4 Ways to Maintain a Good Customer Experience During Collections
When a consumer falls behind on payments, customer support should not end. In the United States, debt has become a way of life. According to a recent Pew Charitable Trust research, eight out of ten Americans are in debt. When consumers fall behind on their payments, this can pose substantial issues for organizations. We all want loyal consumers, regardless of industry or business.
However, once the collecting process begins, it becomes tough to keep those clients loyal and satisfied. However, keeping consumers during and after collections is still achievable. At this point, providing good customer service can mean the difference between a loyal customer and a departing customer. Treating customers properly and maintaining your company’s customer service reputation has a knock-on effect on your brand and service image. It can also have a long-term impact on the reputation of your product’s maker or supplier.
The world is changing. Traditionally, the accounts receivable management (ARM) business focused on one goal: recovery. This was the most important metric for both overdue and default accounts. While recovery is still a crucial component of every organization, customer service cannot be overlooked. Whether the debt is medical, utility, credit card, or any other type, the collections sector faces a fundamental quandary when working with customers: we must deliver a pleasant customer experience while collecting and recovering lost assets.
If you’re in charge of debt collection, you already know how difficult your job is—and it’s not getting any better. To remain competitive and promote growth, you must manage the collection process and drive greater receivables. At the same time, you don’t want to be solely
concerned with recovery rates. You must follow the rules and be compliant. Unscrupulous collection tactics have the potential to cause serious difficulties. These can easily lead to consumer complaints and compliance concerns, not to mention reputation and brand damage
This is when offering excellent customer service might come in handy. Customer service is just as crucial with overdue or default accounts as it is with current accounts. When businesses are dealing with overdue bills, customer care does not and should not cease. When it comes to debt collection agencies that provide the best service focus on honest and compliant communication and treat every customer with respect and dignity—regardless of account status.
4 Best Ways to Maintain Good Customer Experience During Collections
So, how do you ensure that your company provides excellent customer service? The four strategies listed below are for providing exceptional customer service during repayment discussions.
Make Customer Satisfaction a No. 1 Priority
Emphasize customer service and satisfaction whether dealing with a third-party vendor or managing accounts receivable in-house. Your ability to work compassionately with your customers to assist them through a difficult financial period while also recovering funds can set the tone for a long-term relationship. You’re more of a repayment consultant than a bill collector. You offer your consumers direction, insights, counsel, and essential information that will help them attain more financial freedom.
Making good use of customer surveys is an excellent method to prioritize customer service. Throughout the repayment procedure, poll your clients. In order to improve your procedures, ask questions.
- You’ll want to leave with the following knowledge, regardless of how the questions are phrased: How happy are your customers?
- What are the most common consumer grievances?
- Are your agents giving your consumers adequate advice to assist them in avoiding future delinquencies?
Customer satisfaction surveys can produce unexpected findings. Customer satisfaction surveys should be undertaken on a regular basis for all agents and accounts, including in-house and third-party providers.
The results of these surveys will help you identify difficulties and prevent future problems. They can also assist in determining why specific accounts have become delinquent or late.
Another strategy to highlight client happiness is to adapt messaging to your specific demographics and targets. You have a plethora of media and communication tools at your disposal. Check to see if you’re reaching the appropriate customers in the correct way. Millennials may prefer texting and smartphones to communicate, whereas elderly clients may prefer ground mail and physically chatting with someone on the phone. Some consumers appreciate automated mailings, but everyone should have the option to opt out of automated newsletters or updates.
Instill Trust
Establishing trust is another important aspect of improving customer service in ARM. There is a reason why this is a highly regulated industry. Your company and its agents (internal or external) handle highly sensitive information. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Someone unrelated to them has contacted them and has access to their financial information and payback history. This is most likely information they do not discuss with their friends or family. Loyalty is built on trust. Faith and confidence are instilled by trust. When trust is formed, a consumer is more likely to have a pleasant experience with your organization. As you are aware, trust is the foundation of every good relationship, whether within or outside of the ARM business.
An article published in the Harvard Business Review, for example, explained that “transparency about the use and protection of consumers’ data reinforces trust” and that such trust is more easily broken when sensitive customer data is shared involuntarily (“Customer Data: Designing for Transparency and Trust,” HBR, May 2015).
It’s upsetting enough for the consumer to be contacted by businesses that promote them based on researched purchasing and lifestyle trends. Consider the possibility that that organization is a collections agency with access to their financial information and is attempting to collect on a debt. There is no single solution to this conundrum. However, successful techniques typically include a “philosophy of collection” focused on transparency, as well as collaborative problem-solving with customers to preserve what could otherwise be a difficult relationship.
Understand That There’s Life After Collection
A prevalent misperception is that the customer connection ends once the loan is recovered. Customer care should be prioritized when contacting delinquent consumers, during the collection process, and after the debt is settled. We’ve all heard the expression “bad things happen to good people,” and it’s critical to recognize this while working with clients.
Life is unpredictable. Extenuating factors might have a detrimental influence on customers and impose financial constraints. A consumer, for example, may lose his or her job or experience a medical emergency. Financial downturns can also have a significant and long-lasting impact, even on consumers who have been paying on time for years. Another difficulty that your consumer may have is how they prioritize their invoices. They may be paying considerably higher bills each month, pushing yours to the bottom of the pile. These and other factors may have an impact on your role. Customer relationship management (CRM) is an important component of the ARM process.
CRM and ARM complement each other. Again, when a customer falls behind on payments, customer service should not and should not end. Customers who have missed payments may require even more assistance. Remember to consider yourself a problem solver who is there to assist the consumer. They may be dealing with circumstances that are beyond their control. Businesses would benefit from seeing the situation for what it is: a blip in an otherwise good customer’s financial life that necessitates education, support, flexibility, and patience to help them get back on track.
Pay Attention to Social
The impact of social media is an important factor. Every day, people communicate using sites like as Facebook, Twitter, Glassdoor, and Instagram. These platforms provide consumers a strong voice and allow them to engage directly with businesses of all sizes. Social media has brought businesses closer to their target market and client base than ever before.
Consumer complaints can be heard loud and clear on social media. A company’s reputation will suffer if it treats consumers unfairly or becomes recognized for aggressive and noncompliant collection procedures. This can have long-term consequences. Pay close attention to what is being discussed online. Additionally, consider responding to customers in order to better understand their concerns. This may assist you in improving your operations and avoiding repeat scenarios with future consumers. In fact, admitting the problem on a social media platform can do wonders for recovering a customer’s devotion to your company. It can also have a favorable impact on potential clients. They will understand that your company values its customers.
Consider collections to be a type of problem-solving based on communication, negotiation, and mutual agreement. Make sure you answer in a way that both exhibits and stresses flexibility; this is critical in problem-solving. It allows both parties to change their expectations while still meeting their objectives.
These are just a few examples of how paying attention to detail can help to maintain long-term customer relationships and improve the customer’s perception of your company and brand.
Balance Revenue and Customer Loyalty Objectives
The entire debt collection and ARM industry is changing. Yes, income must remain at the forefront of the recovery process, but creditors and third-party suppliers are now considering revenue cycle management companies in the context of customer relationships. Customers today have a wide range of expectations. Many people are adjusting their attitudes around debt repayment and how they engage with businesses. You must adapt to these changes or risk losing valued consumers.
ARM, on the other hand, does not have to be a trade-off between revenue and client loyalty—the two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the correct method entails treating clients with care and respect, preserving the customer connection while driving increasing receivables.
The bottom line is that there is no substitute for a devoted client base, even when you are attempting to collect outstanding debt. We should not forgo typical CRM tactics simply because we work in a highly regulated business. Rather, we should raise the bar and demand more of ourselves. It requires dedication to provide the greatest possible client experience. Providing excellent customer service, educating and advocating for your borrowers, and treating all accounts fairly will yield rich benefits long after your customers’ financial difficulties have passed.
