Communicating with customers about past-due accounts stirs up negative emotions that can damage the customer relationship.
Simple improvements (like using positive phrasing) have a big impact on how customers feel and act during debt collection.
Prioritize positive language in calls and digital requests to create thoughtful interactions via the phone, email, and SMS.
To optimize your customer interactions, focus on:
- Replacing negative attitudes with positive language
- Improving tone (both on calls and in written communication)
- Breaking other negative habits that hurt collection efforts
Positive Phrasing and Tone of Voice
In debt collection, where many consumers are defensive about their overdue bills, heightened stress increases the chance of a misunderstanding.
Collection agencies must focus on consistent, positive phrasing in written and verbal communication.
“Recognizing that having a debt is an emotional and psychological burden was my motivation to study how I can lessen that burden on consumers,” says Mary Shores, CEO and President of Midstate Collection Solutions and founder of the Collection Advantage system.
She, like many other collectors, has acknowledged the struggle of turning around tense calls and convincing consumers you want to help. It’s a difficult task but positive phrasing can make it easier.
Tone
Positive tone of voice is the most important tool for collectors responsible for inbound and outbound calls. A strong, friendly voice and positive phrasing build trust.
Sounding warm, approachable, and confident shows consumers your agency cares about their situation and is capable of providing the help they need.
It’s also important that any text on payment pages, websites, or digital requests is professional, error-free, and helpful.
POSITIVE LANGUAGE
Language that makes consumers feel ashamed will cause them to shut down or lash out. Role-play with agents and review your call scripts to identify positive language examples they can use in real calls.
Make deliberate choices to show compassion and build connections through positive language.
Replace negative words with positive phrases to reduce complaints and encourage consumers to discuss their debts.
De-escalating language transforms conversations and resolves delinquent accounts.
“After years of personal experience and research in neuroscience and human behavior, I learned that by rethinking collectors’ communication with consumers, we could take a challenging call about debt and turn it into a conversation that was empowering.”
Improve Debt Collection: Positive Language Examples
A difficult topic, like a delinquent account, might make customers feel shame, fear, and other negative emotions.
Compassionate collection is more than a trick. Creating stronger connections with consumers is how agencies attract new clients and keep agent turnover low.
Positive behavior and language tactics also ease emotional burdens for consumers and create trust. Spend time building rapport on calls and through email or text conversations to close more accounts. Here’s how:
Validating Statements
A consumer’s story about their debt may not be relevant to resolving it, but your reaction is.
Most people just want to be heard. Adding validating statements and positive words to your routine helps consumers move forward and resolve their bills.
Inclusion Language
Agencies are likely to encounter many consumers who have never had a bill sent to collections before now. However, these people still expect the norms of customer service they’ve experienced in other industries.
Use positive phrasing and inclusive language by replacing words like “you” with “let’s” or “we.” This will put consumers at ease and let them know they are not alone.
Replace Negative Phrasing and Language With Positive Phrases
You should take any opportunity you can to replace negative phrases with positive language in collection call scripts, on your website, or in email or text messages. Some easy wins:
- Turn can’t into can: Telling a consumer you can’t help them with their request will derail progress. Replace negative statements with positive ones and tell consumers what options you can offer.
- Eliminate unfortunately: When a statement starts with ‘unfortunately,’ consumers brace themselves for bad news. To reduce disappointment, take this word out of agent collection scripts and consumer-facing communications.
Changing Habits Through Training
Changing deeply ingrained habits is challenging. How can your agency make the shift to intentional positive language and collection tactics?
Collection agencies hoping to succeed in the changing landscape of collections should make training a priority.
Managers and owners can look to online training programs like the Collection Advantage or others to create and execute high-converting scripts focused on positive phrasing and language, critical thinking, and negotiation strategies.
PDCflow for Debt Collection
Positive language makes payment faster and easier for agents and consumers. But there are still other roadblocks to collection.
Make debt collection easier by using PDCflow for fast, no-hassle communication, trust building, and more payment options.
- Custom branding: Use your preferred logo, brand colors, custom messages, and email domain to build trust with consumers who prefer digital communication.
- Email and SMS payments: Send an email or text payment link while consumers are still on the phone, so you can verify they made the payment before they hang up.
- Recurring payment schedules: Set up a payment plan for consumers who owe a large balance or let them create a payment plan themselves through an online payment portal.
- Online payment portal: Create self-serve payment pages, so consumers have an easy payment option 24/7.
- Bulk sends: Send messages to up to 5,000 consumers at once through one simple spreadsheet upload.
- Integration partners or API integrations: Choose one of our existing partnerships for integrated AR software with email/SMS/payments, or integrate to your preferred system of record through our open APIs.
PDCflow’s payment, document, and esignature software lets collectors keep in control of the conversation and build trust with consumers.
See how it works. Sign up for a demo today.
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- ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Hannah Huerta, Marketing Specialist
Hannah Huerta is a Marketing Specialist at PDCflow. She creates content for the accounts receivable and payment industry.
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