How to Work for a Collection Agency

No one likes to get a call from a collection agency, so the idea of working on the other end of the phone may not seem appealing to many. If you have the stomach for it, the money can be good. So, if you're considering working for a collection agency, find out what it's like before taking the job.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Develop a good phone manner. When you work for a collection agency, 99 percent of your day is spent on the phone talking to debtors or trying to get hold of them. You should have a good speaking voice and be able to keep your cool under pressure.

2. Know the rules. If you can't speak directly to the debtor, you may not under any circumstances leave the reason for your call with someone else or on an answering machine or voice mail. You can only leave your name and call back number and try again later.

3. Follow the script that the collection agency for you, along with a set of canned answers that you can use to rebut any excuse the debtor gives. This helps you keep your cool and get the necessary information from the debtors if they get nasty.

4. Take down anything that either party says during the call and save it in the debtor's file. This may come in handy later if the debtor tries to deny promising to pay, or says that he has no idea where the debt came from.