A: ‘If you could take a message, that would be great. I’m authorized to tell you my name is Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer, I am calling from Kingston Data & Credit, and my direct telephone number is 226-946-1730’.
A: ‘May I ask your name? I’m sorry, but [Bob Smith] hasn’t indicated I’m
allowed to disclose details to that person.
If they could contact me and indicate I can share information with you,
I would be happy to do so’.
Taking it a step further, what happens when someone asks pointed questions?
Q: Is this a collection agency?
A: Our company provides a number of services – if you would like to look at our company website, it gives an overview of what Kingston Data & Credit does. But I am afraid without [Bob Smith’s] consent to disclose details to you, I can’t speak to the specific reason I am calling.Q: Why do you want to talk to [Bob Smith]?
A: I’m calling regarding a business matter between our company and [Bob Smith]. Aside from that, I’m not authorized to disclose details to you without further instructions from [Bob].Q: Is [Bob Smith] in trouble?
A: This is a business matter involving [Bob], I’m afraid I can’t get into further details unless [Bob] authorizes me to disclose details.Q: Does [Bob Smith] owe you money?
A: I really can’t disclose any information regarding [Bob], as hasn’t given me authorization to speak to another person regarding this matter. If he would like to direct me to speak to you, I can certainly share details with you afterwards.Now what about someone who calls in, won’t identify themselves, but want to know who you are and what you do?
Q: What company is this?
A: This is the direct line for myself, Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer, and I work at Kingston Data & Credit. How can I be of assistance?Q: Why are you constantly calling my number?
A: I’d be happy to assist you – I’d need to know the number I am calling, and your name, and I can look up why we are calling.Q: I don’t want to tell you anything
A: That makes it very hard for me to answer your question then – I’m happy to assist you, but I will need a little information to get started.So what do you do when someone calls in and gives you a little information showing they know why you are calling, but you still can’t speak to them regarding the debt?
Q: Can I speak to you about [Bob Smith’s] debt? He received a letter from you yesterday, and I am his wife [Mary Smith].
A: [Mary], I’d be happy to assist you, but I don’t have authorization from [Bob] to speak to you about any file in our office. If you have general questions about our company and how we work, I can assist you, but I can’t talk directly about any of [Bob’s] personal information.You will notice in all the examples above, it’s not just a curt ‘I can’t talk to you’, it’s more of ‘here is what I can say, I am a reasonable person, but here’s what I can’t say’ approach. This makes you sound protective of the debtor’s privacy (which you absolutely should be doing), but responding in a business-like manner that doesn’t make you sound like a scam.
The other important thing is to make sure your name, direct line, and who you are is available online – don’t let 800notes.com or some other website determine whether you are reputable or not – make sure you are involved in the conversation about your team members online. Here’s a sample for one of our team members as an example:
Meaghan Rahn - Receivables & Outreach Manager | Kingston Data & Credit (kingstondc.ca)
Originally posted on Receivable / Accounts