While telephone is still the most effective way to communicate with debtors during a debt collection effort, other forms of correspondence including email can play an important role in a debt collector‘s efforts to contact a non-paying customer. When using email for collection purposes, it is important to follow some general guidelines to ensure your communications make an impression on the debtor:
- Always respond to email communications promptly. If you expect the people you email to respond to you in a timely fashion, be sure to do so as well. Try to respond to emails within one working day of receiving them.
- Keep your messages short and ensure they only emphasize the point you want. Shorter emails are more likely to be read in their entirety, and if you make the message you want to send to the recipient very clear they’ll be sure to get the point.
- Give your email a subject that is both concise and clear. Your recipient will be far more likely to open the email if they know what it is
- Don’t send the message to people who don’t need to see it. Remember that any email communication can be used in a lawsuit if the debtor sues you for disclosing information to parties against regulation (especially in the case of consumer collections); email communications are permanent, and the debtor will be able to find a copy of the message stored online with ease.
Emails should be used sparingly in debt collections, as telephone communication is far more effective and efficient; however, when email is required (especially when requesting documents or sending them), these tips can help your messages produce the results you want.
