Nice collection calls

[ksumn1]

I was actaully home this morning since class was cancelled and received a couple of collection calls. Both were for accounts that I made payment arrangements for online. And both were just dumb mistakes on my part. So flame me, if you like, but that's not the point.

Both were very curteous, and only a little pushy. Once I explained that I had posted the payments onlne just yesterday, both checked it (of course) and asked why I got behind. I was honest, and told them I just forgot. I forgot to pay them online for the due date so I just went ahead and scheduled a payment including the late fee and the next payment so I would be caught up. They both laughed and said something to the effect that it happens sometimes.

One of the agents, a lady, said she had been trying to call me for days, with no response. I have AT&T cell service (totally horrible in our area, no service anywhere it seems, always seem to roll to voicemail) and I told her "Gotta love AT&T for their horrible cell phone reception!!" She took the comment as it was intended as a joke, and told me I should switch carriers!!

Anyway, I thought it was unusual to have 2 such pleasant exchanges with a bill collector. Normally, it's not such a nice conversation, KWIM. Of course, I'd set up payments already so that may be why. I just thought those on the budget board, who of course never get such calls, would be interested to hear that it actually wasn't a horrible experience getting a call from a bill collector!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah - probably because you were honest with them; you know, not making excuses, blaming their computers, claiming you paid it in full six months ago... what were the other things from Roseanne? I know it doesn't apply here because you paid online, but 'forgetting' to seal the envelope and claiming the check fell out; 'accidentally sending them an unsigned check; mixing up the checks - A's payment to B, B's payment to A...
You made their calls easy and their days more pleasant (given a lot of the OTHER customers they must have dealt with today!)

 

[tukogirl]

My husband is a collector. He does corporate collections.

Most collectors really are nice people, they are just trying to do their jobs.

I am sure you were pleasant to the collector, which really makes things go better in your favor if you are trying to work with them. DH is ALWAYS more willing to give people deals or extend payments, etc if the person is nice. After being told to go do horrible things to himself and his mother or hear the person talk about horrible things they did to our family , talking to pleasant people are a pleasure to deal with!

 

[bettymae1121]

If you're still dealing with the company that you owe money to, it's usually not too bad. The company has it's reputation to think of, afterall.

It's when a bad debt gets sold off at pennies to the dollar to the bottom feeder debt companies that you generally get the real jerks.

But I've always thought that if I had had to do collections for a living, I'd be nice. I figure if a person is behind with my debt, they'll be behind on others too. I figure if ten people are hounding them, who's going to be the one they pay first when they get the funds? Probably the one out of the ten that was nice to them on the phone!

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I did collections calls for a cell phone company for a few months one summer during college - it was really a terrible job.

But the primary goal of the "first tier" collections people is to be helpful and friendly and to try to set up a payment (any payment, in our case - even if it was only a small fraction of the bill!) to start to get the bills paid. If the person couldn't or wouldn't pay, then it got sent off to the "mean" people. Who were very nice as well when not on the phones, of course.

 

[Disney Doll]

February screws me up sometimes because it is a short month too.

 

[kaytieeldr]

After being told to go do horrible things to himself and his mother

You're kidding People SAY that to him? BUSINESS people? I'm stopping right there, before I state any opinion.

 

[NYCDiane]

If you're still dealing with the company that you owe money to, it's usually not too bad. The company has it's reputation to think of, afterall.

It's when a bad debt gets sold off at pennies to the dollar to the bottom feeder debt companies that you generally get the real jerks.

Not all debt gets sold off at "pennies to the dollar" as you seem to believe. Many companies are just too busy to deal with deadbeats and farm their collections out to collection agencies to collect it for them. The collection agency will get a commission of the money they collect.

I wouldn't call collection agencies "bottom feeders" either.... There would be nothing to "feed" from if you pay your debts, right?? Maybe the "bottom feeders" are the ones who use services or borrow money or run up credit cards and then stop paying --- The reason doesn't matter. THOSE bottom feeders are the ones who make it bad for people who do pay their bills on time.

As far as the "penny to the dollar" claim you make..... that typically happens when a debt is so old and the deadbeat can't be located and it's considered "uncollectable". At that point, yes, it will be sold for 10 - 20 cents on the dollar and good luck to the collection agency who buys it.

Collection agencies wouldn't be in business if there weren't deadbeats, thieves, and cheaters around.

 

[AmandaLee]

My husband did collections as a part of a job at a bank. He was called every name in the book, calls avoided for months, life threatened ("i'm going to drive my truck down there and drive you right over until you are dead...then you can take it, SIR!"). He hated it and that was one of the reasons he quit. He always appreciated a person who was honest, willing to look at options, and even pay small amounts that they could.

 

[RachaelA]

I work for a law firm that specializes in evictions and collections (meaning we file lawsuits against people and garnish their wages and bank accounts). The things the people say to us are insane.

We get called every name in the book. We get screamed at like no other. And the best part is they call us. We don't call them.

 

[cw21726]

Collection agencies wouldn't be in business if there weren't deadbeats, thieves, and cheaters around.

Good point. Someone has to hire these guys.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's really nice that they were nice.

I do have to say...to kaytie, the things that the OP told them could *easily* have been lies; they don't know that she's telling the absolute truth (their systems might not be able to see scheduled payments). So just b/c SHE was telling the truth doesn't mean that other people saying those same things would be. Therefore, it's just that she got nice people this time.


And there are some agencies out there that lie and cheat and steal. This one company that's been torturing my MIL is like that. It's a totally bogus "debt" that they are trying to say is hers, but it's absolutely not. She's older, doesn't speak fluent English, and they SCARE her. I'm trying to take care of it on the "validation/verification" front, but I'm actually kind of sure that she's already just paid it, so they would stop yelling at her, and my work will be for naught.


But OP I'm glad that they were kind to you. I still think that nice collection agents get more than ones that start screaming at you!

 

[eliza61]

I actually had one that was a hoot. A great aunt of mine died in the spring of 2008. very quietly and peacefully in her sleep. well some cousins and I were taking our time cleaning out her apartment, finally about 7 months later I noticed some strong letters from a collection agency about a sears bill that she apparently had, here is how the call went.

Eliza61: Hello, my name is Eliza, I'd like to speak to some one about a past due account for an elderly person who is now deceased.

collector: Certainly Ms, do you have a name and account #?

Eliza61: Yes, it's H. Mckenzie, acct 123456 address is XXX riverside dr. NY, NY

collector:: Are you calling to make payment arrangements on this account.

Eliza61:No, I'm calling to inform you that she is deceased.

collector:: We accept Mastercard, visa, paypal, americaan express. Can she make a payment within 7 days?

Eliza61: Not without a miracle occuring.

collector I'm obliged to inform you that continue refusal to bring this account current could result in negative reporting to her credit report.

Eliza61: Don't think that's a big problem with her right now, seeing as she is DEAD.

collector:Also we make every attempt to collect this debt including contacting her employees and or family members,which could potentially embarrasing.

Eliza61Well first of all, I'm pretty sure that's illegal, secondly she was 90 years old. I don't know if you know any senior citizens but they don't get embarrased very easily.

collector Thank you. I'm afraid I'm going to have to mark this account has uncooperative.

Eliza61:Hey, that's unfair. I'm sure she's being totally cooperative in heaven. I think that's discrimination against the "bodily-challenged".
Have a nice day.

My cousins were on the flooring rolling with laughter by this time.

 

[ksumn1]

Oh, I totally understand a collection agency being a little pushy if it's a very old past due account. This was just one missed payment, nothing major.

I had a very bad experience 10 years ago with Sprint about a phone bill. DH was out of town on storm and I changed our Sprint long distance plan to the lowest pan accordingly. Well some screwup happened and our plan wasn't changed...we had a $400 long distance bill. We went around and around about the bill a couple of months. I finally gave in, made up payment arrangements and was paying. We switched to AT&T and kept paying on the past due. Well, 2 weeks before my due date the calls started. The account had been turned over to a collection agency for whatever reason. For a week I explained nicely that we had an arrangement, yada yada. 2 days before my due date, I was called 6 times in one day...very ugly calls. I was so upset I was literally in tears sobbing on the phone. I even explained that I was 2 days from my due date, pregnant, stressed out, explained again about the payment arrangement and asked them to please not call me again, to call Sprint. I was told "If you can't pay your phone bill, how can you afford a baby? I feel sorry for your kid."

I finally borrowed the money from my parents to pay it all off. So I don't have a good impression of bill collectors..hence my suprise at how nice they were yesterday.

And I definatley agree, you do get more flies with honey, so being nice can go a long way!!

 

[bettymae1121]

Not all debt gets sold off at "pennies to the dollar" as you seem to believe. Many companies are just too busy to deal with deadbeats and farm their collections out to collection agencies to collect it for them. The collection agency will get a commission of the money they collect.

I wouldn't call collection agencies "bottom feeders" either.... There would be nothing to "feed" from if you pay your debts, right?? Maybe the "bottom feeders" are the ones who use services or borrow money or run up credit cards and then stop paying --- The reason doesn't matter. THOSE bottom feeders are the ones who make it bad for people who do pay their bills on time.

As far as the "penny to the dollar" claim you make..... that typically happens when a debt is so old and the deadbeat can't be located and it's considered "uncollectable". At that point, yes, it will be sold for 10 - 20 cents on the dollar and good luck to the collection agency who buys it.

Collection agencies wouldn't be in business if there weren't deadbeats, thieves, and cheaters around.

Where did I state that all debts were sold or that all debt collectors are bottom feeders? . Go ahead and reply and bold it for me, I'll wait.

At that point, yes, it will be sold for 10 - 20 cents on the dollar and good luck to the collection agency who buys it.

And the collection agency that buys such a debt is by definition, a bottom feeder. They "feed" off the "bottom" of the bad debt pile.

Soooo, we've established that I didn't claim that all debt collectors are bottom feeders (unless you found where I wrote that, in which case again feel free to reply and bold it for me ) and we established that we both agree on what a bottom feeder debt collector is. So it sounds like you're in 100% agreement with my post! Great minds think a like, don't you think?

I've go no problem with companies that try to collect money owed, nor to I have a problem with companies that mitigate their losses by selling debts they no longer have the desire or resources to pursue, as long as the law is followed in their collection attempts.