Past Due Collections
Not everyone has the ability to collect money from past due clients. The very idea of confronting customers for a past due balance can give many people anxiety and if the client becomes abusive, your desire to pursue past due funds diminishes. Why are some collectors more effective than others? Do they enjoy the conflict that is associated with collections? Quite frankly, who in their right mind is excited about doing this job?
The reason some collectors are more effective is the methods they use to get clients to pay. Moreover, the best collectors present themselves as the problem solver and not a bill collector. They approach the client with respect and don’t treat them like debtors. Believe me, when the approach is that of a problem solver and the client’s ally, it works miraculously! Your “style” keeps you from losing your patience when clients get angry. It also keeps you from losing your cool which does not result in payment and can make you hate your job. The choice is yours. The tone of your voice in addition to certain buzz words and phrases sets the stage for the end result which is the payment. I write about this in great detail in my publication The Top 10 Billing Secrets. While a great accounts receivable process mitigates the entire collections process, there will always be those who challenge you. There will always be debtors and game players.
“It’s important to remember that the way I collect money can reduce stress and make my job more gratifying. I can make customers happy to pay and pleased to do business with me. Even the most difficult clients can be reprogrammed to respond nicely and I can instill in them the desire to pay. The techniques I use will result in training clients to pay their bills on time. When this task is performed correctly, the money comes in, my job gets better, and my stress is reduced and/or eliminated. This will enhance my ability to be a patient, tactful and talented accounts receivable professional. I should approach collections in a way that reduces frustration and dissatisfaction on both sides. This will guarantee greater revenue, increased customer satisfaction and a higher level of fulfillment for me both personally and professionally.”
I will say it again, the choice is yours. So what do you want; a better environment that is more fulfilling or a continued struggle to make people pay up?
CJM Billing Solution, Inc. is becoming one the leading accounts receivable firms in the nation because of our ability to recognize the problems of non-paying customers and how to retrain them, keep them current, and happy. We are effective in helping firms overcome the “business as usual” mentality that stifles growth and creates complacency in many of today’s companies.
