Record the customer's words
Keep the original message and record a neutral summary. If several issues are raised, list them separately rather than reducing everything to “invoice disputed”.
Connect each issue to a source
For each issue, note the relevant agreement, instruction, delivery record, completion record, change request, invoice line or prior communication. Mark missing records and conflicting versions.
- What the customer says is wrong
- Which invoice line or work item it concerns
- What source records are relevant
- What remains unanswered
Keep money movements separate
Record credits, refunds and payments as their own entries. Do not edit the original invoice amount or dispute note merely to make the current balance easier to describe.
Pause when the record needs judgment
A disputed, high-value, cross-border or unusual matter may need independent professional review. Organising the record can make that review easier, but the software does not decide the dispute.