Standard Distributors, Retail

, Trinidad

Job Summary:

The Collections Officer has responsibility and accountability for the effective execution of the debt collections process. The incumbent liaises directly with debtors and clients, issues demand notices, negotiates on outstanding debts and, where necessary, initiates or recommends further recovery action to achieve settlement of debts in the shortest possible time frames. The Collections Officer is also responsible for receiving and recording payments and updating the statuses of accounts. In addition, the individual in this role will preserve and enhance the Company’s reputation and profitability by maintaining the highest standards of customer service during the collections processes.

Job Description:

• Review and action all new accounts.
• Adhere to the procedures and guidelines for receiving payments.
• Conduct comprehensive searches to obtain debtors’ contact information. Use a variety sources and mechanisms inclusive of the searching of all databases, reviewing client documents and or liaising directly with clients for additional details.
• Communicate face to face, telephone and/or written correspondences, including Demand, Final Warning, Lapse Payment Letters, and Lawyer’s Demand Letters, to communicate with debtors to bring urgent resolution to outstanding debts.
• Negotiate settlement of debts with debtors. This includes arranging for debt repayments or establishing repayment schedules, based on the debtors’ financial situations. It also includes anticipating and overcoming stalls/objections and recommending money sources for debt repayments.
• Preparation of Instalment Contracts.  Monitor and where necessary, generate notices in relation to breaches of re-payment terms and conditions.
• Advance the debt collections process by re-allocating, giving   reason(s) for recommendation(s) for further reallocation.
• Preparation of scheduled reports as required by Management.
• The Collections Officer (House) must work a specified minimum number of accounts daily. The Company reserves the right to amend this minimum amount at any time without prior notice.
• Ensure all Debt Management Systems are accurately updated with transactional details /activities and new debtors’ data in a timely manner. This includes liaising with clients to verify direct payments made by debtors and updating payment records accordingly. It also includes forwarding the requisite information to the Finance Department so that clients are accurately invoiced.
• Provides superior quality service to internal and external customers.
• Interact with several levels of company management and customers daily, to answer questions and provide data related to customers’ accounts.
• Address all customer complaints and work with customers to come up with a solution.
• Comply with collection policies, laws, rules and regulations governing credit and collections.
• Maintain the confidentiality of customer information and report any unusual occurrences or fraudulent activity to the Supervisor or Manager.
• Comply with Group’s processes and policies as set out and stated in the ANSA McAL Blue Book.
• Perform other related duties, as may be required by Management.

Education and Experience:

• Diploma in Business Management/Administration or a related field
• At least two (2) years’ experience in the Collections Underwriting field
• ACA’s Professional Collection Specialist Certificate or similar qualification
• Solid knowledge of Credit and Collections procedures
• Working knowledge of concepts, policies, procedures and practices in Collections