Role Description:
This person will be responsible for collection of an assigned portfolio of accounts receivable. This person must maintain direct customer contact, collect past due balances while resolving issues and maintaining customer good will. This person must be able to manage as many as 1,500 active accounts while minimizing past due over 60 and 90 day delinquency and maximizing portfolio penetration by applying an effective customer contact strategy. This role requires the experience and skills necessary to operate effectively at a senior level with minimal supervision.
Primary Accountabilities:
- Pursue payment for invoices and unauthorized charge-backs. Obtain facts and reasons for unpaid items through customer and internal contacts. Decide and implement a course of action necessary to rectify and influence action on the part of others to resolve all open and past due balances. Follow established collection policy and procedures including proper account notation and follow up
- Identify customers not meeting payment terms and develop a plan to improve and resolve all past due conditions. Use negotiating skills to leverage payment under acceptable terms and refer to supervisor for third party collection when terms cannot be met. Identify conditions that can affect the credit worthiness of any customer and advise all responsible personnel to initiate corrective action.
- Provide customers with necessary documents as required by circumstance or contract including invoice copies, proofs of delivery, summary invoices, etc. to ensure prompt payment. Work with Customer Service and Sales to ensure all customer requirements impeding collection are resolved.
- Perform credit analysis to determine customer credit limit and release orders.
- Apply a daily program of systematic accounts receivable account maintenance on assigned portfolio within assigned authority levels. Make recommendations to Supervisor concerning adjustments exceeding authority limits.
- Assist supervisors with training of new hires and serve as a support resource for collection team members as necessary. Capable of handling special projects and assist with process change initiatives. This person will serve as a departmental Subject Matter Expert (SME) resource for internal customers and others.
- Must have the ability to handle account escalations and communicate effectively with various levels of internal and external contacts and coordinate with Sales, key stakeholders and direct supervisor to achieve positive results. Must be capable of handling high volume complex account portfolios with demonstrated consistent success.
- Other duties as assigned.
Requirements:
- Skills and Competencies:
- Strong organizational, interpersonal, communication skills, and customer service skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities and concurrent deadlines
- Must be able to produce excellent quality work that is thorough and accurate
- Strong interpersonal, customer service and verbal and written communication skills
- Required: Effective use of phone, fax, email and other collection tools. Demonstrated knowledge of Windows based office tools – Word, Excel and Outlook
- Demonstrated analytical and follow-up skills. Must complete assigned tasks with a high degree of accuracy. Must be able to identify issues and escalate to appropriate level. Must exhibit strong negotiating skills
Education and professional experience:
- Required: 3+ years of Business to Business (B2B) collection experience or similar customer interfacing experience
- Preferred: 5+ years of Business to Business (B2B) collection experience combined with an Associates Business degree or completion of some business-related college course work