Collecting Past Due Accounts - The Check's in the Mail

by Jim Finucan

Published on this site: December 8th, 2005 - See more articles from this month

People who are not in the collections business usually think, Yeah, right!" when they hear a debtor say "The check is in the mail."

Actually, few debtors use this line. Those who do use it as a stall tactic can't be very bright. Ordinarily it only takes three days for the US Postal Service to move a letter from one part of the country to another. And three days doesn't amount to very much of a delay.

More often than not if someone says "the check is in the mail" it actually is in the mail! Still, you need to find out when the check was mailed and how much it was for. If the check wasn't for the full amount owed you still have something to talk to the debtor about. If the debtor says the check was for the balance in full then you have a "win." Still, you should quickly review the account's history while you still have the debtor on the phone. Have there been any payments? Listen to the debtor's tone of voice. Is he being evasive?. Is he concocting a story? Does his voice carry conviction? If he passes these "tests"you should be in good shape. Be sure to keep a close eye on incoming mail in the days to come, though, just in case the check does not show up. If the debtor has put you off you don't want to let any grass grow under your feet. Get on him as soon as you suspect that check wasn't really mailed at all.

Jim Finucan knows all about the dances, dodges and delays debtors will try to pull. Let Jim show you how to double or even triple the money you collect from your accounts receivable. Check out his unique collections manual "Past Due." For more information visit: http://www.tiare.com/pastdue.htm