Dear Crabby,
I’ve been enjoying your column and now find myself writing to you for help.
Our staff collector was trained to be polite, understanding and accommodating to our customers, many of whom have been doing business with us for decades. He has what I would call the “gift of gab.” He remembers customers’ birthdays, asks about their recent vacations, and has a knack for making every conversation enjoyable.
The problem is that somewhere along the way, he stopped acting like a collector and started acting like a friend. Instead of using those relationships to encourage payment, he uses them as a reason to grant payment extensions and accept excuses. Rather than “attracting more bees with honey,” he ends up giving away the honey.
How can I help him understand that being friendly doesn’t mean giving away the store?
Signed: My Collection Manager Is Too Nicey-Nicey
Dear Nicey-Nicey,
Being friendly is an important collection skill. Being everyone’s friend is not.
The best collectors know how to build rapport without compromising their responsibility to collect. They treat customers with courtesy and respect, but they also hold them accountable for the commitments they make. There is a fine line between maintaining a positive business relationship and becoming so personally invested that it becomes difficult to ask for payment.
Once a collector begins granting extensions simply because they don’t want to disappoint a customer, the balance shifts. Before long, the customer learns that promises are flexible, payment dates become suggestions, and the collector loses credibility. As the old saying goes, once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s very difficult to put it back.
Your collector’s ability to connect with customers is a tremendous asset. The goal isn’t to make him less personable, it’s to help him understand that professionalism sometimes requires having uncomfortable conversations. Customers can appreciate kindness while still expecting firm follow-up on their payment commitments. The two are not mutually exclusive.
If, after coaching and training, your collector continues to struggle with having difficult payment discussions, it may be worth asking whether collections is the best role for him. Some people naturally excel at relationship-building and customer service but are less comfortable creating the accountability that successful collections require. Matching people with responsibilities that best fit their strengths benefits both the employee and the company.
One final thought: Honey is a wonderful way to start a conversation, but don’t give it all away before the check arrives.
Dear Crabby is a credit, collection, and human resources advice column by Nancy Seiverd, President, CMI Credit Mediators Inc. Your thoughts and comments (nseiverd@cmiweb.com) are most welcome!
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