Jaqueline Palmer has worked as a credit controller in Greater London for over 20 years, primarily in the telecoms industry, having worked for companies like Carillion and Colt Telecom. She recently joined Redstone working as a junior on sales ledger. Promotion to senior and then team leader have come quickly for her.

She explained to me that credit controller and sales ledger are two sides of the same coin. “The credit controller is relying on the person in sales ledger to have got all the details correct. Remittances and invoices must match on the system, so that the credit controller can be sure that the payment they’re chasing is for the correct amount. In a big company, you split the sales ledger and have a set of clients you chase payment from."

The stresses are different between the two jobs. Credit control can require quite an assertive personality. “Sometimes you have to put a different head on," said Jaqueline. “A lot of the time, companies have a 30-day payment policy, whereas our terms are 14 days. You have to explain to them that they signed a contract, and that they’re in breach of it. Of course, what you want to do is to get as many of them as possible onto direct debit."

“Sales ledger is a breeze for the first two weeks of the month because the invoices have only just gone out. However, what can happen is that payments come in without remittance advice, or with the wrong remittance advice. Then we have to call around, trying to find the right person to talk to at the customer, and make sure that everything is allocated correctly on the system. So getting everything reconciled at the end of the month is where the stress is."

Recently, Redstone bought out IDM. The main integration issue is that IDM had a different set of products, and they have to be integrated into the system. “You do get to know your company’s products, and they grow organically. But when you get an additional set overnight it can be a challenge."

Jaqueline made the switch to sales ledger as a trial and has done very well. Would she go back to credit controller? “My old boss knows where I am and he’s always said I’d be welcome back in my old job!"