If your debt collection agency doesn’t use email to talk to consumers, you’re never going to reach your full recovery potential. Phone calls are less effective than ever in making consumer contacts and traditional mail can be costly. Sending the model validation notice by email: Encourages more consumer engagement Is a compliant option Saves money Is faster than mail Still, implementing model validation notice emails requires planning. Here are the three main concerns agencies have raised, and what you need to know to start sending compliant notices by email. "Utilizing email to send Mo ..read more

The CFPB expects all debt collection agencies to have a compliance management system (CMS) in place during operation. Courtney Reynaud, President of Credit Bureau USA, and the other California Association of Collectors Collection Boot Camp panelists, understand how overwhelming creating a compliant collection agency can be. “With everything else we have to do to run a successful business, compliance is probably one of the largest business expenses,” says Reynaud. It can be hard to dive into such a costly and important part of running an agency. By understanding what makes up a compliance man ..read more

Marketing any business can be a challenge. Marketing in a niche industry such as debt collection can be even more difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to reach prospective clients. Sometimes it’s because you have a shoestring budget to cover your efforts. Yet, marketing your debt collection services is important to your agency’s growth. How should you focus your debt collection marketing to gain clients, no matter your agency’s size? PDCflow sat down with an expert. Chief Marketing Officer of Hawes Financial Group, Jeff Johnson, shares some advice. Turn a promise to pay into a resolved account ..read more

For many consumers, a tax return is the perfect opportunity to take control of outstanding debts. That’s why tax refund season is one of the busiest times of the year for debt collection agencies. Does your agency take advantage of tax refund season to boost revenue and close more accounts? Lots of companies might want to establish a tax time collection campaign but don’t know how to prepare. Here are three ways to enhance your upcoming tax season debt collection efforts. Update Your Compliance Management System Most companies have some type of compliance management system that addresses ..read more

Your staff works hard during the busy tax season and throughout the year to settle past-due accounts and collect payments for your debt collection agency. Without measures in place to prevent chargebacks, though, many of your payments could end up being disputed by consumers. Agencies and other high-risk businesses can go months or years without experiencing the stress caused by credit card chargebacks. It can be as simple as following these chargeback prevention tips. Common Chargeback Reasons The reasons consumers dispute charges with their credit card companies can vary. They can range ..read more

Debt settlement campaigns are initiatives where debt collection agencies offer a discount to consumers to boost collection on old or unresponsive accounts. Tax season is the best time to consider a debt settlement campaign within your debt collection agency. A debt settlement campaign can help your agency: liquidate inventory more quickly increase revenue for you and your clients increase the energy and morale on your collection floor At the same time, your consumer gets a deal, reduces their debt, and has more money left over for other expenses. Shawn Suhr, CEO of Continental Credit C ..read more

“Privacy works flexibly. It’s scalable. And it’s unique to every situation we’re in.” This is a quote from Leslie Bender, Senior Attorney of Health Privacy and Consumer Financial Privacy during her presentation at Collector Live, a yearly event hosted by Mike Gibb of AccountsRecovery.net. The virtual conference for frontline and upper management debt collectors hosted several experts including debt collection industry professional Harry Strausser III. He spoke on maintaining a positive professional image–something that can be especially difficult in the collection industry. The conference al ..read more

Most modern debt collection agencies are starting to use email for collection, or have it on the roadmap to implement soon. Consumers like the convenience of email and companies prefer advantages like: The cost savings of using email compared to traditional mail The possibility to reach consumers you otherwise wouldn’t Faster collection on accounts Even with the positive aspects of email for debt collection, one point of hesitation remains – sending validation notices. Because Regulation F can be complicated, many agencies are still nervous to send this document by email. But there are way ..read more

Email for debt collection is more popular than ever and there are good reasons why. A thoughtful debt collection email strategy: Makes right party contact faster and easier Drives more traffic to self-serve channels, freeing up employees to do other work Saves money on operating costs by reducing postage costs Gives you more visibility into consumer engagement In an era where convenience and privacy are paramount, email offers a non-intrusive, easily accessible, discreet means of communication customers prefer. Now it’s time to take advantage of these preferences and amplify engagement. It ..read more

In a recent PDCflow sponsored webinar on accountsrecovery.com, a panel of digital collection experts sat down to discuss the differences they’ve encountered in text messaging and email for debt collection. Shawn Farris, Brandy Rouselle, and Chris Repholz discussed which channels they each prefer and the strengths of each. They also covered how using SMS messages together with email for debt collection in a single strategy boosts engagement and builds trust. Choosing One: Text or Email for Debt Collection? Which channel is best for reaching consumers about their debt? The answer may chang ..read more