CAC’s Collection Boot Camp Is Underway! Have You Enlisted? (sponsored)

For those who may not know, PDCflow recently partnered with the California Association of Collectors (CAC) to help promote greater awareness of their Collection Boot Camp course series. The classes offered by the CAC provide in-depth information, best practices, and real-world examples of how to improve any collector or agency in the industry while adhering to regulations. PDCflow is attending the webinars, and over the next several weeks we will provide detailed recaps of the subjects discussed, citing the panelists for context.   

Last week marked the first installment of the series. The panel was hosted by collection experts and CAC members Courtney Reynaud, June Coleman, Kelly Parson-O’Brien and Shawn Suhr. “Sound Off! Communications On The Collection Battlefield” centered around collection communications best practices for telephone calls, leaving collection messages and formatting collection letters. The course also provided an outline for creating and following office policies, procedures and work instructions, to keep your agency running smoothly.

A major portion of the webinar was dedicated to the typical message types used in collections (Pure Callback, Foti and Zortman), discussing the pros and cons of each. The section also included a case study of Reynaud’s own agency, Creditors Bureau USA. The president and CEO detailed how her agency used a mix of messages and no messages in their collection calls, and the surprising results they found upon analyzing the data. For additional information and results of the case study, read the first PDCflow Collection Boot Camp recap blog.

Reynaud and Coleman also spoke on the importance of live communications, including the necessity for collectors to mention they are on a recorded line (to ALL they speak to during a telephone conversation). Coleman’s expertise in collection litigation allowed her to provide the potential damages for collection violations. (For example, an agency can be fined $5,000 per missed opportunity per call for failing to mention they are on a recorded and/or monitored line!)

The next installment of the collection boot camp series, “Surviving The War On Disputes And Taking Bankruptcy Hill,” will cover responding to disputes, collection after a general dispute, and recovery opportunities you may identify despite a bankruptcy. The panel will share their personal experiences with these situations within their agencies, and touch on ways they have avoided litigation by properly handling dispute claims.

Just as the first course, the second session will take place via an online webinar. The class is scheduled for September 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., PST. 

The third and final collection boot camp class will take place live during the 100th annual CAC Conference & Expo, held this year in Rancho Mirage, California. The organization is excited to celebrate its 100th anniversary, and the conclusion of this course during their conference is the perfect way to serve the professionals who have helped the CAC thrive and grow.