**#1 Be prepared with specifics on the account you are calling**
Be ready to handle excuses, get specific with your customer and stay in problem solving mode.
- Establish the payment is late – You need to plainly state the reason you are calling, which is to let the customer know their payment is past due.
- Discover WHY the payment is late – Instead of simply listing off the facts to your customer, ask them why the payment is late? Don’t offer up excuses for them, listening to the customer will help you better solve the problem at hand.
- Get a payment promise/game plan from the customer before hanging up – The call is useless if you cannot get that promise from your customer. Do everything in your power to make this happen.
**Common Responses:**
Customer: *I don't have a copy of the invoice.*
Collector: *I'll email or fax the invoice over right now. I need to make a note, will you be mailing the check today? What do we need to change in our process to keep this from happening again?*
Customer: *I must have missed it. Will get you a payment in the mail.*
Collector: *That’s great, will that be mailed today? (Customer needs to commit to a firm action plan)*
Customer: *I have a cash flow problem right now.*
Collector: *I understand that times are difficult, let’s work towards a solution. Can I set you up on a payment plan, or can you make at least a partial payment today?*
**Know the Facts**
Before you pick up the phone, It's critical that you have all the specifics of the debt you’re calling about. Having the facts in front of you keeps you in control. You don't want the conversation to get derailed by a question you can't answer. Many debtors know how to use this to their advantage. Suddenly they can't discuss payment on their account without details you don't have and they don't "have in front of them" either. So, the call is over.
Be sure to have the following in front of you before you make the call:
- Amount owed
- Account terms
- Payment due date
- Helpful to know account history
- Aware of other open invoices, even those not yet past-due
**Know Who You are Calling**
It's also helpful to brief yourself on the customer's payment record with your company, as well as any other payment history you may have available to you. Do they usually pay on time? Are payments getting slower and slower? Is past-due payment uncharacteristic of this customer?