WHY DONT WE GET PAID MORE? COLLECTIONS ISNT AN EASY JOB!!

WE GET SWORN AT, YELLED AT & I CAN GO ON. THE PAY ISNT GOOD AT ALL COMPARED TO THE MONEY BROUGHT IN. NOW DAYS DEBTORS ACT LIKE WE ARE THE ONES WHO MADE THE BILL. WHATS UP WITH THIS ?

hapagirl said: WE GET SWORN AT, YELLED AT & I CAN GO ON. THE PAY ISNT GOOD AT ALL COMPARED TO THE MONEY BROUGHT IN. NOW DAYS DEBTORS ACT LIKE WE ARE THE ONES WHO MADE THE BILL. WHATS UP WITH THIS ?

Hapgirl ~ I worked at a bank for 22 years; I always felt like we collectors were blamed for others (debtors) not paying their bills. It's almost like a salesman's job, where you have to entice the debtor to pay you rather than someone else.

Well i have been doing collections for 15 years, my point of view on how to collect a balance is all up to the individual that is collecting from the debtor, how you handle the call if you show frustration in your voice then you will have a hard time collecting the amount. Never let debtors get the best of you as a collector. And always know you are there to make money for the company, and also for yourself. I consider myself a hard collector i have worked for different employers in collections and also different types of collections. I hear to many people complain about the collection industry, how its so stressful or the pay is not all that great, but the way i think is if you have such a problem with the pay rate, or the frustration then you need to get out of the industry if you can't handle what comes with being a collector. Thank You

Maria ~ You are absolutely right. I worked for a bank for 22 years and I always felt I was being blamed for delinquent customers not paying their bills. There was always that "end of the month" rush. Then I worked for a law firm (3rd party collections), but the firm lost clients and dissolved, going out of business on 5/7/2008. I am looking for a job. MICUS in South Jersey (NJ)

hapagirl said: WE GET SWORN AT, YELLED AT & I CAN GO ON. THE PAY ISNT GOOD AT ALL COMPARED TO THE MONEY BROUGHT IN. NOW DAYS DEBTORS ACT LIKE WE ARE THE ONES WHO MADE THE BILL. WHATS UP WITH THIS ?

I agree!! I have said this for a long time!!!!!!!

I'VE BEEN IN THE COLLECTIONS INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED IS THAT THE SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THIS JOB IS SOMETHING THAT THE COLLECTOR HAS TO TAKE INITIATIVE ON.AT THE END OF THE DAY,IT'S A "NUMBERS" GAME AND IT'S ON YOUR PERSONAL APPROACH.MOST OF THE TIME DEBTORS ARE FRUSTRATED AT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR FINANCIAL RUT.IT IS UP TO THE COLLECTOR TO EMPATHISE WITH THE DEBTOR AND COME UP WITH A LOGICAL SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM.DON'T EXPECT THAT THE DEBTOR IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHECK OVER THE PHONE OR CREDIT CARD INFO THE MINUTE YOU SPEAK TO THEM.IT TAKES TIME,DAYS TO MAKE THE PROBLEM TO GO AWAY SO YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH THEM UNLESS THEY ARE WILLING TO SOLVE THE MATTER RIGHT THEN AND THERE.YOU HAVE TO KEEP REFINING YOUR APPROACH ON YOUR MESSAGES AND TALK OFFS ALL THE TIME OTHERWISE YOU WILL BECOME STAGNANT AND HURT YOURSELF IN THE END.BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND WITH THEM ON YOUR MESSAGES.REMEBER,WE HAVE A BAD REP AS IT IS AND IT MAKES NO SENSE TO MAKE IT WORSE.BELIEVE IT OR NOT MOST OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU WILL HAVE IN SUCH A COMPETITIVE ENVIROMENT WILL BE FROM OTHER COLEAGES AND IN SOME CASES MANAGEMENT.WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY EVERYONE WANTS A SLICE OF THE CAKE.LIKE I SAID BEFORE IT'S A NUMBERS GAME AND JEALOUSY IS RAMPANT IN THIS BUSINESS.KEEP TRACK OF YOUR NUMBERS AND ACCOUNTS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT FOR YOU.YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT IN THIS BUSINESS THERE ARE ONLY "FRIENDLY" ENEMIES ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A TOP COLLECTOR.WHEN YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL YOU WILL FIND OUT MOST WILL "HATE" ON YOU EXCEPT FOR THE "NEWBIES" AND WHEN YOU ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST YOU ARE BENEATH THEIR NOTICE.MY FINAL ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO JUST GOT IN THIS BUSINESS IS LEARN FROM EXPERIENCED COLLECTORS AND DEVELOP YOUR OWN PERSONAL STYLE AND LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THE F.D.C.P.A AND HOW TO GET AROUND IT.WE ARE SITTING DUCKS FOR A LAWSUIT SO BE CAREFUL.THE ONES WHO SURVIVE ARE THE ONES WHO LOOK OUT FOR THEMSELVES.

STOP YELLING. And please, learn to use punctuation. Your rant is impossible to read, due to the shouting, misspellings, and run together sentences.

It's all in the game, you can't expect to be a boxer and never take a punch. Don't get mad at your opponent in the ring because the anger will make you lose your concentration and your edge. Stay calm and focused, while you are on the phone. Every job where you will interact with people will have those times where the customer is on a cursing, finger pointing and bad mouthing spree. Let them rip. Address and acknowledge their emotion, sure, it's not your fault the situation exists, but you are the reminder of just how out of order their life is and face it, they would rather not be reminded. So toughen up, or leave this profession because it's not ever going to change, no soon at least. I did CNA Nursing clinicals with the elderly, you would think since I'm coming in to wash, bathe and change them from their mess they would be nice....no way. They angry they lost their mobility and charge over their lives and it's been reduced to soft food and diapers. So don't dispair, see beyond the anger and seek to help them resolve it and come to terms with it. Their attitude will change once they see their deliquency is something they are managing and you may find that most of them are really nice people who'd like to stay in touch after they pay off their bill...but never do...like we say in my group after all their cursing and upset...NEXT CALL, I'M LOOKING FOR THE ONES WHO WANT TO PAY AND THOSE WHO CAN PAY...ANYTHING ELSE, I'LL DEAL WITH LATER.

I have been in and out of the collections industry for over 15 years. In 05, at the time the going rate for this area was $12.00 an hour. I have recently decided to re-enter the collection industry and still find the going rate for collectors is still at $12.00 and hours and most places offering even less. I don't understand why the wages for one of the most frustrating job have not changed. In most instances the bonuses have even decreased. Most collector friends I have don't want to work for the hourly wage, but for the bonus's. But nowadays the bonus is so minute all they end up with is more frustration. Being a collector is a specialized skill and those of us with experience should be paid considerably more than someone who has never collected. But because of this job market, agencies are getting away with paying us pennies. The turnover rate is constant. Agencies would rather pay pennies to inexperienced collectors and expose themselves to liability than to pay a bit more to an experienced collector. In closing $12.00 is like miniumum wage. Companies get exactly what they pay for.