Sales and Credit - What Happened to the Rapprochement?

When a Sales Department is in the driving seat and has the bit firmly between its teeth it can, frankly, drive any Credit Department (and me!) into the ground and up the wall.

I've heard and read a lot over the last year or so about the new 'cordial relationship' that was supposed to be developing between these two opposing factions - and I have to say that I had great hopes that there would actually come a time when each would truly understand the motives and aims of the other and make appropriate allowances accordingly.

Sadly, having spent the last two weeks chasing really quite piddling sums of money owed by very large companies to other very large companies - and, of course, listening carefully (and attempting to comply!) with the urgently expressed desires of both Sales and Credit as to my conduct whilst doing so - I don't believe that my hopes are likely to be realised in either the short or the long term.

I managed, at the end of the day, to do a reasonably good job all round without upsetting anyone's Sales Department or (heaven forbid!) anyone's customers - but I was left with the feeling that neither one was behaving very sensibly.

Surely it isn't difficult for any Sales Department to understand that nothing is sold until it is paid for, and if a great many things are not paid for then cash flow will suffer.

And surely any Company, however large, must be aware that a whole series of unpaid debts - however small each of those debts happens to be - is going to put up a red flag somewhere and cause a potential credit problem someday.

TGIF!