Best Places to Learn Skip Tracing LEADERS | STRATEGIES | COMMUNITY | TECHNOLOGY | COMPLIANCE
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TOP 10 INNOVATIVE AGENCIES STRATEGIES TO FOCUS ON MORE LUCRATIVE ACCOUNTS REGULATORS STOP TALKING AND LISTEN TO COLLECTORS MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT LOOMS DAILY SINCE WELTMAN 5 STEPS TO A CULTURE THAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY THRIVE November/December 2018 Vol. 18, No. 6
Tom Penaluna, CEO of Innovative Agency, CBE
HOW TO PURPOSEFULLY TRAIN COLLECTORS FOR TELECOM SUCCESS HEALTHCARE COLLECTIONS TRANSFORMS INTO CUSTOMER SERVICE MASTERING SKIPS IN TELECOM COLLECTIONS PERFECT WORLD INITIATIVE CONTEST COLLECTORS SUPPORTING COMMUNITY CONTEST
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Captain Collector I Welcome
Welcome
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hope you are paid in full on your phone bill because if not, this issue of Collection Advisor will help collection professionals get you up to date. Collection Advisor talks to Jay Johnson of Prince Parker & Associates about the current state of telecom collections and where he sees it going in the future. This issue is also chock-full of technology and innovation. Featured in the pages to follow are overviews of virtual collections, telecommunication technology, healthcare and enterprise collection software. Editor T. Steel Rose also reveals conversations he had with the industry’s top Technology Partners. Also featured is the culmination of months of nominations, interviews and innovation: Innovative Agencies 2018. Agency Advisor Sam Eidson writes about the abundance of data professionals have before them and how to manipulate it in a way where you spend most of your effort collecting the most lucrative. Since skip tracing is a learned skill, Skip Tracing Advisor Ron Brown discloses key places to learn to be a world-class skip tracer. Compliance Advisor Debra J. Ciskey recaps an important meeting between regulators and collection professionals in which regulators were to listen only. Legal Collection Advisor Michael L. Starzec recounts the recent momentous court victory over the CFPB in CFPB v. Weltman and analyzes the results. Training Advisor Harry A. Strausser III reveals his new place in the industry and provides some tips in training. As establishing an ideal company culture is something many struggle to do, Collection Industry Advisor Nick Jarman explains how to do it in five basic steps. Next issue we ring in the new year with a closer look at legal collections. Until then, I look forward to hearing from you about your adventures in collections. Up, up and away…
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COLLECTOR
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captaincollector@collectionadvisor.com P.S. Don't Miss Out! This issue’s content is available to all for 30 days then is restricted to Collection Advisor Professional Network members only. Members have access to all previous issues as well as exclusive editorial and special reports. Gain full access by becoming a member, see page 16, visit CollectionAdvisor.com or by calling 888-610-1144.
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November/December 2018
CSS IMPACT................................................Back Cover VeriFacts.............................................................. Page 7 Cornerstone Support.................................. Page 11 Sentinel Development Solutions Inc....Page 26 Simplicity Collection Software ............Page 26 Quantrax........................................................... Page 27 Collect!................................................................Page 28 Innovative E-Pay Solutions, Inc............Page 28 Debtmaster......................................................Page 29
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Top 10 Innovative Agencies BOOST Productivity
2018
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
TOP 10 INNOVATIVE AGENCIES
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AGENCY ADVISOR
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Strategies to Focus on More Lucrative Accounts Sam Eidson
Cover photo: Tom Penaluna, a Top 10 Innovative Agency
he passage of time is a measured, passive occurrence that happens to all of us. Innovation is an active decision to make today better than yesterday. This is also the mentality of the following Innovative Agencies. These agencies have been nominated by readers of Collection Advisor, peers and industry activists as organizations that look forward and ask “why not?” for every aspect of collections. These Innovative Agencies were asked about their most recent innovations.
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SKIP TRACING ADVISOR
The Best Places to Learn to Skip Trace Ron Brown
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COMPLIANCE ADVISOR
Regulators In Colorado Stop Talking and Listen to Collectors Debra J. Ciskey
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Top Technology Partners Reveal Latest Technology
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Mastering Skips in Telecom Collections Perfect World Initiative Contest
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Collectors Supporting Community Contest
Healthcare Collections Transforms into Customer Service
LEGAL COLLECTIONS ADVISOR
Meaningful Involvement Looms Daily Since Weltman Michael L. Starzec
EXCLUSIVE EDITORIAL FOR MEMBERS ONLY Checklists, special reports and training tools 4 Myths in Telecommunication You Shouldn’t Believe
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TRAINING ADVISOR
How to Purposefully Train Collectors for Telecom Success Harry A. Strausser III
Virtual Collections Shields Collectors from FDCPA Violations 2 Tech Solutions You Need for Enterprise-Size Problems New Telecommunication Technology Breakthroughs Incorporate Compliance Objectives with Performance Incentives 10 Ways to Leverage Software in Utility/Municipal Collections
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COLLECTION INDUSTRY ADVISOR
5 Steps to a Culture That Makes Your Company Thrive Nick Jarman
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12 Experts Sound Off: What Must Be Done Differently for Multi-Office Collections Clamp Down On How You Are Discouraging Payments Satisfy Clients and Regulators Using Software This Will Hurt Your Electronic Payments
Professional Network
Agency Advisor I Sam Eidson
Strategies to Focus on More Lucrative Accounts
Director of Operations Delta Outsource Group Board of Director Member Missouri Collectors Association
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here are many ways an agency can operate strategically. letter of our series is a settlement offer letter that’s sent 45 days Each agency must cater their strategy based on prior to recall. portfolio type, staffing, inventory, client demand and regulation. Today I’m going to discuss a few of the strategies Trigger Strategy we’ve implemented throughout the years. Triggers are another way to focus on accounts with a higher When I first entered the collection industry we didn’t probability to pay. There are hundreds of triggers including have dialer technology to help us work our inventory. Each contact, credit available, positive improvements, new trade collector was assigned a number of accounts for which they lines and inquiries. Each agency will have to determine which were accountable while at their desk. triggers are most effective for their During what we called “prime time,” line of business. Ways we segmented our inventory: charge-off collectors would spend the majority For many years we used a date, co-signers, total number of payments of their time manually dialing in standard strategy and segmented our made, and settlement authority. an effort to make contact with the inventory using the data our clients consumer. During non-prime time provided. There’s nothing wrong hours we would use various skip tools and contacts to obtain with using a standard strategy. Listed below are a few of the updated location information for accounts that didn’t have ways we segmented our inventory: accurate information. Now we have an automated process that • Last payment date sends a batch of skip accounts to our skip trace vendor freeing • Charge-off date up more time for the collectors to make phone calls. • Balance In the early 2000s we began using auto dialers to reach • Co-signers consumers and actively work our inventory. In the beginning • Number of years account was open we utilized the dialer only when inventory was behind and • Total number of payments made service level agreements had to be met. As our business grew we • Received date became more dependent on the dialer and used it the majority • Settlement authority of the day. We found many benefits to using the dialer including increased penetration rates, campaign and agent We would also segment the business based on data we obtained reporting, local caller ID packages and time zone/area code through our work efforts: mismatching. As we all know, attorneys have made a living • Previous contact campaign for closers suing companies for alleged TCPA violations due to the use of • Postdate campaign to upgrade arrangement an auto dialer. Agencies had to change how they did business • Calling at different times throughout the day or deal with frivolous lawsuits. We not only changed the • Manual place of employment calls during typical business technology we used to dial phone numbers, we also changed hours our collection strategy. • Creating a debt settlement company team to handle those accounts Scoring Strategy • Not-Sufficient-Funds (NSF) roll over to the house We currently score all of our business allowing us to segment collector after so many days our inventory in tiers focusing on accounts with the highest probability to pay as opposed to those with less lower scores. Our industry continues to evolve and it’s important that The scores also allow us to strategically target accounts using agencies change with the times. While most strategies are a letter strategy. We send the initial letter upon placement on similar and don’t require reinventing the wheel, we as leaders all accounts received. After 45 days we then target the higher must continue to think outside of the box and come up with scored accounts with a payment arrangement letter. The final new ways to contact consumers.
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November/December 2018
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Skip Tracing Advisor I Ron Brown
The Best Places to Learn to Skip Trace
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am often asked, “Where can I go to learn how to be a professional tracer?” Or the question comes up, “Are there training courses offered that teach a person how to be a tracer, where are they and what is the cost?” I will attempt to answer these questions in this article. First, anyone desiring to be a professional tracer should understand a few basic facts about the profession.
1. Everyone Is Born with a “Hunter Instinct”
A baby, fresh from the womb will hunt for a food source, the warmth of their mother’s body and things that make them feel comfortable and secure.
2. As a Person Matures, So Does the “Hunter Instinct”
Men and women hunt for the perfect mate or hunt for the answers to questions as part of their educational process. Each shopping trip is essentially a hunt.
3. The “Hunter Instinct” Is Stronger in Some People Than Others
The traits of a hunter may be developed and nurtured but not all people are receptive, and many will never develop the “Hunter’s Intuition” which is required if they are to be successful.
4. There are No Formal Requirements to Be a Professional Tracer
However, note that the actions of a tracer may fall under numerous laws or statute requirements which may include, but not be limited to, private investigator training and licensing, federal and state collection laws, repossession laws, privacy laws and even surveillance laws. The professional tracer must be familiar with issues relevant to their endeavors.
Now let us address the questions, “Where can I go to learn to be a professional tracer and how much will it cost?” Many tracers receive their training on the job, working for collection agencies, private investigation firms or repossession agencies. A good working knowledge of computer systems and databases is required as well as the ability to communicate and extract information from people.
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Member National Association of Fraud Investigators Author “MANHUNT: The Book” Contact rbrown2150@aol.com
One source of training is online. The net offers many courses both free and for pay. For “free,” I would direct the readers to an excellent article written by Christina Smiley at www.recoverycourse.com , “Skip Tracing, 7 Basic Steps.” Another excellent source of information related to training is www.belleslink.com, which has numerous training articles related to best skip tracing practices, skip tracing compliance, finding people and database searches. The information at many of these sites is free and offers good basic training. Also online are numerous YouTube training videos related to skip tracing including a few I have recorded myself. Just Google “TFA Ron Brown Skiptracing Videos.” All of these are free for use. For a fee, there are formal training programs offered for training which may be attained through online seminars and workshops. This training is offered through internationally recognized professional associations.
ACA International - www.acainternational.org
ACA has, what I consider to be, superlative training programs presented by professional tracers and instructors at a very reasonable cost.
Udemy - www.udemy.com/skip-tracing-backgrounds-assetsinvestigations-101/ Aspiring tracers might also check out this site which offers a training program for a cost of $49.99. This price is often reduced depending on when you visit.
Lorman - www.lorman.com/training/collections/skip-tracingand-locating-assets-techniques This site offers programs ranging in cost from $99 to $699.
CAUTION: Beware of how and where you spend your money.
Be cautious of programs offered by people who claim to be the “best,” able to find “anyone or anything.” Check out the creation date of programs as the laws, techniques and tools of a tracer are constantly changing and what was legal or worked yesterday may not be legal or work today.
Until next time, good luck and good hunting! November/December 2018
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CAPTAIN COLLECTOR WORKS THE FIRST PAYMENT DEFAULT DESK...
THE ADVENTURES OF...
COLLECTOR
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CAPTAIN COLLECTOR Designed by Adriana Holland, Sales Assistant and Illustrator
Compliance Advisor I Debra J. Ciskey
MEMBERS ONLY: Meeting transcript
online
Regulators In Colorado Stop Talking and Listen to Collectors
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he interim Administrator of the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Jan Zavislan, conducted an open meeting on July 30, 2018 related to the administration of the Act. Zavislan is Senior Counsel for the Consumer Protection Section at the Colorado Attorney General’s office and has worked in the AG’s office since 1988. He served for 16 years as the Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Consumer Protection section with jurisdiction in the areas of consumer fraud, antitrust, public utilities, consumer credit and collection agency practice. He made it clear that he is not seeking the job of Administrator. He intended this session, which is required by the CFDCPA under the SB17-216 amendments passed in 2017, to be a “listening session,” which he underscored by not presenting a prepared statement and instead sought comments and statements from the 50 or so participants. This article briefly summarizes the statements and observations of meeting participants.
Rebuttals to Previous Meeting The Associated Unit of ACA
(CO, WY, NM) offered rebuttals to comments made at the consumer advocacy meeting held in January 2018, at which industry members were not allowed to speak: • Collection agencies do not intentionally sue people on Medicaid. When patients do not inform their providers of their Medicaid coverage, collection lawsuits may occur. • The local collection industry opposes process server licensing proposals. Licensing would increase costs to consumers.
Requests From Collectors The group provided several requests:
• The industry would like a rulemaking hearing and would like to see amendments to the credit repair statute. • Amendments to the CFDCPA that would specifically allow for modern forms of communication including the use of email and text messages, to meet consumer demands for electronic communication. • Increased levels of communication between the AG’s office and industry to prevent inadvertent law violations, emphasizing that the AG’s office has failed to issue any advisory opinion since 2006.
Recommended Change The administrator asked for further suggestions for updates to the law, or rulemaking, and was
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Chief Compliance Officer Wakefield & Associates. Inc. Board of Directors Member/ Certified Instructor ACA International, Inc.
met with several: • Streamlining the license application process. An attorney debt collector suggested that Colorado adopt NMLS for licensing, explaining the time-saving benefits to the industry and the regulator, and the benefits to consumers. • Simplifying the licensing requirements related to the sale and transfer of a business. • Repealing the need to either record or have a second person verify a payment made over the phone. • Concentrating enforcement efforts on egregious violations, and communicating errors to licensees with instructions for correction, rather than pursuing enforcement actions related to potentially inadvertent law violations. • Improvements to the complaint handling process When asked for suggestions for the next annual meeting, participants requested better information on consumer complaints the Administrator’s office is seeing – type and varieties. More granular information about complaints should be provided. Raw data on complaints needs to be tempered with information about volumes of contacts, providing context for the data. Information related to activity of unlicensed agencies was requested, information on convenience fees was requested. To benefit more remote licensees in the state, one participant suggested Skyping the meeting next year.
Author’s commentary:
Zavislan revealed that the Administrator’s office had added a full-time equivalent to work on complaint handling. Feedback from conversations with colleagues in Colorado indicates that the Administrator’s office is already scrutinizing consumer complaints in more detail by requesting additional details related to individual complaint responses. Feedback is sometimes provided to respondents related to perceived deficiencies in the collection agency’s practices when warranted. Certainly this is preferable to an in-depth investigation or an out-of-theblue enforcement action. November/December 2018
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Reveal
2018
TOP TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
TOP TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
LATEST TECHNOLOGY
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healthy relationship with tech-nology partners can lighten the workload collection professionals must bear on a daily basis. Collection Advisor Editor T. Steel Rose spoke with technology partners of the collection industry about ideas to benefit the accounts receivable process based on their area of expertise and the impact of consumers having more money each paycheck due to recent tax changes.
JOHN RIPA, President of Castel Communications said the uses for voice analytics, “include influencing the nature of the call in real-time.” Concerning keywords, Ripa said, “You can pop a script based on the words. You can review based on empathy.” “Certain phrase groups could escalate to a manager.” Concerning the future, he said, “As technology improves expect everything to be live. You need to respond within three seconds to provide the correct screen. Full text transcription happens and AI will permit talk offs by automated agents.” Concerning speech recognition, he explained, “A key differentiator is audio mining with expression based logic to gain more insight into the contents of the call to determine the significance. You can sample off of several analysis engines and combine the expressions.” Ripa elaborated on artificial intelligence being deep, neural network technology. “You can retrain on the fly,” said Ripa. “Originally you could only use 50 words, now you can use 50,000. Natural language processing is like understanding body language and may help with fraud detection.” JEFFERSON K. KIM, President of CDS Software said, “A great possibility is investing in something now that will lead to future savings or efficiencies, such as a new software platform or employee training and development. The predicative dialer is interesting because even if the dialer regulation eases up, the way people use their phones has evolved. They may not pick up their phone at all, but after an initial consent, text messaging becomes more common.”
LAURENT TABOUELLE, Executive VP of Codix, spoke with me from France and said, “The CPR [collection performance rate] will keep going up.” Tabouelle suggested, “Create debtor segments so each one can receive a different approach with a champion/ challenger strategy. ” The most significant technology he suggested is, “leveraging the dialer and the website portal and the client portal to always improve on the ease of use and customer experience.” AJAY KAUL, President of Cogent said, “There is a little more cash to take care of debt and buying power. Some put off debt until they really have to pay and use the extra cash to spend more. Others are looking to solve [the debt] and then there are those in the middle. With more money now we are able to work with them to remedy their debt situation. It helps AR professionals to show them different scenarios. They can make more educated decisions.” Concerning a software company that works in collections in other countries, Kaul said, “The rules of engagement are different. The regulations are different. How many times can you call and when?” Continued on page 11
Legal Collection Advisor I Michael L. Starzec
Meaningful Involvement Looms Daily Since Weltman
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MEMBERS ONLY: Documentation on court cases
online
ur industry has celebrated the opinion and order entered on July 25 in the infamous matter of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau v. Weltman, et al as a major victory. The efforts and determination of Weltman’s team are extraordinary and were taken at great risk to themselves in order to vindicate the practices of collection firms nationwide. At its core, the Weltman case concerned the esoteric concept of “meaningful involvement.” This is akin to Aquinas’ discussion of angels on the head of a pin or Justice Stewart’s famous line, “I know it when I see it,” as his threshold test for obscenity. Today, while no one frets about elbow room for angels and the internet has rendered obscenity tests irrelevant, the issue of meaningful involvement looms daily.
Meaningful Involvement’s First Appearance This phrase first
appeared in 1993 in Clomon v. Jackson. In that case, the letter falsely stated that an attorney had personally reviewed it and determined litigation was feasible. Notwithstanding its limited factual application, it is now the de jure means for the consumers’ bar to sue collection firms. Modernly, Bock v. Pressler & Pressler applied meaningful involvement to the complaint process. Even though not a single allegation in the collection complaint was found to be false, the court held a signature on the complaint implied meaningful and professional application of legal expertise. However, no guidelines as to how to demonstrate meaningful involvement were provided. All we could discern is that an attorney could not rely on actions taken by automation or non-attorneys to insulate themselves from liability. Into this fray stepped the CFPB with its consent decrees against creditors, debt sellers and lawyers. However, the decrees had a silver-lining: By setting documentary standards, we were informed of what was necessary to bring suit. So, a review of our scrubs, venue and documentation at placement and then, a second view at the time suit is filed should suffice to defeat a meaningful involvement case, right?
Cases at Odds Hence, Weltman provides a template for how
to defeat a meaningful involvement case on a demand letter, but it is not the anecdote to Pressler. In reality, we have two district court cases which seem to take opposite positions
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Partner Blitt and Gaines, P.C Vice-president Illinois Creditors Bar
on the same processes. The Pressler court was dismissive of scrubs and non-attorney involvement whereas the Weltman court ruled attorney involvement in creating the processes, policies and procedures by which clients were accepted and demand letters were produced was sufficient, even if some were automated or performed by non-attorneys. Additionally, while the delicious circumstance that the CFPB’s former chairperson, Richard Cordray, the man who authorized the action against Weltman, had approved Weltman’s practices when he retained them to collect state debts as Ohio Attorney General added an element of satisfying drama to the matter, this was a unique circumstance that many of us will not have in our quiver. Thus, Weltman addresses the sufficiency of a predemand letter review, not the process for approving a complaint. Additionally, as the trial court noted, “there is not necessarily a set meaningful involvement requirement… as this is a question of what must be determined based on individual facts and totality of circumstances in each case.” In other words, a meaningful involvement action is likely to survive a motion to dismiss which means, from a litigation and cost standpoint, you will be in it for the long haul, up to at least summary judgment, and likely a jury trial to vindicate your individual process.
Precedent and Progress Made So, yes, meaningful involvement suits are not going away but this in no way discounts the Weltman ruling. First, it vindicates that attorney created and reviewed processes matter. Second, that collection firms can rely on attorney trained and supervised non-attorney staff to perform tasks, just like every other practice of law. Third, Weltman took a stand against the most powerful agency in American history and won, not on a technicality, but after jury and judge reviewed what they do and how they did it and found it meaningful. Finally, in taking this stand, Weltman sent a message to the consumer bar that it will not be easy to prove, even to a jury, that well-crafted and administered practices lead to misleading the consumer. Put differently, despite all the resources of a federal agency, the CFPB could not prove its case. As a result, this decision is a cautionary tale for the consumer bar – yes, the fight will be long and costly for the collection firm. But, with sufficient practices in place, a creditor will win. November/December 2018
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Continued from page 9 FRITZ SCHULZE, President of Comtech Systems Inc. said, “When you move up the market in the industry you have to pull data and score. The other element is how we communicate. You text a millennial and not an 80-year-old. Each firm determines their own way of collecting and they all do it their own way.” JEFF DANTZLER, President of Comtronic Systems said one goal is, “to mitigate risks to agencies. You can control risks. In the last five years the bad guys are getting better at fraudulent transactions while the good guys only increased talent by about 10%. You can’t afford all the top talent in security, but you can move to the Cloud. Five years ago the cloud was slowing, now the performance is better, security is better, data is backed up and replicated. The miracle of data centers route customers without them being aware.”
may determine when they are more likely to be at home. Their credit score, zip code and average earnings, assist in targeting the dials using waterfall data. It provides a landscape of their financial status. There are models that look at the type of debt, age of debt and source of debt. [Analytics] matches the new business and finds similar profiles like a credit card from a specific bank, with a specific balance and demographic propensity to pay. It will match those with liquidated accounts that were similar to provide an intelligent path forward. The upfront investment is less because they are focusing on accounts that matter. “Rather than spray and pray, they are no longer hoping as much, but using analytical science from their past liquidation performance to create a sophisticated profile combining credit score and skip tracing profile. Those who hit hard times due to healthcare may pay their bills to fix their credit so
MATT PRIDEMORE, Principal at Cornerstone Support, Inc. said, “Rising wages and full employment have led to consumer confidence levels we haven’t seen in over a decade. That coupled with the changes in leadership at the CFPB have made this a great time to invest in the ARM industry. There is a change in energy, more start-ups in the last nine months than in the last six years.” CARL BRIGANTI, President and CEO of CSS talked about tactics to improve payments saying, “Deep analytics help focus on the right consumer, right down to the weather [they are experiencing] which .com
November/December 2018
they can improve their status. Credit scores come up very quickly. Bureaus are more accurate and quicker today. The scores are improving because the data is more accurate.” Concerning new trends, Briganti said there are several. “A web-bot offering looks at consumer payment portals to create an interactive chat session to interact with a consumer until the rules determine it’s time for a live collector. Voicemail drops and dunning, dialer and messaging are also seen. Briganti explained, “The new generation is an SMS text campaign enabling an agent to handle as many as ten accounts at a time, to enable the consumer to then use an app or a link to pay online using Paypal, Zelle or Venmo. There is an identity engagement platform to make sure the right consumer is making the right payment to the right account. It is an omni-channel identity engagement platform. An Continued on page 13
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Training Advisor I Harry A. Strausser III
How to Purposefully Train Collectors for Telecom Success
Director of Education and Membership Development ACA International, Inc.
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have enjoyed many interesting transitions in my life from the chronicles of peers who work daily in the same within the collections industry. Those of us who have industry. Information is power and the realization that there weathered decades of involvement in the accounts receivare many readers just like you with the same issues becomes able management realm have witnessed dramatic change within rather reassuring. our organizations, regulatory challenges, litigious cultures and creditor dynamics that have created profitability woes. I shared Plan to Train with our readers that I made a major decision in May 2017 As we move forward into 2019 I challenge readers to take a to sell my collection firm. I have continued my speaking and serious look at your educational initiatives within your respecconsulting actively but in June tive organizations. Make it your of 2018 I made a decision that New Year’s resolution to develop Initiate an education tracking system that clearly makes me feel like I have finally a clear and robust training plan come home. for the next 12 months. A robust delineates who has been trained, when that plan is not simply scheduling a training took place...programs yet to be provided. Positioned to Educate webinar or two for some of your In my career, the people I have staff. Take a thoughtful look met, the relationships that I have built, the students that I have at your team and make decisions on the topics and delivery educated and the personal business challenges I have overcome methods that would be most beneficial for your organization. have had one dynamic in common: the genesis of all of these Initiate, if you haven’t already done so, an education tracking experiences originated in my active involvement with ACA system that clearly delineates who has been trained, when that International, Inc., fondly known as the American Collectors training took place and the programs yet to be provided. Association in the early days. I owe much of the success in my The focus of this issue of Collection Advisor centers on the tenure in this industry to the support and guidance this orgatelecom industry. With our culture’s reliance on telecommuninization has provided to me, and countless others, as they have cation, predominantly via wireless technology, many collection forged their careers within this industry. After 29 years as a sefirms maintain client relationships with telecom providers. nior Certified Instructor with ACA, hundreds of presentations Although we often focus our organization’s training on tactics, under my belt and decades of leadership including the position techniques and compliance parameters, there is great opportuof President of the association, I made the leap to become part nity in offering training surrounding the culture and dynamics of the dedicated staff within the organization. of the industry in which your staff collects. Reach out to your In June of this year I contracted to become ACA’s Directelecom creditors and orchestrate a training opportunity by tor of Education and Membership Development. I have been learning as much as you can about the peculiar dynamics of a major proponent of education in our industry and believe that vertical. By learning from your clients and partnering on that it forms a firm foundation for success within our respective education you can build a high level of understanding that will enterprises. Collection Advisor has been a valued and respected lead to enhanced collection success. publication with which I have enjoyed almost 15 years as a Call me. Write to me. Pull me aside at an industry meetcolumnist. I plan to continue my work with the magazine with ing and tell me your story. Share the good, bad and the ugly. a slightly different approach as the “Training Advisor.” Continue to provide me with rich material for our readership. As was the case with my past activities, I am once again We continually welcome thoughts and best practices from in a position where I am granted a large amount of face time our readers. Feel free to send us your feedback for possible with industry professionals. I plan to continue sharing ideas, inclusion in a future column. strategies, success stories and unfortunate laments from the very grass roots of our readership with an emphasis on trainHarry can be reached at Strausser@acainternational.org or at ing and education. There is tremendous strength obtained 570-336-7056.
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November/December 2018
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Continued from page 11 advantage is real-time data for dialing. It auto-pops the screen and appends the recording.” Briganti said things coming up next are, “Behavior signals that provide real-time emotions like frustrated or angry [on behalf] of the agent and the consumer. The voice intonation gives management a glass panel view of who is in control of the conversation. Banks and debt buyers use voice samples to view the quality of the calls.” STEVE PLATT, Group President, Decision Analytics and Experian Data Quality at Experian said, “Advanced analytics take a holistic view across the entire customer journey. [Analytics] identify ‘never pays,’ prevent fraudulent activity and reduce loss provisioning.” Platt said, “We are bracing for getting back to more late pays. Delinquencies are growing, so the good times may not last. Always resolve in full is the first option. Clients prefer a way to get the client back on the payment plan.” Platt emphasized, “It costs so much to acquire a customer. The goal is to provide the long-term value of the customer for a long term journey.” The goal is, “Determining who wants to pay and have hit hard times to preserve. There is a fervent desire to understand the view of the financial position of the consumer. Will a consumer who already knows his debt is written off, be now willing to make a payment to see the results on credit worthiness? The goal is establish a plan to change the status of the credit score. In Brazil consumers come to an arena, and visit a bank who can show how real-time activity can improve their credit score. Here, it is a month long process. In Brazil you only show up if you are past due, so it’s popular to get off the tough list. In Brazil they care about their reputation and credit worthiness.” The event which translates into Clean My Name is a veritable credit correction fair. GARY ADAMS, President of Innovative E-Pay Solutions said, “ARM professionals will benefit by actively encouraging payment plans. Automated solutions provide 24/7 convenience to the debtor, ensuring the highest possible payment while reducing overall compliance exposure and cost to the agency.” MATTHEW HILL, President and CEO of InterProse said, “It still comes down to best practices and compliance for working with customers whether a green environment or an economy under duress. Avatar virtual agent technology forces compliance by not calling beyond a time zone, or overdialing or texting to avoid litigation. An omni-channel approach whether it is a call, a text, an email, or a voice-mail drop using better analytics to make sure it is timely because they have a shelf life for response. A 10-person firm can have a level playing field to gain the business of a bank. The idea is to have better communication with the client. Win/win/win, [for the] client, the consumer and the agency. The guard is .com
November/December 2018
changing; agencies will attract clients to them by not being slammed on the Internet. The days of consumer as adversary are over.” RANJAN DHARMARAJA, CEO of Quantrax said, “Debt collection is a follow up system with different follow up payments. The issue we have today is contacting people. There are 84 million baby boomers and 90 million millennials. Handling mobile, and robotics are next generation. It costs $35,000 for an employee, the bot can do it for 60%. With the bot you don’t have to have multiple language employees at the same time. It speaks English, Spanish, everything people have wanted that Google supports. It can understand, and speak most languages.” Dharmaraja expressed concern that, “People are going to be confusing people selling analytics and automation as AI. There is a test for AI with the Turing Test. You put the robot in one room and the human in another room and test them. If you cannot differentiate the robot from the human, you have AI. If the human says, “I want to settle a bill,” it has to understand you.”
CONVERSATIONS NEXT ISSUE... Robert Pollin | President and CEO of Autoscribe Thomas Mohr | CEO of Beam Software Edgars “Edz” Sturans | CEO and President of BillingTree James Dunlap | CEO of Lariat Software Jonathan Brooks | President of LocateSmarter Thomas C. Brown | Senior Vice President, U.S. Commercial Markets and Global Market Development of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Keith Goodnight | SVP, Product Development & Management of MicroBilt Jeff Flood | Director of OneClick-Data Manpreet Singh | President of Payscout Chad Deatherage | CEO of Payment Savvy John Telford | President of Financial Services of RevSpring Dan Hornung | President of Roydan Terrel Bird, | CEO and Co-Founder of TCN Jack Gordon | CEO of WebRecon LLC Paul Gies | President of VoApps Chris Campbell | CEO of Simplicity Collection Software Chris J. Roberts | President and CEO of Sentinel Development Solutions, Inc. (eCollections)
13
Top 10 Innovative Agencies BOOST Productivity
2018
TOP 10 INNOVATIVE AGENCIES
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he passage of time is a measured, passive occurrence that happens to all of us. Innovation is an active decision to make today better than yesterday. This is also the mentality of the following Innovative Agencies. These agencies have been nominated by readers of Collection Advisor, peers and industry activists as organizations that look forward and ask “why not?� for every aspect of collections. These Innovative Agencies were asked about their most recent innovations.
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What innovation has your agency made to improve your collection practice?
AMERICAN PROFIT RECOVERY Jeff DiMatteo President We manage three platforms: Collection software to manage debtor relations, our proprietary APRweb platform allowing 3,500+ clients to communicate with us, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM providing the ability to prospect new business, service clients and tie all platforms together. Microsoft Dynamics CRM was the innovation that’s greatly improved our collection practice. CRM has also been utilized for items including tracking consumer complaints and managing talent acquisition. We are working to link all our systems into a newly developed platform. AMERICOLLECT Kenlyn T. Gretz President and CEO Cell phone ownership. In the middle of 2015 we decided we needed to tackle telephone ownership based on the 2015 FCC order relating to the TCPA. We found a vendor who provided us with the owner name, a matching score and the carrier of the cell phone along with other attributes. We developed a process to store these attributes the first day we dialed the number. Every 90 days we tested this value and did a comparison to see if the phone number ownership and attributes had changed. We built a confidence factor algorithm to help us determine if the phone number was reassigned. This helped us comply with the TCPA and was ridiculously nice for consumers who could have been wrongly dialed. CACI Roger D. Weiss President CACi sustains human empathy and compassion in the collection process. Most recently, we’ve infused technology into these qualities through Balto, a real-time call guidance and speech analytics platform that coaches collectors on every call. In addition, CACi treats lower recovery scored accounts and self-pay accounts with a couple of pretty unique approaches that elicit higher levels of cooperation from consumers and patients. Technology will continue to drive this industry, but that same technology will be driven through human interaction. .com
November/December 2018
CBC, LLC Marc A. Carter President Recognizing the need of a multi-generational and multi-cultural communication platform, CBC LLC has taken the steps to implement a combination of artificial intelligence with an enterprise-wide platform of communication capabilities. Such capabilities include texting and emailing of debtor communications, but more importantly the introduction of Alex. Available 24/7/365, Alex is a virtual agent that creatively integrates state-of-the-art mobile, browser, cloud, and voice-recognition technologies with 8 foreign language capabilities. CBE COMPANIES, INC. Tom Penaluna (shown on cover) Chairman and CEO We have designed a number of innovative solutions to solve problems that we and others that collect past due accounts have been confronted with. Some examples: • Manual Clicker Application (MCA) which is a proven solution to the challenges collectors are confronted with on the TCPA issue. • EFT Agree, a Regulation E and e-sign act compliance for written authorizations. • Years ago we implemented voice analytics to digest our collection calls. This improved call efficiencies, client expectations as well as compliance with collection laws. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, LLC Debbie Frank CEO We reached out to a local business to help develop and manage our social media marketing. The biggest success has been Facebook Live. Our clients have the opportunity to share their accounts receivable challenges across the Internet. It’s amazing to reach over 4,000 people organically through one post. Because it’s been so successful, we have developed “The Bureau Tribe” online group. Our clients can OREGON CREDI post questions about TS ERN ER TH U VI their A/R challenges O CE S and we can respond with helpful answers.
Continued on page 19
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Collection Industry Advisor I Nick Jarman
5 Steps to a Culture That Makes Your Company Thrive
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here are several key elements that separate ordinary collection organizations from extraordinary organizations, several elements that distinguish those that continually attempt to survive from those that consistently thrive. One of those main key elements is the collection organization’s culture. Culture, when defined as a verb means to “maintain in conditions suitable for growth.” From an organizational standpoint, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Few, if any organizations remain at a constant medium, especially in the credit and collection industry. With that in mind, here are five steps organizations can take to create and protect their ideal company culture.
1) Build It Most have heard the saying, “if you build it, they
will come.” That resonates true with a collection organization’s culture, a great culture speaks for itself while it’s employees also speak for and to it. The first step in creating the culture is to build it. Each collection organization is unique and therefore their culture is as well. Creating a culture must start at the very top. Without buy-in from executive leadership a culture cannot be built. What qualities and characteristics does the organization want to embody? What does it want to show to its most valuable assets: its collectors? Also, what does the culture say to the outside world and, most notably, to the collection firm or department’s clients and prospects. Lay the foundation for what makes your organization tick, what you excel at, and what you seek to become. As it relates to a collection agency specifically, building the culture starts with taking an inventory of how the agency wants to be portrayed to both clients and consumers. This is a good time to develop the mission and vision statement which will lay down that all important foundation. Also, take the time to list four to five bullet points that summarize exactly what the agency is about from a macro perspective.
2) Live It Once the foundation is laid during the building
phase, the next step is to live it. While the building phase never ends, there comes a point where a solid foundation is built and it is time to start living out the culture and the beliefs. There’s a saying, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” To live it, everyone in the collection organization needs to buy in and create successful habits that embody what was built. From mission statements to vision
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Owner RightAway Consulting & Coaching Board of Directors, Member ACA International
statements, the directional force of the collection firm or department will lean toward those statements and each act and habit should be done in cohesion with that vision and mission. There needs to be authenticity as well because when a culture is not authentic it can be smelled out from a mile away. Living out the culture means practicing what is preached. Start with putting together a presentation that outlines everything we have mentioned so far and sharing that with the entire organization. Sometimes it may be beneficial to also put together a quiz regarding the culture to ensure the employees comprehend. Referring back to the four or five bullet points put together from a macro perspective, it’s a good idea to place those big and bold in the call center so employees see them everyday.
3) Value It Now that the foundation of the culture has been
built and employees have begun living it, the next step is to value it. The organization’s culture is like a treasure that you can’t put a price on, so it is important to value the culture because it plays such a dominant role in the success and or failure. Be sure to internally promote what makes the culture tick on a routine basis and intertwine it all throughout the collection firm or department so it is shown just how important and valuable it is. Don’t hide the most important elements of what the culture is doing, be sure to shout them from the rooftop loud and proud. Valuing the culture starts with management and works it way down. Management should embrace the culture and incorporate that into the daily lives of the employees. Most, if not everything that is done on a daily basis, should refer back to the mission or vision statement. If it doesn’t, then that particular decision should be evaluated.
4) Reinforce It Reinforcing the culture is what puts it at
the forefront of everyone’s mind day in and day out. We discussed intertwining it all throughout the collection organization and that is the best way to keep it front and center right where it needs to be. If the culture starts to take a back seat you should be able to notice it quickly. Putting it back front and center will reinforce its importance and how the culture is the key to success.
This article is continued on www.CollectionAdvisor.com. November/December 2018
.com
Continued from page 15
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CREDIT COLLECTION PARTNERS
MRS Jeff Freedman and Saul Freedman CEO/Principal We have learned that many customers want to be able to communicate/interact with us when it is convenient for them and, if possible, avoid having to deal directly with a live agent. In addition, customers want to interact using modern communication channels rather than older methods like the phone or snail mail. To address customer needs, we have initiated all of the following just in the last one to two years: email, text, live chat, online payment portal and voice activated IVR. Each of these communication methods have enabled more customers to communicate with us at times and means they prefer.
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Rick Bonitzer President To me, it all starts with a modern collection platform at the center of your call center universe. If your agency is still chugging along on a “legacy platform,” you need to prioritize a conversion to something modern ASAP. Seamless integration with third-party vendors/ partners/clients/etc. is critical to working smarter, faster, better than your competition. Just make sure to schedule the conversion kick-off right after the tax season spike; you’ll want everything ironed out well before the next one.
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SOUTHERN OREGON CREDIT SERVICE Brian Watkins President In the last year our company made a significant investment into software and hardware to manage all workflows. This will eliminate thousands of pieces of paper, put time-checks on every process, all Q/A to verify what is done and when, and has opened doors to move staff to more critical areas we need people. STATE COLLECTION SERVICE, INC. Tom Haag Chairman and CEO We have invested significantly in new technologies to enhance the patient financial experience and client bottom lines. Real-time speech analytics has allowed us to increase patient engagement and reduce staff turnover while allowing us to more closely monitor quality and productivity. Gamification allows us to drive positive agent behavior, making work more rewarding for our staff while increasing overall performance. We’re proud to consistently find ourselves at the cutting edge of technology.
NEXT ISSUE These innovative agencies reveal their
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innovation and what you can do to foster your own organization’s innovative environment.
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By Joshua Fluegel
Mastering Skips in Telecom Collections
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ell phones epitomize the dramatic and fast change telecommunication has experienced in the last decade. Accordingly, the telecom industry has evolved, merged and fragmented requiring collection professionals to adapt just as fast. Jay Johnson, president of sales at Prince Parker & Associates, Inc. has seen this change firsthand and predicts more to come. Johnson also reveals key aspects of recovery in the vertical that some unfamiliar would do well to learn. What is something you think makes telecom collections different from other types of collections today? There are a number of differentiating factors in the telecom space. Firstly, the sheer volume of accounts placed for collection exceeds most verticals. As a result, systems and staffing have to be designed to manage significant placement volume. Additionally, there is a high propensity for skip accounts and a significant amount of churn between providers. The key to success in the vertical is designing skip strategies to assure telephone contact and ultimately one on one problem solving with the customer. There is also a considerable amount of fraud in the telecom space and collection efforts often include problem solving and reconciliation of accurate billing as a key component to recovery. What is a tip for collecting on high balance telecom debt? Our success with high balance telecom accounts is predicated on developing and retaining experienced collection specialists. Tenured resources have more success recovering higher balances. Offering reasonable payment options is also a key component to recovery. Our average payment is significantly less than the average balance. Working with customers to resolve the outstanding amount over time is critical. Our highest telecom balances are normally associated with commercial debt. From our perspective, it is critical to have resources who work exclusively on commercial telecom accounts as the approach and strategy on B2B accounts is significantly different from consumer. Lastly as
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“The next
few years will likely yield an increase in bundled services.
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mentioned before, in some instances, high balances are associated with fraudulent account activity. So we often serve as an intermediary between the client and the customer to reconcile the account and resolve a corrected balance. Do you have any recommendations for collection professionals working with telecom clients? It is critical to utilize advanced tools and technology. As indicated, the volume of accounts requiring treatment is significant. As a result, data analytics, account scoring and segmentation stacked onto compliant contact platforms is essential. The space has a number of skilled agencies who consistently improve the work they perform. Advanced analysis coupled with leading edge systems is absolutely essential to maintain high performance and remain competitive in the space. What do you think is the most recent big change/occurrence in telecom collections? Without a doubt, regulatory changes have had the biggest impact on telecom and other industry collections. TCPA regulations have driven the need to utilize alternative contact platforms. Coordinating and assuring the deployment of legal and compliant platforms for dialing cell phone numbers has to be at the forefront of strategy. What are your predictions for telecom collections in the next five years? We are already seeing consolidation in the space and wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t continue. The next few years will likely yield an increase in bundled services. Providers are packaging phone, wireless, cable/satellite, broadband, security systems, etc., into their service offering. We see a continuation and increase in packaging these high demand services to the consumer. What do you like to do in your free time? I have four children so there really isn’t a great deal of free time! I enjoy all time spent with the family. I do try to carve out time to attend college and NFL football games and try to work in an occasional round of golf. Jay Johnson, President of Sales at Prince Parker & Associates, Inc.
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Executive Roundtable I Joshua Fluegel
Healthcare Collections Transforms Into Customer Service H
ealthcare debt collection entails a great amount of data for every account. In the midst of such an undertaking a collection professional may lose sight of efficiency. Perhaps certain arduous steps in day-to-day procedures could be bypassed if only certain tasks were automated or if a certain data import function were utilized. Collection Advisor gathered input from technology experts to learn what functionality collection professionals already have in their possession but do not use to its full potential.
What is a healthcare collection software functionality you think is underused considering how useful it can be?
Of course, using available integrations to take advantage of newer communication methods like texting improves the response rate. In terms of software functionality, the group promise function allows the creation of a single commitment for all accounts belonging to the same debtor. Conversely, the ability to split payments over multiple accounts manages the payments for the group promise. FRITZ SCHULZE
President of Comtech Systems Inc.
Healthcare is a sensitive business. We are not using the options that are most convenient to consumers and patients, when it comes to contacting them. The most convenient and practical options for contact are email, text messaging and self-service for all areas of the collection process. These are significantly underutilized options.
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RANJAN DHARMARAJA CEO of Quantrax Corporation Inc.
Revenue cycle management is optimized by going to the cloud to gain HIPAA and Hi-Trust security. Many agencies have to do encryption-at-rest and its HIPAA implications.
CHRIS J. ROBERTS President/COO of Sentinel Development Solutions, Inc.
Automation hands down! The more automated you can make your business processes, the more profitable and successful you can make your business. Look for a software that allows you the ability to automate accounts and processes for a more streamlined and profitable collection solution. CHRIS CAMPBELL
CEO Simplicity Collection Software
I feel that the reluctance to embrace an omni-channel communication approach with consumers greatly limits the choices the consumer has to engage the agency in the method they most prefer. Whether the consumer prefers a phone call, text message, email or virtual agent interaction, there are modern solutions and techniques to meet those preferences that are fully compliant. In most cases the vendors providing these services have gone to great lengths to insure that the use of their offerings maintain compliance if implemented properly.
MATTHEW HILL President/CEO of The InterProse Corporation
November/December 2018
.com
COLLECTORS SUPPORTING
COMMUNITY Let us know about your local hero! Nominate a collector or show how your agency improves the community's quality of life. Email your nominations to josh@ collectionadvisor.com: include name, title, company and a short description of their work in the community. North American Credit Services of Chattanooga, TN, raised a total of $3,544 for consumer literacy programs. Employees raised funds with events like the People’s Choice Chili Cook-Off Competition, Collectors Charity Challenge Hot Dog Picnic and agency donor matching.
We will highlight nominees in future issues of Collection Advisor.
“Our employees understand that it is important that we provide leadership and compassion in assisting consumers in the challenges often encountered in dealing with debt. Providing tools and places of education provide hope and clarity for all involved.” – Dallas S. Bunton, Sr. | CEO and Chairman NACS and Medical Services, Inc.
Continued from page 22
What is a mistake you see professionals make regarding software use and healthcare debt collection compliance? We recommend the proper removal of Do Not Call numbers, and the creation of an audit trail that prevents that number from being used again. Using the automations and tracking that a sophisticated software package provides removes work and responsibility from the collector, leaving them with more time for calls. FRITZ SCHULZE You will usually not have just one account when it comes to healthcare debt. Typically, .com
there will be multiple accounts for the same consumer. Failing to effectively manage these groups of accounts, due to the lack of an efficient process and/or superior technology, is a mistake we often see in healthcare collections and compliance. The whole industry is changing. Healthcare is not dying. It is not going to go away. What matters is how we contact people, how to make right party contacts. We are no longer in collections; we are in customer service. RANJAN DHARMARAJA When personally identifiable data is stored it must be encrypted. It also avoids hackers who use a sequel injection. It may be required by PCI for all collections some day. GDPR is necessary if you store any data about a consumer in the European Union. They may be ahead of us. GDPR requires the ability to eliminate all information about a consumer if requested.
November/December 2018
CHRIS J. ROBERTS
Make sure you select a software solution that considers compliance a priority and is flexible enough to adapt and change with the ever-changing compliance rules and regulations. Healthcare collectors are sometimes overly concerned with HIPAA and PCI because they had inadequate tools to store more personally identifiable information properly. CHRIS CAMPBELL The continued use of outdated or functionally obsolete collection platforms that do not meet the strict HIPAA data security requirements leave collection agencies very exposed to data losses and legal actions from consumers. Hospitals are catching on and starting to ask hard questions about digital infrastructure, compliance audit certifications, and best practices, so the time has come for everyone to take these security measures seriously by meeting or beating the industry standards from the outset. MATTHEW HILL
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Business Directory
Collection Agencies United Collection Bureau, Inc. 1st and 3rd Party Collections ucbinc.com ssharma@ucbinc.com 954-236-6027 UCB, Inc. provides national debt programs for creditors in all markets from fully-secure high performance collection centers located in the U.S. and Latin America.
Collection Solutions Software, Inc. CSS IMPACT! HD™ 2.0 cssimpact.com | carlb@cssimpact.com 818-593-4830 CSS IMPACT! HD™ 2.0 (Enterprise), the industry’s leading ARM | Collections & Compliance Platform delivering decades of deep rooted industry acumen for the ARM, Collections & Compliance sectors. IXP (Lite) also available. The Computer Manager, Inc. Debt$Net Collection Software debtnet5.com | sales@debtnet5.com 800-552-8397 Since 1987, Debt$Net collection software has provided collection agencies, law firms and in-house collection departments with one of the most comprehensive collection systems in the industry.
InterProse InterProse WebAR ACE interprose.com/collection-advisor aaron.reiter@interprose.com 844-244-1135 Debt Recovery Software Solutions through a patented Virtual Agent Collector and a true, web-based collection platform, open to third-party integrations and packed with process automations. Quantrax Corporation Inc. RMEx quantrax.com marketing@quantrax.com 301-657-2084 Quantrax is a high-end collection technology company that has marketed and supported an intelligent collection software platform for over 25 years.
Simplicity Collection Collection Software Software SimplicityCollect AgreeYa Solutions simplicitycollectionsoftware.com Cogent sales@simplicitycollect.com cogentcollections.com 866-791-0224 cogent@agreeya.com As an industry leader, Simplicity is the only software pro916-351-2538 vider to offer a web solution with unlimited users, clients, Comtech Systems A comprehensive Collection and Case Management accounts, and custom fields at an affordable price! Collect! Toll for Creditors’ Rights Law Firms and Collection Credit and Debt Agencies driving compliance , business optimization Sentinel Collection Software and easy integration. Development collect.org | info@collect.org Solutions, Inc. 800-661-6722 CDS Software eCollections Collect! combines ease of use with total integration CollectOne ecollections.com of functions. Accounts are efficiently tracked from collectone.com sales@ecollections.com the time you receive them until activity is concluded info@collectone.com 515-564-0585 and they are closed. Collect! keeps track of critical 888-816-3333 information automatically. Total integration provides The result of 20 years of industry-leading collections/ CollectOne is an award winning suite of debt colrecovery platform development, eCollections is a for seamless and accurate month end invoices and lection solutions that provides a feature-rich set of comprehensive enterprise collection system with flexible statements with full account histories. automated business processes designed to minimize configuration, ease-of-use, powerful payment features, costs and maximize results. DAKCS Software workflow automation, and unparalleled reporting and tracking. Systems CODIX Beyond ARM iMX Collection, dakcs.com | sales@dakcs.com Legal and Recovery Solution Collection Support Services 800-873-2527 codix.us/debt_collection DAKCS Software Systems is an industry leader in simpli- Applied Innovation Inc. bquinn@codix.us fying the process of collections and accounts receivable ClientAccessWeb, 404-790-0998 management. By creating highly configurable, innova- PayStream, iMX is a complete centralized debt collection and tive cloud and on-premise software solutions, DAKCS of- GreenLight, and Papyrus recovery software solution. Based on the latest fers a way to run your business faster and more efficient. appliedinnovationinc.com technologies, iMX Debt Collection includes all the DAKCS is committed to providing the tools necessary for mjeffers@appliedinnovationinc.com most advanced business functionalities supported by success in the ever evolving ARM industry. native tools. 800-589-5651 Applied Innovation provides a suite of compliant Debtmaster® solutions for the ARM industry. Our solutions have Debtmaster® 360 proven to increase your bottom line with improved debtmaster.com efficiencies, increased client sales and retention, and 800-414-2814 increased web services. Designed for your continued Debtmaster®360 gives you a cloud hosted, costgrowth and success. effective, flexible, secure, collection solutions that helps you manage compliance and provide quality service for Clients and Debtors.
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Cornerstone Support State Licensing and E&O Insurance cornerstonesupport.com info@cornerstonesupport.com 888-445-8660 Cornerstone Support is the premier licensing and insurance provider to the collection industry; professionally trained to assist you with all of your state licensing needs. VoApps DirectDrop Voicemail voapps.com sales@voapps.com 855-737-1596 VoApp’s patented DirectDrop Voicemail service delivers a voice message directly to a consumer’s voicemail server – without calling the phone in question.
Compliance LexisNexis® Risk Solutions LexisNexis ® Accurint ® for Collections lexisnexis.com/risk/receivables-management 800-869-0751 LexisNexis Risk Solutions assist debt recovery professionals with increasing workflow efficiencies, gaining greater insight into debt portfolios, collecting more in less time and achieving greater profitability.
Electronic Payments
Predictive Dialers Noble Systems Corporation Contact Center Technology noblesystems.com info@noblesystems.com 404-851-1331 Noble Systems Corporation is a global leader in customer communications, providing innovative premise and cloud solutions for Contact Center, Workforce Management and Interaction Analytics technologies.
Skip Tracing IDI idiCORE ididata.com | sales@ididata.com 855-842-1410 Trusted for over a decade by collection agencies and collection attorneys. IDI provides fast, accurate and cost-effective consumer verification and skip-tracing solutions via online, API, and batch processing. Reduce Cost, Not Quality. LexisNexis® Risk Solutions LexisNexis® Accurint ® for Collections risk.lexisnexis.com 800-869-0751 LexisNexis® Risk Solutions assist debt recovery professionals with increasing workflow efficiencies, gaining greater insight into debt portfolios, collecting more in less time and achieving greater profitability.
Innovative E-Pay Solutions, Inc. VeriFacts Electronic Payroll Promise Payments verifactsinc.com innoepay.com sclark@verifactsinc.com sales@innoepay.com 800-542-7434 855-888-3729 Payroll Promise is designed to support a legal strategy Specializes in providing Credit Card and Electronic by locating verified full time places of employment. Check processing accounts to the Collections Industry The information returned is 100% guaranteed to be for over 15 years. FDCPA Certified Agents, longtime accurate. members of ACA.
Mail Services CompuMail Inc. Print & Mail Services, Communications compumailinc.com info@compumailinc.com 360-260-1888 In addition to providing print and mail services, CompuMail's solutions include email, online archiving, and real-time review & approve capabilities - coupled with superior service.
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Virtual Collections Applied Innovation Inc. ClientAccessWeb, PayStream, GreenLight, and Papyrus appliedinnovationinc.com mjeffers@appliedinnovationinc.com 800-589-5651 Applied Innovation provides a suite of compliant solutions for the ARM industry. Our solutions have proven to increase your bottom line with improved efficiencies, increased client sales and retention, and increased web services. Designed for your continued growth and success.
November/December 2018
November/December 2018 Volume 18, No. 6 Editor-in-Chief Joshua Fluegel josh@collectionadvisor.com Editor T. Steel Rose, CPA, ACG editor@collectionadvisor.com Copy Editor Myrna Nelson Advisory Board/Columnists Sam Eidson Debra Ciskey Ron Brown Nick Jarman Michael L. Starzec Harry A. Strausser III Publisher Angie Rose angie@collectionadvisor.com Sales Assistant/Illustrator Adriana Holland adriana@collectionadvisor.com Production Andrea Bergeron Paul andrea@collectionadvisor.com Subscription Changes Joshua Fluegel josh@collectionadvisor.com The opinions given by contributing authors are their own and not necessarily the opinion of our staff and ownership. All trademarks used are the property of their respective owner.
Collection Advisor (ISSN# 1556-0813) is produced six times a year by Abide Media, P.O. Box 92342, Southlake, TX 76092, 888-610-1144. Standard Mail postage paid at Sussex, WI 53089. ©2018 All Rights Reserved Magazine Publishing Group, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.
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COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE 20,000 Collection Professionals Seeking Technology Solutions
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Reach Collection Professionals Using The Channels They Trust • Print – Collection Advisor Magazine (20,000) • Email – Weekly E-Newsletter (15,983) • Online – CollectionAdvisor.com (137,220 impressions) • Sponsored Content – White Papers, Case Studies, Video Posts • Issue and Content Sponsorships Learn more. Contact Angie today. 888-610-1144
BUILD YOUR BRAND TO LAST 26
November/December 2018
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If you are a premium provider of accounts receivable services, your choices for collection software have dwindled. Many companies are not investing in new technology while others have been sold or acquired, leaving you with only two viable options.
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO If you want the best, you will soon be evaluating these two products. One of them is powered by proven artificial intelligence, has been redesigned for today’s demanding environment and leverages automation, analytics and emerging mobile technologies. The other? Let's just say it's getting old. Fighting today’s problems with modern technology improves your results and your bottom line. Isn’t it time to modernize? Proven in over 35 states and Canada, confident and ready for a fight. We are Quantrax.
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November/December 2018
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COLLECTION TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE 20,000 Collection Professionals Seeking Technology Solutions
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Built for start-ups. Scalable for growth. Automate • Customize • Import • Cloud • Premise • Integrations
Demo.Collect-Cloud.com Collect.org
Demo.Collect-Cloud.com | Collect.org 28
November/December 2018
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C lo u d C o m p l e t e
Debtmaster 360 ®
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November/December 2018
Your First ChoiCe in Cloud-Based ColleCtion soFtware You need software you can trust every step of the way. Debtmaster®360, partnered with the Microsoft Azure® Cloud integrates compliance tools, debtor info, advanced agent dialing and messaging, payment processing, and client reporting, all in one secure, scalable platform.
800.414.2814 debtmaster.com
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