Debt Recoveries Australia
How to Write the Best Debt Collection Call Script
Hi, my name is Adam Stewart, Debt Collection Expert and owner of Debt Recoveries Australia.
All collectors need a rough script before they pick up the phone. While scripts may vary from industry to industry, each one should have a few basic strategies that both gain the trust of your customer and also get them to pay. Having a script for your collection calls is one of the best ways to improve your odds of success. Once you have a script in place, the next step is to work on tweaking it for your business, in order to improve your results even more.
With that in mind, here are 8 tips to write your debt collection call script:
1. Identify the customer, then yourself
Make sure you’re talking to the right person. ACCC guidelines state that you must not divulge any personal details about the debt to anyone else, other than the debtor, so make sure you are speaking to the correct person. Calling the customer by their first name establishes a level of expected respect. Ask him/her to verify an address or date of birth, social or other personal information from their past due account. Once you have established you have the correct customer, you then need to properly identify yourself, your company and the reason for your call. You need to be open and transparent about who you are, where you are calling from and why you are calling. There should be no doubt in the customer’s mind about who you are and your intentions in making the call.
see also: How to write debt collection terms for your online business
2. Keep it friendly and positive
The next step in writing your debt collection call script is to make sure that all of your phrasing comes across in a positive and friendly manner. You will want to practice saying the scripted lines so that you can determine if they come across the way you intended them to. You will be surprised by how many lines that look harmless on paper actually sound antagonistic over the phone.
