as a marketing and sales campaign, more
than anything.”
According to Samet, the company
uses an automated system that tracks
customers’ responses to company
contact through emails, visits to the
website and links they click, as well
as communication with “engagement
specialists” on the phone. Then, using
algorithms, the company identifies
the best way to communicate with
customers, as well as the tone and
format they would prefer.
Regardless of how collection agencies
reach consumers, it’s clear that focusing
on making a personal connection that
is sensitive to their wants and
needs is a good start
toward successfully
resolving their
account.
Connecting with Consumers
Collection agencies also use
technology to help ensure good
customer service. Access Receivables
Management built on its customer
service approach by creating a financial
education website, developed as part of
its “Nice People Collect More” mission.
The website, WhyCreditMatters.
net, is not a way for the company
to attempt to collect unpaid debts.
Instead, it is a source of information
on credit, credit scoring and financial
planning, and it helps consumers
understand more about the collection
industry.
In addition to providing financial
education, some agencies are using
technology to make it easier for
consumers to access their accounts
online and control their communication
preferences—increasing their
satisfaction with the collection process.
For example, Ohad Samet, president of
TrueAccord in San Francisco, said his
company uses technology that boosts
engagement with consumers.
“Our main objective is to create a
system that can automatically engage
with customers and understand them
and find the best solution for them,”
Samet said. “We think about the process
“You need to remember that every single
customer you call is really [a] good person,”
Gretz said. “It’s just that sometimes that
customer has this preconceived notion
that a collection agency is bad, and that’s
probably because they encountered one
that’s bad. Our challenge is, on every
single phone call, to change that.”
The end result will be positive
relationships with customers, a positive
work environment for employees and a
positive public image for the credit and
collection industry. cm
Katy Zillmer is a communications
specialist for ACA International.
“Nice People Collect More” is a
trademark of Access Receivables
Management.
