Bill and account collectorsBill and account collectors, called simply collectors, keep track of accounts that are overdue and attempt to collect payment on them. Some are employed by third-party collection agencies, while others—known as �in-house collectors�—work directly for the original creditors, such as department stores, hospitals, or banks. The duties of bill and account collectors are similar in the many different organizations in which they are employed. First, collectors are called upon to locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts, usually over the telephone, but sometimes by letter. When customers move without leaving a forwarding address, collectors may check with the post office, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or former neighbors to obtain the new address. The attempt to find the new address is called �skip tracing.� Once collectors find the debtor, they inform him or her of the overdue account and solicit payment. If necessary, they review the terms of the sale, service, or credit contract with the customer. Collectors also may attempt to learn the cause of the delay in payment. Where feasible, they offer the customer advice on how to pay off the debts, such as by taking out a bill consolidation loan. However, the collector�s prime objective is always to ensure that the customer pays the debt in question. If a customer agrees to pay, collectors record this commitment and check later to verify that the payment was indeed made. Collectors may have authority to grant an extension of time if customers ask for one. If a customer fails to respond, collectors prepare a statement indicating the customer�s action for the credit department of the establishment. In more extreme cases, collectors may initiate repossession proceedings, disconnect the customer�s service, or hand the account over to an attorney for legal action. Most collectors handle other administrative functions for the accounts assigned to them, including recording changes of addresses and purging the records of the deceased. Collectors use computers and a variety of automated systems to keep track of overdue accounts. Typically, collectors work at video display terminals that are linked to computers. In sophisticated predictive dialer systems, a computer dials the telephone automatically, and the collector speaks only when a connection has been made. Such systems eliminate time spent calling busy or nonanswering numbers. Many collectors use regular telephones, but others wear headsets like those used by telephone operators. Related news articles New Bankruptcy Law Anniversary OP ED ARTICLE - 16 Oct 2006 Mass Media Distribution LLC (press release),On the surface, the new law sounds like it should be a bill collector’s ‘dream come true.’ After all, the law was actually drafted at the behest of Big ... Bill collector charged with pocketing money colected - Sep 15, 2006 Malaysia Star,KUALA LUMPUR: He was a bill collector for a furniture store but allegedly pocketed the payment for himself. On Friday, Ong Fook ... Abuse by debt collectors growing - Oct 14, 2006 Pittsburgh Post Gazette,...back taxes. Experts advise consumers contacted by a bill collector to write a letter requesting verification of the debt. Mistakes ... Ex-office manager traveled to Vegas for 100th birthday - Oct 15, 2006 Toledo Blade,She was office manager of the Medical-Dental Service Bureau, a firm founded by her husband, who had been an advertising bill collector for the former Toledo ... After Colorado Media Matters pointed out Post and Rocky omissions ... - Oct 9, 2006 Media Matters for America,Similarly, in an October 8 editorial, the Post said "Chambers displayed a serious lack of judgment in her conduct with a bill collector who was pursuing an ... CMC employee, government doctor in Lokayukta trap - Oct 13, 2006 Newindpress (subscription),Soubhagya, a bill-collector in the CMC, had allegdly demanded a bribe of Rs 1000 from Mallikarjun Sutar for giving permission for house construction at ... Rooker’s Second Building - Oct 12, 2006 Main Street Newspapers,...cut. “We were jerked around for a month and a half. It wasn’t any fun being the bill collector,�? the mayor said. The delay ... Daily Press, Newport News, Va., David Teel Column: Vivid Photo ... - Oct 12, 2006 International News Service,...the Meadowlands. "I can keep the bill collector away for a while," Hammer joked after earning the $750,000 victor's share. Hammer ... Bad judgment by Arapahoe DA - Oct 9, 2006 Denver Post,District Attorney Carol Chambers displayed a serious lack of judgment in her conduct with a bill collector who was pursuing an Englewood City Council member ... Harris: Chargers coach needs to change his ways - Oct 7, 2006 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,He stopped treating Ken Whisenhunt like a bill collector and rolled out the red carpet for his innovative offensive coordinator. How so? ... Disabled Senior Billed for Car She Doesn't Own - Oct 5, 2006 WTOC,..."They are harassing and threatening," said Mary Insley. Two weeks ago, Mary started getting calls from a bill collector claiming she owed money for a car. ... What's in a name? In my case, confusion - Sep 26, 2006 Charlotte Observer,The bill collector was looking for another Mark Johnson, a distinction cleared up with the last four digits of the real deadbeat's Social Security number and ... Baur & Fine Families On Wife Swap - Sep 17, 2006 Reality TV Magazine,The bill collector is over so often that John considers him a friend. John and Tori are unconventional and embrace the chaos of the pirate lifestyle. ... Review: What It Used To Be Like - Sep 22, 2006 International Herald Tribune,...shamed jobless men and embittered working wives, couples moving futilely from one town to another in the Pacific Northwest one step ahead of the bill collector ... Serwer: Lawyers, Dunn and money - Sep 22, 2006 CNNMoney.comCheck out a legal network and bill collector ... but at HP, well, you know the line from the Warren Zevon song. NEW YORK (Fortune ... The Next Chapter - Sep 24, 2006 TIME...for me in my room merely wanted to blow my head off, that's all.") "Pulp fiction was written at high velocity by people who had a bill collector waiting at the ... Dells-Delton EMS contracts still unsigned - Sep 29, 2006 Wisconsin Dells Events,...issue in the newspaper," Mitchell said, referring to the part of the proposed contract which said the town could become the bill collector for residents who do ... Potential police officers learn what it will take - Sep 30, 2006 AZFamily (subscription),...looking for. “I'm tired of doing what I'm doing I'm an actual bill collector and I don't want to do it anymore,�? he said. Right ... 'It's cool to be an Irish Jew'Local Jewish family's relative was ... - Sep 20, 2006 Washington Jewish Week,When Smolenyak called Shulman last month and asked if he was the son of Anna Shulman, who died in 1991, "I thought she was a bill collector," he said. ... One year RI for two VMC employees - Sep 13, 2006 Newindpress (subscription),The two employees, Vallu Seshagiri Rao, a revenue inspector and a bill collector Bhapathi Ganesh were found guilty of charges that they had demanded bribe from ... More information on Bill and account collectors from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Bill and account collectors occupation Number of Bill and account collectors in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Bill and account collectors Working conditions for Bill and account collectors Significant points for Bill and account collectors Training requirements for Bill and account collectors Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |