Thanksgiving is finally here! The turkey is roasting, the mashed potatoes are ready, and family and friends are gathering around the dinner table for an enjoyable afternoon of good food, laughter, and conversation.
For credit and collection professionals, it’s also an opportunity to forget about overdue invoices, broken payment promises, and customers who suddenly become impossible to reach.
Or so you thought.
Just as you’re reaching for another helping of stuffing, Uncle George turns toward you. “Say, aren’t you in the collections business? I’ve got a customer who owes me $15,000 and hasn’t paid in six months. What do you think I should do?”
Before you can answer, Aunt Margaret joins in.
“That reminds me! My neighbor borrowed $500 last Christmas and still hasn’t paid me back. Do you think I should send her a collection letter?”
Then your cousin announces that his former tenant still owes him three months of unpaid rent.
Suddenly, Thanksgiving dinner has become an emergency meeting of the Accounts Receivable Department!
And you haven’t even gotten to the green beans.
When Your Profession Follows You Home
Anyone working in credit and collections knows that financial disagreements are hardly confined to the workplace. Friends and relatives often assume that because you deal with overdue accounts professionally, you’re the ideal person to solve their personal money problems.
And while there’s nothing wrong with offering occasional advice, must it happen while someone is carving the turkey?
After spending the week negotiating payment arrangements, reviewing aging reports, and following up with delinquent customers, most of us would appreciate a few hours when the words “past due” never enter the conversation.
So, how do we gently steer the discussion toward more enjoyable subjects?
Safe Topics for the Thanksgiving Dinner Table
Fortunately, there are plenty of subjects that can keep everyone engaged without turning dinner into a financial consultation.
- Sports: How are everyone’s favorite football, basketball, or hockey teams doing? A little friendly rivalry can be entertaining, although die-hard fans may need reminding that it’s only a game!
- Family vacations: Share memories of recent trips or discuss exciting destinations being considered for next year. Vacation stories often produce some of the evening’s best laughs.
- Cultural events: Has anyone attended an interesting concert, theatrical performance, museum exhibition, or festival recently? You might even discover an event worth attending together.
- Home improvement projects: From kitchen renovations to backyard landscaping, there’s usually someone eager to describe a completed project, or explain why one that began six months ago still isn’t finished!
- Family memories: Recalling childhood adventures, memorable holiday gatherings, and amusing family traditions can bring generations together.
Of course, even these seemingly harmless subjects can occasionally lead to spirited disagreements. Sports rivalries, in particular, have been known to test family diplomacy!
A Little Diplomacy Goes a Long Way
When Uncle George inevitably returns to his $15,000 problem, there’s no need to be rude. Simply smile and say, “George, I’d be happy to talk about it next week. But right now, I’d really like to enjoy Thanksgiving with everyone.”
Then quickly ask who would like another slice of pumpkin pie. After all, Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, good company, and enjoying the people who matter most, not negotiating payment plans between servings of mashed potatoes.
And if someone insists on discussing overdue accounts? Just remind them that the only thing anyone should be collecting at Thanksgiving dinner is a second helping of dessert!
Your thoughts and comments (nseiverd@cmiweb.com) are most welcome!
Nancy Seiverd, President
CMI Credit Mediators, Inc.
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