How To Enter A New Debtor

This document discusses entering a new Debtor in your Collect! database. It is assumed that you have signed into Collect! as a user with access rights to enter information into the fields on the Debtor form.

Overview

Collect! ships with a fully functional Demo database that shows you many features and functions. The same setup is available in the Masterdb database that you will use as your working database. The simplest setup is achieved if you can use the Status Codes, Contact Plans, Transaction Types, Pick Lists, and User Levels that Collect! provides by default.

If you can, it is recommended that you use the defaults to get up and running quickly. You can always make modifications later as the need arises. Please refer to How To Setup Debtors for details.

If you have been using Collect! for some time, you may not have the default plans, codes and other setup items in your working database. Perhaps you have already made modifications.

Opening The Debtor Form

There are several ways to access the Debtor form, as described in the Help topic, Debtor Basics. We are going to use the Client's Debtor list in this walk through to encourage you to enter your Client settings before entering debtors into your system. That way, many settings will come through to each Debtor automatically, such as Client, Rate, and Operator.

In Collect!, each Debtor must be attached to a Client so that all the month end financials will calculate correctly when you are figuring your commission and what you owe your clients.

1. Select Browse from the top menu bar and then select Clients from the drop-down choices. The list of all clients will be displayed.

2. Choose the Client whose new Debtor you are about to enter.

3. When the correct Client form is displayed, you can select the ADVANCED button on the Client form, if necessary, to enter, modify or simply verify the settings, such as Commission Rate, Tax Rate, Operator assigned to new accounts and other settings you may need. When you are finished with the Client Settings form, select the OK button to close it and return to the Client form.

4. Click into the Debtor List (it may be empty). You may be prompted to enter a new debtor or you can press F3 or select the New icon. A new Debtor form will be displayed.

An important question will help you to enter your debtor information correctly right from the start. Will you ever need to report the information to a credit bureau? If so, you will need to pay special attention to the fields on the Debtor form. Many are related to information that will be sent to the credit bureaus when you produce a CBR file. You will notice that some fields have a FOR CBR note attached to them when you view the popup help for the field. These are fields where information must be entered in a particular way if you ever intend to report this debtor to credit bureaus. These fields have additional information in the field help that outlines the proper formats required.

Print The Help Topic

Now that you have accessed the Debtor form, press F1 to display the Help topic for the form. If you receive a prompt that "Field Name is required", just click into the field below the Debtor name and you will then be able to press F1 to view the help. Please print this topic as we will use it in the discussion that follows.

Press Ctrl + P to bring up the Print dialog. Press OK to print the topic.

Close the browser and you will be looking at the Debtor form again.

What Do You See?

Notice the fields on the Debtor form that are filled in automatically by Collect! when you create a new account for an existing Client.

1. Locate the File field and notice the number that Collect! has assigned to this account. Read details from your printout for the File field.

2. Locate the Client field and next to it, the Client's number.

3. Locate the Mode field. Collect! automatically fills this with 'Active'. This is the correct Mode for all accounts that you are working. It ensures correct calculations of financials an enables your operators to work the accounts from their WIP Lists. View the Pick List choices by selecting the arrow in this field. Read details from your printout.

4. Locate the Listed field and read details. Depending on your Client setup, there may also be a date in the Delnqnt field.

5. Locate the Rate field and read details.

6. There may or may not be a Contact Plan scheduled to run on new accounts. If there is a plan scheduled, you will see its "Action code" in a box right under the Settle field.

If there is a Contact Plan scheduled, pull down the System menu and choose Contact Management Settings, Contact Plans. Choose View from the submenu. Locate the Code in this list and click to open the Contact Plan. Examine the plan and its events to see what actions are performed automatically on new accounts. Click OK until you are back at the Debtor form.

Enable Popup Help

Popup help should be enabled while you are entering a new Debtor. Many fields require special formatting if you intend to report to credit bureaus and popup help alerts you to them.

Select Help from the top menu bar and then select 'Enable popup help' from the drop-down choices. If it is already enabled, you do not have to do anything to begin to use it. Simply hold your mouse over the field of your choice and help will display.

Entering Debtor Information

Use the information you printed out to guide you as you fill the fields on the Debtor form, or hold your mouse over each field to read the details for that particular field.

1. Note how Collect! requires that you enter the Debtor's name, i.e. Last Name, First Middle.

2. Pay special attention to all references to credit bureau (FOR CBR) in popup help. If you ever intend to report this Debtor to credit bureaus, enter information in CBR fields the way it is shown in your printout.

3. Read the information about ADDRESS OK. This is very important for printing letters to this Debtor.

4. Fill in all other fields as you require.

Pay special attention to CBR requirements for Address, Date of Birth, Driver's License and other information. Use your print out to highlight these areas.

5. Press the Group button to add this Debtor to a Group of matching accounts.

6. Select the CBR tab to bring up Credit Bureau details, if applicable.

7. Select the COSIGNERS tab to enter Cosigner information.

8. Be sure to assign an Operator to this Debtor. Press F2 in the Operator field to view the list of Operators. If you are not using the defaults provided, you will need to create your own operators and add them to this list. Operator Setup is not covered in this topic. Depending on your Client setup, an Operator may have already been assigned in the Operator field.

The Operator ID is needed to assign contacts to this Debtor and to track information and calculate commissions. It is also useful in Batch Processing routines.

9. Be sure to choose a Debtor Status Code. Press F2 in the Status Code field to view the list of Status Codes.

The Debtor Status Code is very useful as a search criterion for sorting and reporting purposes as well as Batch Processing.

10. Enter financial information for this Debtor as necessary. Click into the Principal field to open the Financial Detail form. Press F1 for help on each aspect of entering Principal, Rate, Interest and other financial data when the Financial Detail form is displayed. Depending on your Client setup, this account may already have a Commission Rate assigned to it.

11. Select the Contacts tab to schedule a Contact for the Debtor. You must schedule an initial Contact to "get the Debtor into the system." You must assign an Operator and schedule a Contact so that the Debtor will show up in the Operator's Work In Progress To Do List.

If you schedule a letter contact for this Debtor, make sure the letters that you need have already been defined. Pull down the Print menu and choose Customize Printing, Edit Report Templates. Make sure the letters you need are listed in the Report Definitions list.

12. If you have any additional information about this Debtor, you could enter it in an Attachment. Select the Attachment tab to open the form. Be aware that you can tag Attachments so that they show up on the Debtor form. Read the information about the A1, A2, and A3 tabs.

13. Click in the Notes tab and the click into the text area. The Text Editor will open and you can type whatever other information you need. The note will display in the Notes. It is automatically stamped with the current date, time, status and the current Operator's ID.

14. When you are satisfied that you have entered all the information that you want to enter, press OK or F8 to save the record. At this time, any previously scheduled contact plan (the code showing up in the Action field) will automatically run on the account. You will be returned to the Client form.

15. Press F3 to enter another new Debtor for this Client. Or select OK to close the Client form and choose another Client.

16. Click OK to close the Client list and return to the Main Menu.

Financial Information

All areas regarding setup of account financial information are accessed while on the Debtor form. Entering the original balance when you start up an account, setting up the interest if needed, and charging collection or legal fees, are all handled from the Financial Detail form accessed while viewing the Debtor form.

Click into the debtor's Principal field to open the Financial Detail form.

Once these initial values are set, the next stage is to post transactions for payments, adjustments or additional fees and charges. These are done through the Transactions tab on the Debtor form.

Select the NEW button when you are are viewing the list of debtor's transaction. This will open a new Transaction form.

Commission Rate should be displayed on the Debtor form if you entered your Client settings correctly when you set up your client. You can view or modify these settings at the Debtor level by selecting the Principal field. This will open the Financial Detail form. Select the Commission tab.

To register Judgement information, select the Principal field to enter the Judgement details in the Totals area of the Financial Detail form.

To automate initial fees and charges, access the Financial Detail form and select the Fees tab.

Payments, and adjustments are handled strictly through the posting of appropriate transaction types. You can post or view transactions by selecting the Transactions tab on the Debtor form. Select the NEW button to post a new transaction.

Summary

This document provided you with a quick overview of entering your debtors into Collect!. There is additional information for each of the setup areas referred to in the text. Remember when entering your new debtors that setting up your Clients first is the most efficient way to ensure correct information consistently. Please refer to Help topic, How To Setup Debtors for additional details.