Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bank Debt Collection: The Best Way To Succeed Using Validated Scientific Methods

By David P. Montana


The American Collectors Association has conducted a number of studies on banking, write-offs, and human behavioral science that have aided in a better understanding of bank debt collection. An overview of the results of these studies can help a bank achieve better results in debt collection.

Persistence is a vital part of the process. Studies showed that 50% of debtors pursued by bank debt collection were able to pay and simply chose not to. With diligence and persistence, many of these will be persuaded to pay.

Also, contacting these customers as soon as possible is important for multiple reasons. After 60 days of delinquency, the success of bank debt collection drops by 49%, meaning that this is the time when the most money is lost. In addition, consider that most customers with one delinquent account have multiple accounts in collection. Therefore, getting your unpaid account in the front of the line is essential to recovering payment.

Finding alternative methods of bank debt collection pursuit is an ideal strategy. Calls are often ignored and, according to studies, 80% of all successfully collected accounts by debt collection firms are recovered through letters mailed.

This falls in line with a certain mindset found in the human psyche. Most people will act according to a perceived consequence for their action, or lack thereof. Customers frequently ignore the bank debt collection attempts in favor of paying the cable or phone bill, simply because they receive a piece of paper in the mail asking them to please pay.

Being too aggressive in bank debt collection can also lead to failure. Statistics show that people are more willing to pay - and collection agencies receive 15-30% better results - when the collector is willing to negotiate more affordable payments rather than making unrealistic demands.

Of course, as stated, consequences are a motivator. Third party debt collection firms will report the debtor to the credit bureaus for failure to pay, which is why they are more successful in their recovery efforts than many internal bank debt collection resources.

Because bank debt collection is a science, formulating a plan of action can aid in building success. Recovering delinquent accounts is easier when a process is put in place based on an understanding of the debtor.




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