Partner power: The way to truly optimise your debt recovery

Most large creditors, be it in financial services, energy or the public sector, use external Debt Collection Agencies (DCAs) or Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs) to collect on overdue accounts. There is nothing new about that, but what is interesting is the many different approaches and reasons a Creditor chooses to add a flexible partner into the process and how this decision can vary significantly by organisation.

Some creditors opt for third party support from as early as day one of delinquency for certain product types, whereas others have lengthy periods of internal collection activity up to day 120 and beyond, before deciding to place debt out to an external party.

Why the different approaches?

For many organisations it’s a question of resource, based on the internal capacity of the collections team or that resources may be required elsewhere. For other businesses it’s a question of risk and personally managing that customer relationship for as long as possible, in order to add value and retain control.

What are the benefits of using a partner?

When used correctly there can be significant financial benefits associated with partnering for collections, including increased levels of recovery and reduced operational expenditure. However, organisations must take care to select a partner who provides the right level of control, has the correct oversight frameworks in place to ensure that the best outcomes are being delivered for the end customer, and that risks are minimised for their business.

Technological advancements mean we live in an age where data is readily available and this data allows businesses to better understand their customer base. The unique way in which our organisation is structured, using Equifax data and TDX Group delivery capabilities, means that we know more about the relationships creditors already have with their customers and have a holistic view of their financial circumstances, so we can offer a more positive customer experience and can also provide better returns for creditors.

How does data help?

By applying analytics this data is turned into true customer insight – driving more purposeful segmentation, identifying groups of customers which can be fast-tracked to DCAs and excluding unsuitable accounts to help reduce cost and risk within your organisation.

And because we work across a wide range of industries, we can spot themes emerging and use our knowledge to devise specialist treatment paths targeted at specialist segments and drive the best performance in recoveries. For example, our data can help creditors to identify customers who are in financial difficulties, enabling them to tailor their strategy to improve the customer experience, such as signposting the person to a debt charity for appropriate advice and support. We believe that treating customers fairly not only delivers better outcomes, but can also improve performance as the customers who are unable to pay and therefore not suitable for collections activity, can be removed from that process minimising cost and removing potential brand risk.

Better insight enables companies to treat each customer in the most appropriate manner, which in turn drives increased collections, with lower risk, at lower cost and achieves an enhanced experience for customers.

So, what does the future hold?

As an industry, we need to move away from linear and rigid collections processes which define our recoveries model based on timeframe alone, into a world where a more agile approach is taken at a point where the latest information is used to drive the best-next-action.

Debt collection activity remains an important part of the consumer lending ecosystem and by partnering with the right data and technology provider, creditors can improve recovery rates whilst also retaining oversight and ensuring that the best interests of customers remain front of mind.

Matt Wallis is Solution Designer at TDX Group