Mid-Stage Collection Escalation for Electrical Contractors

Place the following early-stage collection actions in the correct order, starting from when an electrical invoice first becomes due.

When an electrical invoice reaches its exact due date without being paid, what is the primary purpose of contacting the customer?

Match each early-stage collection action with the specific electrical contracting scenario where it should be applied.

A customer refuses to pay an electrical invoice that is 14 days past due, claiming they did not agree to the price of the additional lighting installed. This late-stage dispute could likely have been prevented if the contractor had utilized the exact due date to confirm the invoice was received and to verify there were no disagreements about the scope or amount.

An electrical contractor is reviewing a proposed collections policy that suggests sending a formal legal demand letter to customers who are 7 days past due on their invoices. The contractor strongly rejects this proposal, instead mandating that the 7-day mark should only trigger a friendly reminder referencing the invoice number and amount. The contractor's critical assessment is correct because escalating to legal threats this early violates the core business principle that collection efforts within the first two weeks must remain ____.