ACA’s Harry Strausser works with agencies and members in Jamaica on education and more during Credit and Debt Collection Conference.
12/14/2018 9:00
ACA International is building relationships around the world by connecting with members and accepting opportunities to share information. Recently, ACA’s Harry Strausser, education and membership development director, ventured to Kingston, Jamaica to assist Jamaica Collection and Recovery Services Ltd. in hosting the biennial Credit and Debt Collection Conference 2018.
“The conference provided an outstanding opportunity for ACA to engage with members outside of our borders while offering some educational assistance,” said Strausser, noting the similarities between the collections environment in Jamaica and in the U.S.
Strausser, IFCCE, MCE, commanded the attention of 165 attendees as he expertly moderated several presentations related to the conference theme “How to Collect Your Debts in a Changing Economy.”
Agencies in Jamaica are adapting to trends in technology like many others in the industry. However, the Caribbean island nation struggles with a challenging infrastructure as its residents and businesses grapple with the high costs of phones and making contact with consumers, according to Strausser.
Strausser presented on topics including collection policies, collection floor management, collection performance, motivating your collection team and more.
ACA International is working with Jamaica Collection and Recovery Services, its Managing Director Christopher Johnson as well as other agencies in Jamaica as they continue to develop professional standards for the industry.
While credit reporting was established several years ago under the Credit Reporting Act, Jamaica is currently devoid of collection regulations. In fact, collection agencies remain prohibited from reporting consumers’ accounts to the credit bureaus or accessing the data, Strausser said.
Agencies in Jamaica are working to ensure the industry’s voice is heard when regulations are put in place there.
“The collections agencies, via the formation of an association, want to promote legislation to regulate their own industry basically to keep the bad players out,” Strausser said. “They want to form the association so they can have a collective voice to lobby with legislators.”
“That will be our role in helping the agencies,” he said. “We are supporting an international member initiative.”
Pictured above: Education and Membership Development Director Harry Strausser and participants in the biennial Credit and Debt Collection Conference 2018 in Kingston, Jamaica.
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