One of the biggest questions asked by clients is, “what are the tactics used to collect a debt?” While this is an excellent question, it helps you reveal that the client has some idea about consumer rights and protection. However, you need not worry. A professional healthcare debt collection will equally stick to the rules and regulations when collecting healthcare debt. The aim is to treat clients and their customers the way they must be treated.
In this blog, we’ll focus on legal tactics most often used by hospital debt collection agencies.
Debt collection tactics
Skip-tracing
The process of skip-tracing helps healthcare debt collection agencies track down the debtor. Moreover, if a debtor’s contact information is no longer correct, they have skipped out on their debt. The hospital revenue cycle management will skim large databases, phone books, and other information to track down more accurate information on the debtor. The information databases may be purchased and therefore more accessible to debt collection agencies than individuals.
Gamification
When going for a debt collection program, call center agents generally use incentive programs to motivate agents to contact more people or collect more money. When this is done in a contest or game type, the collection procedure becomes more engaging. Gamification is used to make the customer service process more competitive and fun. You must know that nine out of ten debt collection agencies of all kinds use gamification to reduce turnover and ultimately increase recovery of funds.
Speech Analytics
Many collector’s calls are routine and fair, where the debtor is informed of their consumer rights, and the agents have the ability to work out a payment plan. Sometimes, however, these calls may turn hostile. Meanwhile, speech analytics is used within the call center to examine the phone conversation for expletives, threats, or raised voices. If the healthcare debt collection supervisor is alerted through the speech analytics program that the call is going awry, they’ll opt to interrupt the call and assist in smoothing things out.
Ringless voicemail
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act protects the debtors. Moreover, a debt collection agency may not call consumers unless they expressly consent to receive calls. With ringless voicemail, debt collectors can now leave a voicemail message for the consumers without the phone ringing with a call.
Here, the voicemail is sent server-to-server without the intercepting call. Instead, the call is made to the consumer’s phone number, this practice skits around the TCPA, but it is still being closely examined.
Virtual collectors
A virtual collector or avatar is a character that represents a friendlier debt collection agent. Some consumers feel less threatened when dealing with a character who guides them through the collections or payment process than another human. This is because much of the shameful elements of being in debt are taken away.
In some cases, the virtual collector from healthcare debt collection can also use a different language, helping to bridge the gap of those whose native language isn’t English.
Spoofing
If you’ve received a phone call from a local number to find out it was a debt collector, it’s spoofing. Moreover, it may take over email. Spoofing is a potential FDCPA violation as per the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, especially when the collector attempts to impersonate an attorney or law enforcement.
Conclusion
The collection process must be seamless. Moreover, it doesn’t need to be frightening. A professional firm will help educate the consumer on the debt collection process. An educated consumer settles their debts and builds excellent credit. So, are you ready to get help from the experts?
