Ten Things Not to Say to a Customer

1. Don’t start a collection call for apologizing for disturbing them.  You would not be calling if they paid as agreed, so you have nothing to apologize for.
2. Do not ask if the customer received the original invoice or any documentation subsequently sent to them.  Why?  Because it is too easy for them to answer NO and delay payment even longer.
3. When attempting to collect a past due invoice, never ask this question:  “When would it be a good time for me to follow up?”  You don’t want to limit when or how often you follow up for payment status.
4. Don’t confuse a credit line with a credit limit.  When you say the words “credit limit” to a customer, it may result in a situation in which your company does not maximize sales to that customer.   When a customer asks you what credit limit was assigned to their account, respond that you do not assign credit limits.  Tell them that you assign credit lines, and at present their company’s credit line is $ XXX.
5. Do not be specific in identifying what data was the basis for a decision to deny credit.  For example, do not tell a customer that a negative decision was based on their credit report, or based on information obtained from the references the applicant provided on your application form.
6. Do not tell a customer that open account terms have been withdrawn while there remains a balance owed.  Why?  Because doing so removes an incentive for the customer to send payment.  If pressed, tell the customer that you will make a decision about re-establishing open account terms if and when the account is paid… and that the sooner they pay the better.    
7. Don’t make threats that you do not intend to keep.
8. Don’t make promises that you are not certain you will be able to keep.
9. Do not call anyone in the debtor organization a lair, even when they lie to you about payment commitments.  Focus instead on asking why the payment commitment was broken, and why the person who made the payment commitment did not notify you when they learned that their commitment would not or could not be kept.
10. Do not tell a customer that your decision not to extend credit was based on the decisions or the actions of any other creditor company.  Your decisions must be made unilaterally.

© 2011 by Michael C. Dennis.  All Rights Reserved