Collections: Customer Service- The Importance of Documenting Communication

Hi:
When an individual or a business finds it necessary to contact a collection department or customer service department, here are some tips on documenting the phone call:
1) Get the full name, ID number, if applicable, of the person representing the company during the phone call.
2) If it's a payment arrangement that is being requested, communicate it to the collections person and document his or her response. Most reasonable requests will be accepted, and it is important to put down everything in writing to validate the agreement.
3) If the collector offers an alternative arrangement that is acceptable, document it the same way.
4) If the initial payment arrangement is denied, but is reasonable, ask to talk to a supervisor. Make sure to get the supervisor's name and ID number as well.
5) After a suitable payment arrangement has been hammered out, make sure to read it back to the collector, informing him or her that you've documented the call.
6) If the payment arrangement extends over a long period of time, it is a good idea to have the creditor put the arrangement in writing and send a signed copy to you.
If you are calling a creditor because the company has made a billing error on your account, the call should be carefully documented in the same manner. Since corporations have so many customer service call centers located all over the country, it is extremely important to document the name and ID number of whomever handled your call in the event that your call needs to be referenced in a future conversation. Generally speaking, documenting phone calls and creating a phone log about each problem or issue will allow you to remedy disputes in a more efficient manner. Tomorrow I'm going to start writing about collection negotiation.
Until then,
Alan