Is there a right way to collect debts?
Wednesday June 05, 2019
Is there a right way to collect debts?
For
many businesses, collecting debts can be one of the most difficult functions.
If you or your collections staff are too friendly and understanding, your
business could go bankrupt or at the very least, suffer cash flow problems. If
you’re too strict you could lose good customers who need some flexibility, and
if you’re too aggressive you could end up being sued.
Invoicing
promptly and polite, yet regular reminders will certainly help your business
have a healthy cash flow. But what do you do if a customer still defaults on
payment? At what point do you take more serious action or hand the account over
to a collections agency?
Play it safe
If
you need to collect on outstanding debts, it’s best to follow the stages
of debt collection, which outline what to do based on the length of time the
debt has been in default. Otherwise, it’s always best to play it safe rather
than risk alienating your customer.
1.
Practice due diligence
Before offering credit of
any kind, perform a
thorough credit check. If you do decide to offer credit, make sure that this is
appropriate. Other ways to prevent outstanding debts include releasing goods
only when payment clears, offering early payment discounts or sending invoices
as soon as the job is complete with easy payment options and conditions.
2.
Ensure communications and
expectations are clear
Make
sure that your contractual agreements always outline the responsibilities and
expectations of both parties, as well as any additional fees and interest
charged on outstanding debt. Send timely reminders to your customers and make
sure you highlight the additional fees charged as per your agreement. Most
customers realize that interest mounts on delayed payments, and will quickly
pay up if their outstanding debt is merely an oversight.
3.
Show respect and
understanding
Always
be respectful to your customer in every communication. Don’t call at
unreasonable hours, or send increasingly frantic and threatening mails. Follow
the process and be willing to be flexible and understanding of the debtor’s
unique situation.
4.
Demonstrate an ethical
approach
Always
strive to keep your customers informed of their options. Don’t alienate a
customer by not crediting their account immediately upon payment in order to
add more fees and interest, or, for example, sending out fake legal letters,
confiscating property or informing the debtor’s employers or co-workers. Make
sure your conduct is irreproachable.
5.
Be honest and transparent
It’s
important to be transparent and to record all information. Never threaten to
report your customer to the credit bureau unless you intend to do so. Some
companies have even gone so far as to make false threats about suing the debtor
or calling the authorities for non-payment. Rather inform customers of your
process and warn them that if the debt remains unpaid after 90 days, you will
have to report them to the credit bureau in line with your company’s procedure
(outlined in the contract).
6.
Know your rights
Make
sure that you know your rights by consulting with a lawyer.Many solicitors will
provide advice for free or will only charge you the cost of writing up a
lawyer’s letter. In many cases, this can be all that is needed for your
customer to pay up. Always ask for costs
up front, as in some instances the fees can outweigh the money to be reclaimed,
especially if you think the process of reclaiming this debt may be a lengthy
one.
7.
Engage a reputable debt
collection agency
A debt collection agency will handle all
correspondence and legal processes on your behalf, which can take a huge burden
of your shoulders. Most agencies work on a "no win, no fee” basis, but might
charge a large commission if successful.Before hiring any debt
collections agency, do your research to make sure they take compliance
seriously. If you don't find the right agency, you could end up being sued for something
your debt collections agency did and it’s likely you’ll never be repaid the
original debt.
Remember that you can be
assertive and professional without being aggressive. Your relationship with
your customer is a contractual one. They asked you to provide a certain thing
or service by a specified date and agreed to pay you for that product or
service by the specified date. If you both agreed to this and signed the
contract specifying these terms, you are within your rights to follow up, as
your customer would if you hadn’t delivered.
By maintaining a professional
and courteous approach and following a structured, consistent debt collections
process, your customers will understand and respect this process. If
you need to issue a complaint, you will have clear records of the actions and
events that have taken place, as well as the process followed in order to
collect.
SCORE helps businesses predict which accounts are most likely to collect, which helps you develop targeted and effective collections strategies that
maximise your account receivables. Contact us today on 647.309.1803 to get the conversation started.