We are having a cash flow crisis at work, mainly due to some serious unpaid debts.

So, has anyone here had any experience of using debt collection agencies? Recommendations/advice will be much appreciated 🙂

We've used Arvato

You've two tasks, one tactical and one strategic:

1 Tactically, get the cash already owed in – a decent credit controller should be able to sort it, with 'lawyers and heavies' a last resort as they can cost big time.

2 Strategically, don't let it happen again – look at a decent credit controller and/or factoring – also look at how sales work, i.e. its only a sale when the money is in the bank!

+1 BR

Dotn't use a debt collection agency until you have exhausted everything, including court action.

Also don't be scafed of 'upsetting' your debtors, yo're not a charity are you…

They'e entered in to a contract by purchasing goods and/or services from you so naturally payment should be forthcoming.

I may be able to help personally but i need more info, what's your business? What value are the debts hat size your customer/debtor base? How old are the debts etc?

Thanks for the feedback 🙂

Business is consultancy with some money tied up in groundworks/lab analysis on each job. The debts range in age – but some are going back around 18 months+.

Prolly looking at 3 months worth of turnover in debt size (estimated). I try not to get involved with the business side of things, tbh, I like to stay on the technical side, but being ripped off by clients affects all of us.

We have already tried one debt collection agency, but it appears they took their payment and have been mostly non-contactable since. 🙄

http://www.thomashiggins.com/

Not had to use them so far but colleagues say they are effective. Their first threatening letter is cheap and often does the job

Get sanity assassin on it

You rang?

Aye big Jonny always collects.

Whereas a little jonny often lets some escape.

I've used Direct Route in the past a couple of times (http://www.directroute.uk.com/) reasonable rates, and have never let me down.

Hope you get it sorted.

Thomas Higgins I will second them, £2.00 for solictors letter, then they have 7 days to pay, then you can pursue it further through courts,never failed our company give them ago, tend to use them more these days the solictors letter tends to work on 99% of cases

Really, go to court before debt collection? We send letters out as a final demand then turn them over to the collectors who can deal with court etc. Otherwise we're doing half of their job for them.

I just love the idea of setting a debt collection agency on another debt collection agency. Similar sort of vein of paying two private detectives to follow each other.

Thanks again for the recommendations – I'll pass them on to be looked into.

The Sanity Assassin – Member

You rang?

Uh huh

Help please, help

I'd be happy with the seeing the look on their faces when you knock on the door

25% of turnover… once it gets near 5% I'd be worried, as said previously – its less about debt collection and more about the lack of credit control within your sales area – is anybody controlling them?

We have already tried one debt collection agency, but it appears they took their payment and have been mostly non-contactable since.

Certain amount of irony there!

BR +1

Prevention is better than cure, 18 months old for a debt is just wrong. you need to call these people and tell them what you plan to do, i.e legal action, give them time to pay, even if it's in installs', but pay they must, be firm but fair, you are not going to do repeat business with these 'clients' that owe you from 18 mths back so get tough and serious. You need to do this Monday though, get someone to do this, (preferably with experience), and do this only (no other tasks). They need to call all debtors, tell them how long they have to pay and what the consequences will be if they don't, no need to be rude, just be polite but keep it brief and mean it.

If they do not pay as requested, take legal action via moneyclaimonline…

Post as to how you get on.

If this shows 'no aces, I may offer to 'contact' them myself.

PS – do the calling 'in house', not with an 'agency', the cheap 1st letter is to reel you in to using their other services, which will cost you money.

Good luck.

We use Thomas Higgins at work. Only had to go the full course once but it was dealt with very effectively and with the minimum of fuss.

The advice from br and fackit is good advice, but you know, sometimes it's just not that easy? I'm a small business, and I'm everything from head of sales to head of washing up, and credit control falls into that category as well, the idea of employing some-one just to do that is just not on the cards. Most of my customers are also small businesses, and they're all doing the same thing as me..chasing their debt, it's a big merry go round, I'll pay you, when I get paid

Now, luckily for me, most of my clients are accountants, so the merest hint of action is enough to have scuttling off to the cheque book, but I've friends who deal with large multis, and one of them's just been told that suppliers under a certain turn-over WILL have their payment terms extended to 90 days, no ifs buts, or owt, suck it up, or loose our business.

sometimes debt agencies are the best thing since sliced bread, a quick phone call, and mostly you'll get the money reasonably quickly, and it won't cost too much.