Collections

Collections is the operational workspace for identifying accounts that need payment follow-up and recording what happened. It brings together due dates, outstanding balances, payment history, promises, requests, missing financial information, unsigned contracts, and other account exceptions.

Collections helps staff prioritize communication. It is not the financial ledger. Always verify the customer, contract, payment, request, and statement records before discussing an amount or confirming that an account is overdue.

What may place an account in Collections

An account may require attention because it is:

• due today;
• due soon;
• overdue;
• carrying an outstanding balance;
• missing a manual receipt number;
• missing transfer proof or a bank reference;
• linked to an unsigned or incomplete contract;
• associated with an unanswered payment request;
• awaiting a promised payment date;
• missing a recent follow-up outcome; or
• showing information that conflicts with the underlying financial records.

These conditions do not all require the same message. Investigate the cause before contacting the customer.

Recommended review sequence

1. Confirm the customer and contract.
2. Review contract status, monthly obligation, due day, and relevant start date.
3. Review the payment history and recent corrections or voids.
4. Check the statement or balance for the correct date range.
5. Review payment requests and their status.
6. Read the latest collections activity and customer promises.
7. Identify missing information or internal blockers.
8. Decide the correct contact or internal action.
9. Record the outcome and next action.

Prioritizing collections work

Use a risk-based order:

Priority	Examples	Response
Immediate verification	Customer disputes a payment, balance appears wrong, duplicate entry suspected	Stop normal follow-up and investigate with Finance.
Commitment due today	Promised payment date, agreed callback, expiring arrangement	Contact or verify by the agreed time.
Overdue account	No payment after the due date and no documented arrangement	Follow the approved collections cadence.
Due soon	Upcoming payment with known risk or unanswered request	Use an appropriate reminder, not an overdue notice.
Internal missing information	Receipt, proof, reference, contract signature, or account link missing	Resolve internally before blaming or contacting the customer.

Preparing for customer contact

Before contacting the customer, be able to state:

• the correct customer and account;
• the amount and date being discussed;
• the source of the balance;
• the most recent payment recorded;
• any payment request already sent;
• previous promises or arrangements;
• what action is being requested; and
• what should happen after the customer responds.

Do not read a Dashboard or collections card aloud as though it were a verified statement.

Recording a collections activity

A useful activity includes:

• contact channel and date;
• person contacted;
• account or due item discussed;
• verified amount, if appropriate;
• customer's response;
• promise amount and date, if any;
• dispute or concern;
• internal action required;
• next contact date; and
• owner.

Example:

Called customer on 14 July regarding the 10 July installment. Customer advised that a bank transfer was made today and will send the reference. No payment entry was created from the call. Follow-up assigned to Finance for proof/reference review tomorrow; customer follow-up due 16 July if the payment is not verified.

Payment promises

A promise to pay should be specific:

• promised amount;
• promised date;
• payment method;
• any required reference or proof;
• next verification date; and
• consequence or escalation according to policy.

A promise is not a payment. Do not reduce the balance or close the collections item until the transaction is recorded and verified.

Payment requests

When using a payment request:

1. confirm the customer and contract;
2. verify the amount and purpose;
3. set an appropriate due date;
4. send or record the request through the supported process;
5. document any customer communication;
6. monitor the request status; and
7. verify the actual payment separately.

A request marked sent does not mean the customer viewed or paid it.

Disputes and discrepancies

When a customer says the balance is wrong or a payment is missing:

• remain factual and avoid assigning blame;
• record the dispute;
• review Payments, proof, references, statement, and contract;
• search for entries under a similar customer or wrong contract;
• involve Finance or management;
• suspend repetitive collection messages while the dispute is under active review where policy requires; and
• record the final resolution.

Do not create a second payment merely to satisfy the customer before investigation.

Example: overdue account with unverified proof

A fictional customer, Marlon Training, appears overdue by BZ$250. The latest activity says he sent proof by WhatsApp.

1. Open Marlon's contract and confirm the due item.
2. Search Payments for the amount, date, and reference.
3. Review the proof and verification status.
4. If Finance has not verified or recorded the transaction, assign the internal review.
5. Contact Marlon only with the verified current status.
6. Record the outcome and next action.
7. Close or reschedule the collections item only after the underlying record is updated.

Escalation conditions

Escalate when:

• the customer disputes a contract term or balance;
• a payment appears duplicated, missing, or misallocated;
• a promise repeatedly fails according to policy;
• legal or cancellation action may be considered;
• staff cannot access the required financial evidence;
• sensitive personal or banking information was exposed; or
• the platform calculation appears inconsistent with verified records.

Common mistakes

• Contacting a customer before reviewing recent payments.
• Treating uploaded proof or a promise as payment.
• Using an overdue message for an account that is only due soon.
• Failing to record the customer's response and promised date.
• Moving the next-contact date without documenting an attempt.
• Trying to solve a payment discrepancy by editing the balance directly.
• Sending repeated requests while an active dispute is being investigated.
• Closing the collections item while the internal Finance task remains open.

Suggested training media

Screenshot space: Add a Collections list screenshot showing customer, contract, due date, outstanding amount, days overdue, latest contact, promise date, owner, and attention reason. Annotate the priority order.

Screenshot space: Add a customer collections-detail screenshot with payment history, request status, statement, latest activity, and next action visible.

Screenshot space: Add a dispute example for Marlon Training showing collections alert, proof, payment search, internal Finance task, and final resolution.

Diagram space: Add a collections decision tree: Alert → Verify contract/payment/statement → Internal issue? Resolve internally → Customer contact needed? Record outcome → Promise/request → Verify payment → Close or continue.

Video space: Record a 9–12 minute collections session covering one due-soon reminder, one overdue account, and one disputed payment. Emphasize different wording and verification requirements for each.