Hello everyone! It's the Christmas season yet again. Seven years ago, I wrote a blog talking about how Christmas causes December to be a difficult month for many collection agents.
As I said before, from my experience, December isn't hard because consumers are refusing in droves to pay their accounts, and it's not collection agents being cold-hearted to financially compromised consumers during the holidays, it's a lack of time.
As well, a lot of major creditors understand that between potential damage to brand reputation and diminishing returns on recoveries the closer it gets to Christmas, they don't want their debtors called during the holidays -- some clients impose a 'collections blackout' for either a few days, or even up to two weeks. This doesn't make life easier for the collection agency, already strapped for time and efficiency.
However, for all the chaos of 2020, this isn't the worst year for holiday collections. Normally any other month has 21 or so working days -- in some years, because of the way that weekends, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day fall, it only leaves maybe 18 days to do the same work, a 15% reduction in time in December. However, with weekends falling where they do, this year even with those three days off we have 20 working days. So, it's pretty much a full month.
And yes, as we said back in 2013, we still don't make our collection teams work on Christmas Eve. I still believe now, as I did then, it's not kind to your staff, and it certainly isn't a productive day, so we might as well give them the day off with pay.
The other thing we've learned as we've grown is how to best accommodate vacation time as well -- some people are fine with a 5 days off with the weekend in there this year, but some folks are looking to book off the three days we are open this week, or the three days we are open next week -- and that's okay. As long as projects are assigned to other team members, people who are covering are cross-trained on tasks, or things are rescheduled, and overall the company isn't suffering, it's a good time for people to take time off and recharge.
As well, some of our staff are 'front loading' the month by banking flex time to take off during the holidays -- that's okay too. If they've put in 20 days worth of collection activity, it should get a decent result for collections, regardless of maybe a couple 9 hour days early in the month and an extra day off during the holiday.
For those collection agents who are working today and tomorrow, we wish you the best of luck during a challenging holiday season to reach folks -- and for those managers who have control over scheduling, think about a more productive way to work around Christmas holidays next year in 2021 -- if you gave your staff Christmas Eve (a Friday) and Boxing Day off (a Monday), you will still have 21 working days. Maybe consider giving them the 23rd off as well? It's not about wringing every employable hour from your collectors, it's about working efficiently and keeping your team happy.
Happy holidays everyone!
Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer
KINGSTON Data and CreditCambridge, Ontario
226-946-1730
blair@receivableaccounts.com
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