Synopsis as I understand it:
-IE has been a reputable company in the past with good communication
-IE recently missed many shopper payments, suggests software may be an issue
-Software developer comes to forum, denies any issue with software functionality in relation to shoppers getting paid.
-IE claims it cannot get to the bottom of payment issues without software access.
In the end, IE is apparently not happy with the software performance and has not kept their account current. Clientsmart has apparently cut off access to software. This is an issue that should be kept between the two businesses to work out. However, the issue at hand appears to be that IE cannot move forward with any reasonable assurance and expediency in getting shoppers paid without access to said software platform. Normally I would stay out of the discussion since this is a business-to-business issue that should not involve shoppers, but sadly I am one of the shoppers that is due money.
Now, I'm not expecting Clientsmart to make getting shoppers paid a priority. They are in the business of selling and operating a MS platform. Kimberly claims to be simply defending the platform, which is understandable. It also appears that Clientsmart is utilizing shopper ire to bolster their position, though. If they were to generate the reports for IE needed to get shoppers paid, their own ability to collect missing payments would be hindered.....so we have a stalemate.
Now here's the reality; In the end, it simply makes both parties look bad. Shoppers have no confidence in taking shops from IE. Shoppers also have less interest in working with Clientsmart. Though we are not directly responsible for the software platform a MSC uses, we do make the decision to work with a MSC sometimes based on the reporting platform. That appears to be the basis of why Kimberly defends the software on a shopper forum. It's important for Clientsmart that shoppers want to use the software.
I have no idea how much $$ is due to Clientsmart by IE and it's none of my business, but I will repeat what I said above to @kimberlyp & @Inside Evaluators; Please do your best to work out business issues professionally, quickly and preferably in private!
It will not break me if I never receive my payment, but I also have a reputation to maintain. I wrangled my payments out of Freeman, Restaurant Evaluators and all of the MSCs that went belly up and screwed shoppers. I have never been stiffed on a payment and I don't intend to make this a first. I promise the commotion I and other shoppers will raise in the name of getting paid will hurt both of your businesses to a degree far greater than whatever is due. There's your incentive to work it out peacefully and ASAP! You brought this fight to a shopper forum and now you get to deal with a group of pissed off and unpaid shoppers. Split the difference on the billing and do whatever you have to to get us all working and back in business or this will go poorly for everyone. None of us win when a MSC folds, a software platform dies and shoppers do not get paid!