How to triage stalls, disputes or consumer dissatisfaction.
10/22/2019 9:00
In the newly launched update of ACA’s Essential Collection Skills and Techniques course, we place a fresh emphasis on the keen listening skills and quick-thinking that pro collectors need.
Calls move fast. Your ability to triage a stall, dispute or consumer dissatisfaction and respond appropriately is crucial to keeping the call moving and properly servicing the account for the consumer and your client, reports Angela Czerlanis, ACA International’s compliance education specialist, in the October issue of Collector magazine.
STALLS
Consumers who say, “I’m busy. I can’t talk now” or “My fiancée handles my money now; you’ll have to talk to her,” might be trying to avoid talking to you, stalling the inevitable.
Can the issue be resolved or is it a time/ place inconvenience that you must honor per the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act? Confirm the preferred call-back time and record the permission to call back in your notes. Follow any other restrictions or guidelines for call backs to prevent possible harassment.
Think fast about third-party disclosure risks. Is the fiancée a co-debtor on the account? If so, the FDCPA would allow the communication. If not, and they are not yet official spouses (check state law), assume the fiancée is a third party. Get the consumer’s prior express consent to speak to this person before sharing any information about the debt.
DISPUTES
“Whoa, I don’t owe that much,” or “That’s not mine, I have no idea what you’re talking about!” are potential disputes under the FDCPA.
Remember, the consumer doesn’t need to use the word “dispute.” If the dispute is received in writing within the 30-day validation period, you must stop collection efforts until verification is sent to the consumer. While the FDCPA does not require collectors to send verification in response to a verbal dispute, your company may choose to do so. Your company may have additional responsibilities under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you hear anything that sounds like a potential dispute, take detailed notes and flag the account.
Read more on responding to consumers’ expression of dissatisfaction in the October issue of Collector magazine. If it’s been awhile since you’ve taken ACA’s Essential Collection Skills and Techniques course, or it’s time to renew your Professional Collection Specialist (PCS) designation, check out the new ACA All Access Training Zone and join an upcoming webinar to experience the new material.
Subscriptions to the Collector magazine digital edition and email notifications for each new issue are available for ACA International members by logging in to ACA International’s website here. Members and nonmembers can also purchase a print subscription. Nonmembers can create a guest profile on ACA’s website to subscribe to available publications.