National
| Median wages (2008) |
$14.73 hourly, $30,630 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
434,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Much faster than average (21% or higher)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
165,000 additional employees |
43-3011.00 - Bill and Account Collectors
Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visit to solicit payment. Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's account; preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond; initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection; keeping records of collection and status of accounts.
Sample of reported job titles:
Collector, Patient Account Representative, Debt Collector, Account Representative, Collections Manager, Credit Clerk, Patient Access Specialist, Telephone Collector, Accounts Receivable Specialist, Biller
Tasks
- Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
- Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
- Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
- Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.
- Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts.
- Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
- Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
- Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
- Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.
- Sort and file correspondence, and perform miscellaneous clerical duties such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Autodialers — Predictive dialers |
| Notebook computers — Laptop computers |
| Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers — Personal digital assistants PDA |
| Scanners |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Accounting software — JD Edwards software; Sage Peachtree software |
| Customer relationship management CRM software — ADS Advantage; Austin Logistics CallSelect; Ontario Systems FACS; Quantrax Intelec |
| Information retrieval or search software — LexisNexis Banko; TCI XML Credit Interface; W3 Data BatchAppend411 |
| Internet browser software — Web browser software |
| Point of sale POS software — Columbia Ultimate Remit; System Innovators software |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
