Commercial Collections By Telephone

The telephone enables a credit manager to make many contacts in the shortest period of time. A call permits you to present your case to the debtor for immediate response.

During the conversation you can determine whether the claim will be paid in full and when. This is the time to determine reasons for nonpayment.

Advantages in telephoning are the two-way line of communication and the speed in obtaining a response. For most calls, follow a set pattern:

- Call directly to the person in charge.

- Identify yourself and your company.

- Ask for payment in full at a specific date.

- Suggest a solution once you have determined the real reason for the bill not being paid.

Three Main Reasons for Nonpayment

The most difficult part of a call is to determine the real reason the bill has not been paid. There are usually three reasons for nonpayment.

1. Lack of funds or belief that there is a lack of funds.

Most nonpayments result from real or imagined lack of funds. You have to determine which of the two is truly the case. Frequently, businesses have assets they don