In the accounts receivable world, an older account has smaller odds of being paid. It can be very expensive to hold onto accounts that you will not be able to collect using the methods at your company. When concentrating on other aspects of your business proves to be a better use of company time and resources, using an outside collection agency (OCA) to collect unpaid debt is a great option that can actually help your business grow.
Collection representatives at certified commercial collection agencies are trained on current collection techniques, technology and compliance issues. They also generally have an understanding of business and collections laws and regulations. Therefore, using an outside collection agency will save time and likely provide much better results than you could achieve on your own.
According to the Commercial Collection Agencies of America (CCA of A), In as little as three months, the probability of collecting a delinquent account drops to 68.9%. After six months, collectability drops to 51.3% and after one year, the probability of ever collecting delinquent accounts drops to 21.4%. If your business is sitting on unpaid invoices without actively pursuing them, it is worth it to give them to a professional commercial collection agency to handle. Invoices are not going to get collected if you keep them, and the percentage you will pay the agency will be well worth it.
The CCA of A suggests that chasing past due receivables is not why you hired your credit staff:
- Delinquent accounts take time away from management and credit personnel that
could better be used performing more profitable activities - In-house collections statistics reveal that at three months past due, almost 27% of delinquent accounts will never be collected. At six months past due, over 44% of delinquent accounts will go uncollected
- Past due receivables demand immediate and effective action when the cost of your own personnel’s efforts does not justify further action or a customer demonstrates bad faith and loses credibility
- Look for the Seal of a CERTIFIED member to be sure of receiving the highest level of professional collection services, competitive results and ethical dealings with you and your customers
Once you have placed your claim with an OCA, please do not engage in discussions or negotiations with the customer. If the customer contacts you, simply refer them back to your agency. Customers sometimes try to circumvent professional collectors in order to confuse or delay payments. Don’t be taken in by this tactic. When a claim has been placed with a collection agency, all discussions and negotiations should go directly through them.
In order to keep the collection process moving smoothly, be sure to respond immediately to the collector’s requests for further information, should they have any. The longer you delay, the longer it will take to collect your account. Or, it may put your collection agency in the position of not being able to collect your account at all.
If you have done your due diligence in selecting an OCA, don’t be impatient, allow proper time for the agency to work the accounts you have placed. It is in the best interest of the collection agency to resolve the accounts as quickly as possible. Micromanaging can take collector’s time away for properly working the account.
An agency’s main goal is to collect on a claim as quickly as possible. Typically when a claim is set, a letter will be sent to the customer indicating that their account has been sent to collections, and the letter will indicate the total amount due with instruction to remit payment immediately. In general, you can expect to be contacted within two weeks to provide an update on the account, and online account access may also be available if your chosen OCA offers that capability. Full payment, payment commitments or a payment schedule should be arranged within 30 – 45 days. However, if the agency is unable to collect on the account within the 30 – 45 day time frame, the account may be sent to an attorney with your approval.
The first contact the attorney will make with the customer is known as attorney-amicable handling. This is another attempt made on the claim to collect without resorting to legal action. Should this not result in payment, the agency may ask for your permission to elevate the claim to a lawsuit. It normally takes 60 days to serve the customer with the compliant, and then the customer will then have 20 to 45 days to respond. If the customer does not respond, however, the attorney will file a motion for default judgment, which will take another 30-60 days to obtain from the court. If the customer does answer, the next course of action and time-frame will be determined by his position. Once a final judgment has been made, the customer will have 30 days to pay. If the customer still fails to make payment, the attorney will issue an execution to the sheriff, who has 90 days to contact the debtor and arrange for payment. If this doesn’t result in payment, further legal proceedings will be required.
Conclusion
Positive cash flow is critical to the success of businesses both large and small. Just a handful of delinquent accounts can negatively impact the financial status of your company. So if you do not have the time or resources to perform collection activities in-house, it is wise to engage an outside collection agency. It is always in the best interest of an OCA to collect as much money as possible as quickly as possible. After all, if they don’t collect, they don’t get paid.
Check out these other commercial collections articles for tips and information on our website.