Face-to-Face Debt Collection
Being owed money is stressful; chasing the debt is time consuming, and being out of pocket can have a significant impact on your personal finances. Whether you are chasing a personal debt or a business debt, recovering money that’s rightfully yours is key. After all, if you are owed money, you deserve to have it back. There are a lot of ways to approach debt collection – especially if you utilise the services of a specialist debt collection agency, such as Cobra Financial – but face-to-face debt collection stands out as one of the most effective techniques.
What is Face-to-Face Debt Collection?
There are a lot of techniques for recovering a debt, but face-to-face debt collection is one of the most effective. Face-to-face debt collection refers to the process of a debt collector meeting with a debtor in person to discuss an outstanding debt, with the aim of negotiating the repayment. It’s often used when contacting the debtor via phone, email or letter has been unsuccessful, and they are refusing to engage. This approach is employed when other methods of communication – such as phone calls, emails or written correspondence – have been unsuccessful, and you have yet to receive payment or reach a resolution.
Though you might be tempted to try face-to-face debt collection yourself, it’s not as simple as turning up at the home or workplace of your debtor and demanding money. To ensure that you receive the money that you are owed, and to avoid driving the debtor away, it’s best to seek the help of face-to-face-debt collection experts.
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The Benefits of Face-to-Face Debt Collection
- Personalised – Meeting a debtor face-to-face allows for a more personalised approach to debt collection. Our debt collection experts can build a connection with the debtor, which isn’t always easy to do via phone calls and emails. This enables us to understand what the debtor can afford to pay and when.
- Communication – Face-to-face debt collection enables direct communication, making it easier to address any questions, concerns or disputes that the debtor has. This gives us an opportunity to clarify anything and find a resolution, which can lead to a quicker repayment.
- Accountability – A face-to-face meeting can increase the debtor’s sense of accountability. Being confronted with the debt in person could motivate the debtor to take the matter more seriously, potentially leading to a quicker resolution.
The Downsides of DIY Debt Collection
- Negotiation – Face-to-face debt collection increases the chances of reaching a mutually agreed settlement, but only if you have the right negotiation tactics at your disposal. With DIY face-to-face debt collection, there is no guarantee that you will be able to accurately assess the debtor’s financial situation and work with them to agree to a repayment.
- Limited Resources – Unlike professional debt collection agencies, you are likely to lack the resources and tools necessary for efficient face-to-face debt collection, such as bodycams or debtor tracing. This makes it hard to find the debtor and then record communication with them, which you might need to refer to in the future.
- Time – Face-to-face debt collection can be time consuming, especially if you have to travel far away to see the debtor, or if you need to make more than one visit. This takes time away from your other responsibilities, such as work and personal engagements. When you enlist a debt collection agency, we have more time to dedicate to successful debt collection.
Face-to-Face Debt Collection Bodycams
At Cobra Financial, we use bodycams as part of our face-to-face debt collection process. Bodycams are worn by our debt recovery experts to capture audio and video recordings of interactions during face-to-face encounters with debtors. The use of bodycams in debt collection has a range of benefits including documenting what happens, ensuring transparency and holding both parties accountable. Bodycam recordings help to document conversations, negotiations and any agreements made with the debtor during the debt collection process.
In the event of disputes or disagreements, the recorded footage from bodycams can serve as evidence. It helps to verify the accuracy of statements made by both the debt recovery expert and the debtor, providing a truthful account of the interaction.
The Face-to-Face Debt Collection Process
The debt collection process can be complex and time consuming, especially if you are dealing with a debtor who is hard to track down or determined to avoid paying what they owe. This is why it’s often better to hand things over to a debt collection agency, who can start the face-to-face debt collection process.
The first thing that happens is we start the face-to-face debt collection process by scheduling a meeting with the debtor. This may involve sending a letter or notice, informing the debtor about the intention to discuss the outstanding debt in person. During this face-to-face meeting, we verify the identity of the debtor and provide documentation related to the debt. We will explain the details of the debt, including the amount owed, any interest or fees, and the timeline for repayment. We will also consider the debtor’s financial situation to determine the most feasible repayment plan.
Face-to-face interactions provide an opportunity for us to negotiate with the debtor, offering them options such as repayment plans and reduced settlements for a speedy payment.
Though everything is agreed on a face-to-face basis, we ensure that the terms are documented in writing. During the entire process, we keep you up to date with the debt collection process.
Our Professional Face-to-Face Debt Collection Services
When it comes to recovering debts, whether they are personal or business, we are here to help. We have a wide range of services for you to utilise, including face-to-face debt collection, and our approach is tailored to you. We go above and beyond to ensure that you receive the money that’s rightfully yours.
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For further advice and support, and to discuss your case in detail, then call one of the Cobra team on 0151 526 4222.
