Credit Inquiry and Background Check (Assess Risk and Set Your Terms)
We can check credit reports and various other databases for your new or existing clients (full business insight so you can deal with them with confidence, before they become an A/R problem). For a nominal flat rate we will check all available sources and provide a detailed analysis on the credit worthiness of possible clients as part of your open credit approval process.
Client Training and Consulting Services.
We can tailor a training program for your staff so that your office can become much more efficient. An efficient office produces higher quality claims for our office and reduces your DSO, A/R, and internal cost. It may mean fewer claims for our office, but you will be much happier with our company. Let your employees (sales, customer service, accounts receivable, etc.) know how to handle the myriad of collection rules and how to handle difficult cases in a more professional manner.
Client Pre-Collect Letters
We can tailor-make a letter series for your company on early aging accounts (under 75 days past due). For a nominal fee (usually under $10.00 per account) we will send up to 3 collection notices with your name on the letters at 10-day intervals, which eliminates your workload. A week after the last letter goes out the account automatically reverts to our normal collection process and rates. No up-front fees as we bill monthly for the services you have already used.
For limited, selected accounts we also offer a free 10-day demand notice. Any money you receive in that ten-day period is not subject to fees. On the eleventh day the account automatically reverts to our normal collection process and rates.
Customary Collection Process
Our process starts within 1-24 hours of submitting the account to our office. We promptly mail, fax, and/or email a formal demand letter to the debtor for all legitimate amounts due. A research specialist will do a thorough search on the Web to find out as much as possible on the debtor as we can. At the minimum, we will send three letters (regardless of the amount of the debt) over sixty days and we will start phone contact as soon as feasible. Within the first thirty-days (if not paid), we will have contacted the debtor at least 6-10 times. If we do not receive a positive response and it has a higher balance, we may place the claim in the hands of an outside adjuster for a personal visit. Our research will determine the extent of the action to follow. For the few larger accounts that refuse to pay, we will ask for suit authorization and will forward the account to a collection specialist law firm located in the debtors’ area. We will then manage the account through to full resolution.
Personal Visits – Outside Adjuster
Want to know what your debtor really is like? Nothing is more effective and personal than a CRI Adjuster visiting for a first-hand look at the operations. We attempt to talk directly to the decision maker face to face and resolve the matter. If they are not available we are able to help you make an informed decision on whether a lawsuit is warranted. What is better than seeing how busy they are or if they are out of business? It is your money, so you should know.
Credit Reporting
In our office there are only two reasons why we cannot collect. Either the debtor cannot pay (they are out of business or money) or they refuse to pay and suit is not warranted. For the latter, (in some cases even the former), we will report the debt to a national credit bureau and maintain the file into the future. If their financial situation changes, they need to refinance, or they want to clear up their credit file, they will have to address the recorded debts we have submitted on their credit reporting files.
Attorney Action
Many factors determine whether we will forward a claim to an attorney (less than one percent of all claims end up in court) but when we recommend it, it is for good reason. We will not waste your money by sending all claims to an attorney; just those we feel are collectable through legal action. All the attorneys we utilize (we forward to an attorney near the debtor) are bonded and are collection specialists; not general lawyers who may occasionally handle collection matters. Our office maintains and directs the process with the law firm so you only reap the benefits of the recovery and not the headache of all the paperwork. To see a more detailed explanation of legal actions see Attorney Process.