Veteran agents in the accounts receivable management industry need training that works with their level of experience and encourages change when needed. Here are some tips on how you can create training programs for your long-time staff.
10/28/2019 9:00
Collector magazine Managing Editor Anne Rosso May talked with Ximena Cuellar, call center trainer for Contract Callers Inc., to learn the approach she takes when it comes to training experienced agents who may be entrenched in their habits and less open to learning new techniques. Below is Cuellar’s interview featured in the October issue of Collector magazine.
The Problem: Experienced and Newbie Collectors Have Different Training Needs
“Training experienced agents can sometimes be challenging due to their preformed habits and resistance to change. I have noticed when training experienced and non-experienced agents in the same class that there seems to be an uneven understanding of the information provided. Whenever I check to see if the information is being retained, experienced agents would respond “Yes!” even though I could see that they had not been engaged during the training, whereas non-experienced agents would stay quiet. I believe this was due to the intimidation factor of being in a room with veteran agents.
The Solution: Split Them Up and Then Bring Them Together
First, I broke up the training classes so the experienced agents and new agents were separated. This was helpful because I was able to teach the experienced agents some adjustments between what they’d done in previous agencies versus the CCI way and I was able to really spend time with the newer agents, answering their questions and explaining our processes. Then I brought both groups together again. I found that using the knowledge experienced agents bring to the table and empowering them to help the newbies provided a turnaround in the entire class’s attitude, approach and engagement.
When partnering the pros with the amateurs, I realized that the pros were able to discuss different scenarios they came across when they first started collections and how they overcame obstacles. I think it really brought the entire class together and ultimately created an atmosphere of camaraderie and comprehension.
Plus, even I learned something! Some of the experienced agents shared that they had a “three-minute rule” for each call. It usually takes about 30 seconds to verify the identity of the consumer, and then after that you can gauge the consumer’s sources of income, intentions and so on. If in three minutes you’re not ready to negotiate or discuss payment options, it might be time to move on. I incorporated that technique into my training and it’s really boosted efficiency.”
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