Disputes with customers and suppliers are inevitable, even in the best run businesses. Not only can these [waste] a lot of time, they can become emotive, and if lawyers get involved, very expensive. The keys to resolving disputes are first, to as much as possible deal with facts rather than opinions, and resolve it quickly before it escalates, and last, be prepared to step back if it appears to be getting out of control.
SmartTrade can provide the factual information to have a rational discussion, particularly if the notes function is used in a disciplined manner. For example, recently a customer complained bitterly that we had failed to follow through on a matter. Using information easily obtainable from within SmartTrade, including date stamped notes of phone calls, we were able to show that this wasn’t true. The heat went out of the dispute and it was resolved to both parties’ satisfaction.
If an invoice is sent to a customer or received from a supplier via Smeedi, then Smeedi’s invoice query feature is available. The discussion occurs by way of exchanging message, which is more efficient and less prone to heat light and sound than phone calls and emails. A log of the exchanges is kept with the invoice in Smeedi.