By Andrew Athineos, Managing Director, Athena Collections®
Myths vs Reality
Commercial truths every business owner needs to hear.
The Myth
“They’re just busy at the moment, that’s why the invoice hasn’t been paid.”
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Why People Believe It
It’s genuinely plausible. Businesses are busy, and admin tasks can slip during operational pressure.
It’s the kinder, more charitable explanation, and most people prefer to assume good faith rather than jump to suspicion.
It also avoids an uncomfortable conversation. If they’re “just busy”, there’s nothing to confront.
The Reality
Busy is rarely the actual reason a payment doesn’t happen on time. Businesses find time for the things they’ve decided matter: wages get paid, rent gets paid, HMRC gets paid, and the suppliers who’ve made the most noise get paid.
“Busy” tends to describe how a business wants a delay to be perceived, not necessarily why it happened.
If someone is genuinely too stretched to log into online banking or approve a payment run, that itself is a sign something bigger may be happening in the business, and it’s worth understanding, not overlooking.
The real question isn’t whether they’re busy. It’s where your invoice sits on the list of things they’ve made time for.
The Commercial Impact
Accepting “busy” as an explanation without following up buys the debtor time without buying you anything in return.
Every week spent assuming good faith is a week your invoice slips further down a list that’s being actively managed by someone, even if it’s not being managed in your favour.
It also delays the point at which you’d otherwise notice a genuine problem developing. Cash flow strain rarely announces itself; it often shows up first as vague, plausible excuses like this one.
Case Study
A supplier accepted “we’re really busy at the moment” as the explanation for a six-week delay on a mid-sized invoice, twice, without querying it further. When they eventually pushed for a clearer answer, the customer admitted they were prioritising a small number of suppliers who had already escalated, and paying everyone else last. The supplier’s own patience had made silence the path of least resistance.
Andrew’s Verdict
“Busy” is one of the easiest excuses to accept, because it doesn’t feel like a challenge to anyone’s honesty. But businesses find time for what they’ve decided is urgent. If wages, rent and HMRC are getting paid on time and you’re not, the honest read isn’t that they’re busy. It’s that you haven’t yet made it clear enough that you need to be treated as a priority too.
The Bottom Line
“Busy” might be true. It’s rarely the whole story. The way to find out isn’t to wait patiently, it’s to ask a direct question and see how quickly, and how specifically, it gets answered.
Ask yourself: if a customer told you they were “just busy” after six weeks of silence, would you accept that as an answer, or would you want something more concrete before extending further credit?
Your first step should be downloading our FREE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DEBT COLLECTION, a comprehensive resource designed to help you navigate recovery with confidence. We’re here to look at your specific situation and give you the straight facts, even if that means advising you to cut your losses and focus on preventative measures for next time. If you’re looking for a partner to step in, you can easily request a transparent quote via our PRICING PAGE.