Raising The Bar

The commercial collection industry is mostly made up of collection agencies who all try to set them- selves apart by claiming to have either better collectors, superior technology or an “in-house” legal department. As you visit collection websites you will notice these buzz words are used very often.

Collection agencies rely on bill collectors to locate and collect from debtors. In most states, bill collectors do not require any type of licensing, training or certification. Generally, their directive consists of a cleverly designed script they must follow to ensure they do not venture outside of legal guidelines, which significantly limits their effectiveness. Collectors are also prohibited by law from communicating threats of, or pursuing legal action, resulting in a highly ineffective process. When a collector’s script fails, your claim is generally forwarded to their legal department, where the claim is handled by a lawyer. It is at this point however that the cost for collections goes from that of an introductory commission rate to a much higher legal rate. In essence, when your file requires legal expertise you net less of a return and longer delays, BUT NOT WITH CRI.

CRI has a one of a kind business model. All of our collectors are attorneys. Every communication made to your delinquent customers will come from a lawyer. All of our attorneys are highly trained, licensed and educated legal professionals. This tremendous advantage allows us to utilize from day one of the collection process, many of the same tools and strategies that our competition generally reserves for their “in-house” legal departments. While a typical bill collector may be armed with a savvy collection script, our attorneys have the arsenal of the judicial system at their disposal. This results in faster collections at a lower cost for our clients. In the event that suit is filed, our rate will increase to accommodate our costs, however since the leverage and benefit of the legal system is used throughout all stages of collection, a lawsuit is required far less often than that of our competitors.

Remember, the company you hire to contact and recover from your customers is your agent. They act as an extension of your company. Ask yourself who would you rather have representing your company, the negative stigma that generally applies to a typical collection agency, or a team of licensed, experienced attorneys who are legally required to adhere to high ethical and moral standards and conduct business in a professional manner.