Wednesday, 10 October 2012

How A Collection Agency Works

By Sharlene Fleming


Accounts receivable that are yet to be received are losses unless they are claimed. Problem is, the longer they remain as receivables the less likely are they to be received. That is why business entities seek the assistance of a collection agency Salem OR. These businesses have ways of following up on delinquent accounts so that you could recover part of your earnings.

You can follow through on accounts owed to you but after a certain point, doing this yourself proves to be unprofitable. If you have reached that point, it could count to give the task to a collector. This will free up some of your time so you can concentrate on clients that matter.

Collecting agents have methods to make your clients comply with their obligations. They can use gentle persuasion or they can use legal action if need be. Some agents might be more aggressive and use more drastic measures so be careful that you choose an agency that will not trample on the rights of your clients or put your business in a bad light. Clients are still your reason for being in business and for sure you do not want to get a bad image by using a collector that harasses clients.

The methods used by these professionals to compel a client to pay vary greatly. They could be gentle or forceful depending on the response of the client. They usually start by calling the client. Letters will also be sent to remind clients of their delinquency. If the client remains unresponsive, they may pay them a visit. But they should not in any way harass the client. If all these methods fail, the agency could opt to sue. However, this is rarely done for litigation is expensive and the amount to be collected does not cover the expenses of court hearings.

There are several ways by which such businesses earn profit. One is through commission from collected debts. The other is by buying the account for a fraction of the amount that is due and try to collect the total amount for themselves.

For those who earn on a commission basis, the percentage they take depends on the age of the debt. Older debts have a higher commission percentage. The reason for this is that they are harder to collect if collection is even possible. Some agencies charge a monthly fee regardless of the amount to be collected. They just charge as to the bulk of accounts given to them.

Sometimes, after the collection agency sends a letter to the client, the client will call the main creditor to discuss their debt. In such cases, the main creditor is no longer responsible for the account and he will respond by referring the client to the collector. Holders of accounts that have been placed agencies must communicate with the collectors.

It does not necessarily follow that clients will pay up once their account has been handled by an agent. Contracting agents simply mean that they will do the collecting on your behalf. The main benefit that you can get by availing of their service is freeing up some of your time so you can perform other tasks that can make your business grow.

Do not let your hard work go to waste by not being able to get the payment you deserve for products and services rendered. If you do not have the time and resources to collect from delinquent clients, hire a collection agency Salem OR. Most of them work at a contingency fee basis so you need not have additional expenses. They will help you get money that you would have otherwise lost.




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