Stop 6 of 8 · Daily
Customer and supplier follow-up
WhatsApp and email drafts that fit the relationship, the overdue note that gets paid, and the supplier delay message that gets a date.
Four relationships, four voices
Sherif's phone holds a retailer he has sold to since 2018, a new shop in Zagazig that has bought twice, a distributor 45 days past due, and a factory in Istanbul that has stopped replying. Writing all four in the same voice is what makes follow-up feel like nagging.
The channel is part of the message. A WhatsApp to a man he has known eight years opens with his first name and runs three lines. An email to a new business customer carries the company name, the invoice reference and a formal Arabic that would look strange coming from a friend.
| Who | Channel and voice |
|---|---|
| Long standing retailer | WhatsApp, Arabic, first name, three lines, one ask |
| New business customer | Email, formal Arabic and English, invoice references |
| Distributor past due | Email with the statement attached, cool and factual |
| Supplier who has slipped | English email, firm, dates rather than feelings |
The overdue note that gets paid
It contains the invoice numbers and their dates, the amount, what was agreed when the goods went out, one specific ask and one date. It does not contain a threat, an interest rate, or any concession Sherif has not decided on. Tell Claude which concessions exist before it drafts, or it will invent a helpful one.
The supplier message that gets a date
Three questions and nothing else: when will the goods be ready, when will they sail, and what do you propose about our customer's date. Send it in English, keep the Arabic copy for the internal file, and do not ask for an explanation. The explanation arrives whether you ask or not and changes nothing.
Here is my list of open follow-ups with the relationship and the history for each. For every one, tell me the channel, then write the message in English and Arabic. Long relationships get short and personal, new customers get formal with references. Never offer a discount, an extension or any term I have not given you. One ask and one date per message. [paste your follow-up list: customer, what is open, how long we have worked together]
[paste the statement rows for this customer with the account numbers removed] Write the overdue note for this customer in Arabic and English. Name each invoice and its date, the total, and what was agreed at delivery. Ask for payment of the older invoice by a date I will fill in as [date]. Firm and respectful, under 120 words. No interest, no legal language, no offer of any kind.
Write an English email to my supplier in Istanbul about purchase order [number]. Deposit paid three weeks ago, no update since. Ask three numbered questions: revised ready date, revised sailing date, and what they propose about our customer's delivery date of 30 October. No apology from us, no request for an explanation. Then give me the Arabic version for our file.