Create a secure framework for managing your dunning and debt collection cases
Most companies have gradually embraced GDPR. At the same time, the topic of processing customer data has become a hot topic in most Danish companies - large and small. The increased attention to GDPR and the processing of sensitive personal data is also something that we at Collectia have noticed.
We regularly receive questions about our debtor management, including how we, and our customers, should and can handle bad payers in the best possible way - in order to comply with laws, regulations and professional handling in general. Earlier this month, we held a debt collection course in Copenhagen. We received a question asking how to communicate correctly and legally with debtors. It was an excellent question and topic, which we naturally find interesting and highly relevant. In this article, we provide a few tips that you can consider using in your future dealings with debtors.
Encrypted communication
We always recommend that you as a creditor encrypt the communication between you and your debtor. This way, you ensure that only you and the debtor can read your communication.
If your communication contains sensitive personal information, it is especially important that the communication is between the respective parties.
If you, like most other Danish companies, use Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365 - it is relatively easy to make use of message encryption. Contact your IT administrator about this.
Minimize the number of employees who have access to your dunning and collection cases
We often find that too many people in the company have access to information that doesn't relate to them or their job function - and that can be inappropriate. We always recommend that your company limits access to your debtors' sensitive personal data as much as possible. Access should be limited to only relevant people in the company who actively need the information. For example, start by limiting access to the company's ERP system, order system and other systems where payment, reminderand collection information appears.
Transfer your cases digitally to your debt collection partner
Whether you use a debt collection company or a lawyer for your dunning process or handling of your debt collection cases, we recommend that you transfer your cases via a digital platform - or otherwise encrypted. This way, you ensure that only you and/or your debt collection partner know the content of the cases.
Make demands on your debt collection partner
If you use an external partner to handle your invoice follow-up, such as a debt collection lawyer or a debt collection company, we recommend that you make more demands on them. It's not just the way they handle your cases that you should demand. It's also the way they communicate with your debtors.
By making demands on your lawyer or debt collection company, they gain an understanding of what you as a business want - and most importantly, how you want your cases handled.
Most debt collection companies can often easily and clearly visualize and document how each step in your case is carried out.
Choose a debt collection provider that unifies communication on a digital platform
There are many ways to conduct debt collection. This also applies to the way the debt collection company communicates with debtors and its customers.
We recommend choosing a debt collection provider with a strong digital platform where communication is integrated. This way, you minimize email communication and similar 1:1 communication - and gather all communication in one central place.
Several debt collection companies, and even lawyers, nowadays often have a digital platform where you as a creditor can log in and follow, view, finalize and communicate about your debt collection cases.
150 years of respecting debtor and creditor data
We have worked with debt collection for more than 150 years and therefore know the importance of treating both debtor and creditor correctly and with the utmost respect.
At Collectia, we have our own proprietary digital platform where you can create, follow and communicate about your debt collection cases. Our platform ensures efficient handling of your debt collection cases - where only the relevant users and people have access.
Your debtors are also offered a secure platform where they can pay their debts, request an installment plan or write to us directly.
