The main job of a bill collector is to keep track of a customer’s account and ensure that all payments are made on time. The specific duties vary with the job location, but as a rule, the first duty to notify the customer that an account is behind in the payments. Sometimes this can be done through a telephone conversation, but it is usually done through written correspondence to provide a record of the notification. When customers move and you have such a job, you will then have to take steps to locate the new address of the customer.
Although customers usually look upon the job of a bill collector negatively, you can help those with overdue accounts. When you do get in touch with a customer, you first should find out the reasons the account is overdue and offer solutions to help with the problems, such as contacting a credit counseling agency or taking out a debt consolidation loan. Once the customer agrees to pay the overdue amount, you make a record of this agreement and then check to verify that it has been made. There are situations where you have the authority to grant extensions for payment when there are legitimate reasons.
Some formal classroom training will certainly be involved when you are hired as a bill collector. You will need to know the government regulations for this job, which are included the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This will not only protect the customer, but will also protect you. Once you know what your limitations are under this act, you will act in any way that could result in having charges leveled against you.
There is fair amount of travel involved in being a bill collector so you do need to have your own vehicle and driver’s license. Once you get experience working in this capacity, you will learn the business from the ground up and may be able to get a desk job in this administrative field. You will also have the experience necessary to start your own business as a credit collections agency or in another facet of finance if that appeals to you. You can also advance in your field by taking on more responsibility in the field. The job prospects are growing in this field with the downturn in the economy. You do need to be able to deal with diverse groups of people and be patient when customers become aggressive with you. For this reason, excellent interpersonal skills are a necessity in this line of work.
