We know communication is important. It is one of our main focuses: keeping the lines of communication open as we work to resolve debt issues with consumers and our clients. Within communication, it is important to remember we have many channels available to us.
Text messages are one modern option. Now, some companies are sending SMS message from private phones of credit and collection staff -- this is definitely not a good idea. Instead, they should be set up through an SMS-enabled phone number and using internal software, which is how we operate. Ideally, you can control the flow of SMS messages for outbound and inbound messages, which is what our CMS platform does. This process documents all conversations, uses a DID that calls through to the company, and protects the collector as well as the person they are trying to contact.
It is just as important for the collectors to monitor responses or have those set up properly. Likewise, it is important for the person they are contacting to respond, which is usually by texting a reply. Rarely do people respond to a text by initiating a phone call.
Since the average response rate is about 20-30% of all initial SMS messages, remember to not send all your messages in one instantaneous batch. You don’t want 10,000 text messages going out and 2,000 immediate responses overwhelming your systems and your team members. Likewise, you want to be mindful of how long it takes to actually communicate with a consumer once they do respond.
Most provincial and state colleciton laws require you to notate any conversations with a consumer, so logging any text message communications is imperative. When one of our staff members sends our text messages to consumers they are trying to reach, our software's API issues the SMS as an HTTPPost command, and logs the text on the consumer profile. The important aspect is the communication line stays open and contacts are logged into the system.
Email can also be successfully used for collection communication. In this case, you want to make it easy for the consumer. First and foremost, privacy is key -- just because you have an email address doesn't mean it's secure for the consumer's eyes only. Filtering home and work emails are critical before disclosing consumer data through a collection notice.
Through all communication channels, it is important for the collector to have a strategy on conversations beyond just sending messages. This includes considering how often you'll be communicating and what channels you'll use. It’s also important to have a plan for logging these touchpoints. Having clear records of any communication that has taken place benefits all parties involved, as we work together to resolve accounts in debt collection. Don’t forget in all of your conversations, you also need to keep in mind privacy concerns, communication etiquette and rules for each province or state.
Through all these aspects and options, you should be able to effectively communicate through the collections process. Feel free to contact me if you want to talk more about our communication strategy and how you can replicate it or how we can better communicate with consumers. I always look forward to further conversations that will help our industry, clients and consumers.
All the best,
Jessica
Cambridge, Ontario
1-888-908-3151, Ext. 3003
support@kingstondc.com
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