| |
| |
|
Credit Information |
|
|
|
Collection Agency Secrets for Collecting on Bad Debt
Getting worried that one of your clients, customers or patients will never pay? Have you given up on a customer who's essentially said he won't pay? Congratulations--being stiffed by a customer or patient is a milestone in the growth of a business or medical practice. But even the most hopeless of bad debts can sometimes be collected-collection agencies have been doing it for years. Here are six of their secrets. 1) Don't just call, write. 2) Don't ask if, ask when. 3) Be nice. 4) Be cooperative 5) Know the value of your time But don't just let this fear linger in the back of your mind, fighting with the little voice that says you want your money. To get a rough idea of how much time you can afford to spend collecting the debt, and whether you have the time to do it at all, sit down and write out a rough estimate of the value of your time, the likelihood of collecting, and the amount you are owed. For instance, let's say you are going to assign this task to an administrative assistant whose time is worth $15/hour. The debt is $1000. It is owed you by an old customer who is three months behind but has never been seriously delinquent before, so you say you have a 50% chance of getting the money, making the value of the collection about $500. You divide $500 by $15 and find that your assistant could spend 33 hours collecting the debt before it lost your company money. However, you'd probably still feel a little unsure about whether it was all worth it. Your feelings would be correct: there's still the opportunity cost of all the work your assistant won't be doing to keep your business moving. To be safe, you can also estimate the opportunity cost at another $15/hour, which means you can only really afford to have your assistant spend half as much time, or 16 and a half hours. If you've already spent that much time already, it's time either to call it quits or call in the professionals. 6) Get a collection agency Steve Austin is a regular contributor to Let No Debt Remain Outstanding (http://www.let-no-debt-remain-outstanding.com/), a website with articles on choosing a collection agency, along with recommended the best collection agencies.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Start Building Credit Fast! There are a couple of reasons for this. You can pay your bills on time for years and never gain more than a few points on your credit score. Credit Scores and Loan Applications Keep Your Credit History Clean - Remove A Negative Credit Record From Your Credit ReportIt can make a difference of up to 18% in loan repayment costs.For example, on a 30-year, $150,000 fixed rate mortgage, a borrower with the best credit score, 760-850, will pay 5. How To Protect Yourself Against Credit Card Fraud In the high tech world of today, credit card fraud is an ever increasing problem.By 2005 it is estimated that the online payment industry will capture $12. Common Credit Score Myths A lot of credit score myths about fico score ratings get spread around and some of them are just outdated information. Sometimes even lenders can give you the wrong advice and it can get confusing. Credit Cards -- What You Should Know There are a lot of questions about using credit cards. Here's some important points for you:A quick look around on the Internet this morning shows that more than 9 million people in the UK do not pay off their credit card balances each month. Good Credit -- Essential for the Prospective Home Buyer Credit is a funny thing. It can be a useful tool in the hands of an informed individual, or a weight of burden to the unsuspecting. What To Look For In A Credit Card When you are deciding what type of credit card to get it is important to compare credit cards to each other and find the best deal for you. There are a variety of different credit cards available, from low interest cards, cash back cards and even reward credit cards, it's hard to decide what exactly the best credit cards are. Using Credit Cards Wisely "I think money was stolen from my card" or "I might have blocked my card in the ATM" - these are frequent problems that bank customer-support officers usually hear from agitated clients. Incorrect use of credit cards or wrong interpretations of their functions are frequent even after tens of years of credit-card extensive use. How to Save Money on Your Credit Cards Credit card companies make their money on the 85% of us who fail to pay the outstanding balance each month. Even if you are not in a position to pay the balance each month you can still save some money if use your card wisely. Commercial Collections And Credit Granting It is estimated that billions of dollars in delinquent commercial credit is currently being carried on the books of both American and international businesses. This figure changes as our economy grows or contracts. Bounced Checks - Straight Talk On Dealing With Bad Checks (NSF) A check can be considered bad if it is bogus or the NSF checks (non sufficient funds check), also referred as bounced check.The issuance of a NSF or bad checks is an unlawful act and can attract civil and criminal penalties. How to Dispute Credit Report Errors Your credit report--a type of consumer report--contains information about where you work and live and how you pay your bills. It also may show whether you've been sued or arrested or have filed for bankruptcy. Restore Your Credit Rating And Reduce Your Debts Your credit rating affects many areas of your life. Opening new credit accounts, buying a home or car, getting a new job, and receiving discounts on insurance rates are just a few of the things that are impacted by your credit score. New Law Provides Free Annual Credit Report As of Thursday, December 1, 2004, one-third of Americans will be able to access their credit reports from all three main agencies for free. Passed in late 2003, the Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act creates a central source consumers can use to obtain a free annual credit report. Credit Card Debt: One Way To Avoid It One of the biggest problems people have in these modern times is Credit card debt, and worst is USA.Simply because there have always been so many laws and regulations before you could have acard in the rest of the world, you can't for instance borrow someone elses card and go shopping becauseyou always have to show some ID before they accept cards in Europe. Do You Know Whats On Your Credit Report ? It is important to know your credit rating for a number of reasons. Believe it or not there may be errors in your credit report, and it is essential that you repair them immediately. How To Get a Low Interest Credit Card Consumers often have the first credit card that they ever applied for, never really analizing how the interest rate affects their payments, but many other options exist and can help consumers decrease their payments and achieve financial stability.With interest rates on some credit cards rising to over 23%, even low balance credit card debt can be crippling. The Next Person With Credit Problems Got Their First Credit Card Today! One of the focus areas of my information is the absolute necessity of changing the way a person thinks about money and debt while in the process of repairing their credit. I have seen cases where a couple will work really hard for months, and finally get their credit report to the place they can borrow again and go out and buy something on credit just because they can. How A Prepaid Debit Card Can Help You Rebuild Your Credit Consumers today are up to their eyeballs in debt. And many people don't realize it until their good credit has been devastated. Legislators Ponder New Credit Protection Laws Legislators in Washington, D.C.
|
| Home | Site Map | |
| © 2007 |
