subject: Collection Agencies For Beginners: Expectations On The Job [print this page] Welcome back to debt collection 101, your beginner's guide to debt collection. In articles one and two, I spoke about the different kinds of collection agents, how bill collectors will locate a consumer, and what they will do when they contact the consumer. In article three I described the strict rules and regulations that debt collectors, particularly third party debt collectors must abide by when they make each phone call. In article four I wrote about what the job of a debt collector is like, now I will describe the expectations that debt collectors are generally required to meet on the job.
Many collection agents are expected to meet particular goals when they are at work, which are generally number oriented. Sometimes these goals might include an average amount of calls per hour, other times these include success rate goals. Because of the fact that most collection agents work for commission, they most definitely have their own goals that they expect of themselves to ensure that their needs be met.
The majority of debt collectors are typically required to have at least a high school diploma but collection agents, especially in today's job market, with a college education and customer service experience are preferred. Upon being hired, collection agents will receive on the job training. With some collection agencies, formal classroom training might be necessary, such as training in specific computer software. In addition to being trained in the technology that they agency uses, the new trainees will probably be taught telephone techniques and negotiation skills.
It is also expected that most debt collectors learn the laws of the state that they are calling in regarding collections, and the details of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Collection agents are additionally expected to have excellent communication and people skills due to the fact that for their job, they must talk to people every day, and many of these people are in stressful financial situations.
A great debt collector should be able to handle rejection in a mature way, and any type of experience with computers or telecommunications equipment can be handy. Read the next article to find out some of the perks of being a collections agent.
