How to Collect on Bad Checks

I don’t want to shock you, but even though we are now almost at 2020, and electronic banking, no cash stores, and ATMs are all part of everyday life, a lot of people out there are still writing checks. Some people write checks because that’s what they’re used to doing. Some people like to write … Read more

Negotiation Tips for Car Buyers (and everyone else)

As a collection agent and a business owner, I spend a lot of time in negotiations. I’m fascinated by how negotiation tactics vary from situation to situation. I try to learn from negotiations outside of work and apply them to my work, and vice versa. Ask my kids, I’m very good at using active listening … Read more

Reduce Stress by Collecting with Integrity

Economies are cyclical. For every upturn, there’s a downturn. When there is a downturn, unqualified collection agencies tend to spring out of nowhere. In 2011, during the Great Recession hundreds of un-trained collection agencies entered the market. Predictably, complaints about collectors’ abusive practices reached all-time highs. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2011, the … Read more

Emotional Tips for Making Difficult Phone Calls

  Being a collection agent means making a lot of difficult calls. Anything involving money runs the chance of becoming highly emotional. When you’re talking about debt, the potential for high emotions becomes increased. At The Kaplan Group, we’re used to making these phone calls and have some tips for how you can prepare yourself … Read more

Tips for Successful Debt Collection by Phone and Email

Some of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to collect on unpaid debt is communicating in an unprofessional, impolite, or potentially illegal manner. Being in debt and collecting debt can both be stressful situations and there are numerous laws around debt communications. Learning best practices for communicating with those who owe you money is … Read more

Using A Different Phone Number To Reach A Debtor

You have been calling your customer about a past due invoice for the last month. After a couple excuses and a couple broken promises, now no one answers the phone or returns messages when you call repeatedly. What does this mean? Have they closed? Has office staff been reduced to the point there is no … Read more

You’ll Get Paid When We Get Paid

It is difficult for collection agencies to pierce the corporate veil

  “You’ll Get Paid When We Get Paid” This is one of the most common ‘explanations’ we get while providing commercial collection services. How the debt collector responds to this assertion can have a big impact on understanding what is really going on and figuring out how to get paid even if they don’t get … Read more

Mental Preparation For A Commercial Collection Call

It is difficult for collection agencies to pierce the corporate veil

Elite athletes mentally visualize technique and success to improve actual performance. Our debt collectors use a very simple technique to get better results. Studies have shown that visualization improves awareness, mood, confidence and outcome. We’ve been using these techniques with dramatic success at The Kaplan Group for years. In house collectors typically have 2 objectives, … Read more

Credit Analyst Shares Debt Collection Tip

A discussion on LinkedIn regarding my recent article “Does Knowing the Truth Matter” prompted this comment from Kim Gelinskey, Credit and Collections Analyst for Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C. “I’ve learned you are more productive working through a problem than plowing through the issue.” This immediately struck a chord with me. I thought of all … Read more

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