Awkward moments
Professional invoice for walk-in customers
A walk-in has no account and no history with you. Text them a complete invoice anyway: your name, the work, the total, the due date.
Look established to someone you just met
Walk-in and emergency customers have no reason to trust a bare link. The text has to carry your business name, what you did, and the amount. The invoice page does the rest. You will not have a long relationship to smooth over a sloppy bill, so the first message is the whole impression. Get their mobile before you start, not after they have walked off. Due on receipt is normal. If they want a company name on the bill, change the client line before you send.
Thanks for calling Harbor Lock. Emergency open and an hour on site, due now: https://invoicetxt.com/i/your-link
Ask for the mobile at the start
The end of an emergency is a bad time to discover you cannot text them.
Lead with your business name
Their phone will not recognise you. The first words should.
Describe the work in plain language
“Emergency open and one hour” beats a code or a SKU.
Send it before they leave the step
A walk-in who leaves without the link is a walk-in you will not find again.
What to put on this invoice
- Your business name in the text
- What you did, in words
- The total
- A mobile number collected at the start
Questions about this job
What if they want it in a company name?
Change the client line and resend. Do not ask them to imagine their company name on a bill that says their first name.
Should I create a client record?
Yes, if they might call again. The invoice can still go out in the same minute.
What if they refuse to give a number?
Offer the PDF on their email if they have one. If they have neither, take payment before they leave.
You get one message to look like a business they meant to call.
Related guides
Invoice when Wi-Fi is bad
Draft the invoice line in your notes while the signal is poor. Send the link when a connection returns. Do not rebuild the job from memory later.
Open guide →Quick invoice for one-off jobs
A one-off customer will not join a portal. Send a short invoice by text with the work, the total and a link. Then you are done with the admin.
Open guide →Invoice clients without email
Some customers do not check email, or never gave you one. Text them the invoice link. You do not need an email address to create the bill.
Open guide →