So your customer needs a rush order?

There are a variety of red flags that can signal a potential problem with payment and/or collections from your customer. Beware: repeated rush order requests is one of those red flags. A sudden need for a “rush order” from your client might signal cash flow issues on their end. This might indicate that your customer has not planned accordingly for work flow. It could also mean they are short on cash and need to expedite delivery of a good or service, to speed up their payment and resolve a cash bind. If an unexpected “rush order” request is made, don’t be afraid to ask questions of your customer, including why the rush order is needed. You may also want to ask “What happened during the production cycle to cause this sudden need?” “Do you anticipate additional rush orders in the future and why?” The answers to these questions may signal there are troubles ahead. Keep in mind a one-time request doesn’t necessarily indicate a problem, but if you receive repeated requests from the same customer, you might want to think twice.