they often help me to make decisions!
Thanks again!
Many thanks for the responses. I definitely am going to put this system in place as soon as possible.
It's always great to get your views - they often help me to make decisions!
Thanks again!