What does a debt collector do all day?
A debt collector does spend countless hours dialing for dollars. While telephone contact is a big part of what we do every day, it is only a small part of our plan to get our customers paid.
Morning Coffee and Promises
The first thing I do every morning is review the daily list of people who have promised to pay. A debt collector who sets debtor promises and diligently follows up on them. Some people do exactly what they say they will do. Others do it eventually, after several delays. Still others never intend to pay, and when they promise you, they are saying what they know will get you off them phone.
An experienced debt collector can differentiate between real promises and not-so-real ones. If someone does not pay on a given date, they can inquire as to the reason for non-payment, and perhaps work out a better plan for repayment. For example, I recently spoke with a woman who owed my dentist client over $1,000. The first time we spoke, she told me she could pay in two weeks. I set the promise and followed up on the given day. I could not reach her for a week, despite multiple attempts. She did finally return the call, and told me that she could not make the payment. By carefully and compassionately questioning her, I learned that she did not understand that she did not have to pay the entire payment all at once. I was able to set her up on a payment plan of $ 100.00 a month, with payments scheduled to correspond with her biweekly paychecks. She stayed on schedule and paid the debt off as promised.
Customer Communication and Coaching
This week, I worked with an accountant to collect a past due balance. The debtor had paid half his bill, but had failed to make the second payment and had stopped responding. When we approached the debtor, who owed $2,500, he told me that he had been promised that he could pay only $700 to settle the balance. He had, in fact been told that, but when he failed to pay promptly the accountant believed his settlement offer could be withdrawn.
My accountant customer had an oral contract (for settlement at $ 700) with his customer. While oral contracts are valid, they are subject to the memory of each party in the event of a dispute. After fifteen years as a debt collector, I can assure you that in a dispute, each party will remember only the part of the deal that benefits them.
I advised my client to accept payment of $ 700.00. I advised the debtor (in writing) that we would accept the settled amount if and only if payment was made within a week. The debtor wired the money to the accountant the following day.
Afterwards, the accountant and I discussed how to document settlement offers in the future, that is, always put it in writing, lay out exactly how and when the debt is to be paid, and describe what will happen if payment is not made as promised.
My client took a little less money, but he got his money quickly and avoided a long, protracted dispute. He also learned how to protect himself in the future. I call that a good deal!
Skip, Skip, Skip to My Lou!
A big part of being a debt collector is research to find people and their assets. In our business it is called “skip tracing” and it is one of the favorite parts of my job. I consider skip tracing a critical part of my job, and I am really good at it.
Skip tracing combines using different sources (some public, others purchased) to find people or to make an assesment of their ability to pay. It is a critical part of our strategy and process.
If you are considering hiring a debt collector, you must ask about their skip tracing capabilities.
Legal Beagle
I am not an attorney but I work with attorneys nearly every day. Unfortunately there are times when the only way to collect a debt is to commence litigation and obtain a judgment. I have seen far too many judgments that are uncollectible for various reasons. Therefore, I spend a good deal of time choosing and preparing only the best files to send to our attorney partners. We assist by managing the legal process, especially post judgment collection.
So yes, there is a bit of a grind in making what can seem like endless phone calls, or stuffing and mailing hundreds of collection letters. However, the variety of tasks and my commitment to the right of my clients to be paid for their work keeps me going.
