How To Manage Contacts

Contact management functions in Collect! are designed to process large numbers of accounts quickly and efficiently.

Not only does Collect! perform the standard functions you expect from a contact management system, but it also enables you to define complex schedules and sequences that Collect! manages automatically for you.

Collect! can automatically schedule phone calls and file reviews, batch print letters, and enter status changes. You can also write notes, run macros, activate and close files, and assign operators, all with a single command.

* Easily route files to different people in your office.

* Schedule letters and contacts for large blocks of accounts in seconds using simple or complex search criteria.

* Set up batch processes to reassign accounts to collectors.

* Schedule contacts conditionally and automate mundane decisions, save time, and eliminate errors all while you remain in complete control.

Strategically manage large numbers of credit and/or collection accounts. Connect financial tracking to a set of criteria that you define. Sequences of actions can be simple or complex.

You define the rules. This is your collection strategy.

Types Of Contacts

The events that Collect! is capable of managing include most of the operations that you and your collectors perform. However, we can't schedule the coffee maker to output a fresh pot of coffee yet!

This is a list of Contact Types and their uses in Collect!

ACTIVATE - Sets the Debtor's mode to Active.

This will process all accounts regardless of the current setting of the Mode when you want to set it to ACTIVE using an Activate contact.

CLOSE - Sets the Debtor's mode to Closed and deletes all pending Contacts, UNLESS the switch "Do not autodelete" is set. In progress Promises and Transactions are marked 'Completed'.

COMMISSION - Sets the Commission Rate on the Debtor's screen.

EXPORT - Schedules the exporting of specific records.

EDIT - Changes a field in the Debtor record.

EMAIL - Logs the text and details when an email is sent from the Debtor screen using Collect!'s email functions.

LETTER - Queues a letter to the Debtor in the print batch.

METRO - Sets up the Debtor for reporting to credit bureaus.

NOTE - Enters a note in the Debtor's notes.

OTHER - For general use.

OPERATOR - Assigns a Collector to the Debtor.

PHONE - Sets up a phone call to a Debtor and allows you to choose a number. This number is dialed automatically when you enter this Contact from your Work In Progress list (if you have the Auto Dialer option.)

PLAN - Runs a Contact Plan.

PROMISE - Posts a promise payment notification for a specific date. The amount of the promise is recorded. When a payment to the Debtor is posted, you are notified of the promise.

RATE PLAN - Selects a commission rate plan for this account.

REVIEW - Schedules a review of the file.

SALES - Sets the sales person / team assigned to the Debtor.

STATUS - Changes the Debtor's status.

TRANSACTION - Posts a financial transaction using transaction type details.

Contact Plan

A contact plan, by definition, is a series of events that occur at predetermined time intervals. Contact plans are templates that can schedule one or more events. Scheduled events can include letters, phone calls, file reviews, credit reports, account assignment, status changes and more. Each type can be scheduled to occur on specific dates, times and operators.

Collect! lets you run contact plans against single accounts or batches of accounts.

Events can occur conditionally. For example, you may wish to send different letters, depending on the account status. Also the date and time of each scheduled event can be set very flexibly to give you complete yet automatic control over each contact being scheduled.

Access to contacts plans can be controlled, if you wish, so that for example, only managers can close accounts, and operators can just perform basic functions, like scheduling phone calls. This safeguards the integrity of critical data or settings.

Scheduling Contact Events

Schedule any number of events in a contact plan.

Choose from different types of events such as letters, phone calls, status changes, file reviews and other tasks. Each event may be assigned a specific date, time and priority, and an operator in whose To Do List the event will appear.

Events can be scheduled conditionally. This is a very powerful feature. Design contact plans that check a field such as Status, amount Owing, or other data. Depending on the value, perform an action. For example, you could set up a plan which sets the file Status, depending on the amount Owing. If it's zero, the Status could be set to PIF (Paid in full), while other values could set the status to ACT (Active).

This system can handle the thousands of accounts you work with quickly and effectively, automating your decision making processes, saving time and eliminating errors.

Events that require human intervention, such as the phone call, will appear in the operator's daily To Do or Work In Progress list. Letters will be printed automatically in your daily batch. The other events will be processed with your daily batch event processing. This could include editing field information, if you require it.

You can even invoke contact plans conditionally from other contact plans. For example, you could execute a certain plan automatically, if, say, the debtor's balance Owing is less than $50.00, and a different plan, if they owe more than that.

Work In Progress

The Work In Progress (WIP) List gives you instant feedback about your progress.

Choose to work contacts of a specific type, or over a date range. Control hundreds of contacts quickly and efficiently, and print summary and detailed reports to give you and your collectors instant feedback. From the WIP List you can view complete details of any account listed, including payment history, notes, client details and much more.

See Also

- Working A Debtor
- Contacts Versus Contact Plans
- How To Use Contact Plans