Handling Disputes and Partial Payments

Invoice disputes happen. A customer says the final price is higher than expected, or they claim damage, or they simply can’t pay the full amount today. The key is to handle it professionally — document everything, don’t void the invoice, and work toward a resolution.

What this covers

How to handle customer disputes on invoices and partial payment situations.

Who uses this

Owners — you make the final call on disputes. Sales agents — you handle the communication and record the resolution.

The golden rule: Don’t void the invoice

When a customer disputes a charge, your instinct might be to void the invoice and start over. Don’t. The original invoice is your record of what was agreed to. Voiding it erases that record.

Instead:

1. Keep the original invoice active
2. Document the dispute as a note on the invoice
3. Create a credit memo or adjustment for the disputed amount
4. Record the partial payment

This keeps your books clean and creates a clear audit trail.

Handling a price dispute

Step 1: Listen and document

Ask the customer to explain the specific charge they’re disputing. Common disputes:

• Extra hours the customer didn’t expect
• A change order they don’t remember approving
• Specialty items they say weren’t handled

Document their complaint in the opportunity notes: “Customer disputes 2 extra hours, says job was quoted for 6 hours not 8. Claims change order was not discussed.”

Step 2: Pull the records

In MoveRight, check:

• The signed estimate — what did they agree to?
• The change order (if any) — was it signed?
• The communication log — was the extra time discussed?
• The crew notes — what happened on the job?

Step 3: Resolve

You have three options:

Option	When	How
Charge stands	You have documentation (signed change order, crew notes)	Explain the charges with the evidence. Most disputes end here.
Partial credit	There’s some ambiguity, you want to preserve the relationship	Issue a credit memo for a portion of the disputed amount.
Full credit	You made an error — crew mistake, wrong charge	Issue a full credit memo. Own the mistake.

To issue a credit memo: Open the invoice → Adjustments → Add Credit → enter amount and reason.

Step 4: Get it in writing

Once resolved, send the customer an updated invoice reflecting the adjustment. Ask them to confirm via email: “Thanks for working this out. I’ve adjusted the invoice to $X. Please confirm this is acceptable.”

Handling partial payments

Scenario: Customer can’t pay in full today

1. Record the partial payment in MoveRight — enter the amount they can pay
2. Set a payment due date for the balance — typically 7-14 days
3. Send the updated invoice showing the partial payment and remaining balance
4. Set a follow-up task in MoveRight for the due date

Scenario: Customer wants a payment plan

For large jobs (long-distance, commercial moves):

1. Agree on a schedule: e.g., 50% now, 25% in 2 weeks, 25% on delivery
2. Record each payment as it comes in
3. MoveRight tracks the remaining balance automatically

Scenario: Customer is withholding payment due to damage claim

1. Separate the issues. The move invoice and the damage claim are two different things.
2. Record the payment for the move services
3. Handle the damage claim through your insurance / valuation process
4. Don’t let an invoice sit unpaid while a damage claim is pending — that just creates two problems

Common questions

What if the customer refuses to pay at all? Document everything. Send a formal invoice by email with a due date. If it goes past due, follow your collections process (usually a series of reminders, then a final notice, then small claims or a collection agency). MoveRight tracks all of this.

Should I offer a discount to resolve a dispute? A small goodwill credit is fine — $50-100 on a $1,500 invoice to preserve the relationship and get a review. But don’t cave on legitimate charges just because the customer is upset. That trains customers to dispute everything.

What if a dispute goes legal? Your documentation is your defense. Signed estimates, signed change orders, communication logs, crew notes — all of it is in MoveRight. Don’t delete anything.

What happens next

• Invoicing basics: Sending and Signing Invoices
• Recording payments: How to Record Payments
• QuickBooks sync: QuickBooks Sync and Reconciliation