Do Collection Agencies really care about your Reputation...? We do!

How to make sure your collection agency never impacts your brand in a negative way.

Look how far you’ve come. Your Google+ Ratings are better than ever before, everyone on Facebook really likes your gym, and now someone just tweeted about how great your Personal Trainers are… Everything is going great, and all of those extra hours and money spent on your Reputation Management are finally paying off.  Now is not the time to take any risks that may negatively impact all of your ratings on Social Media, Right? First Credit Services has the answer.

#1. BE COMPASSIONATE. If a member disputes a bill or has a valid complaint, we don’t just ignore the issue at hand and go for the money. We give the consumer the chance to voice their concerns, and we listen to what they are saying. Nobody likes to be ignored. Our Agents are trained to listen first and offer a resolution that leaves our client (the gym) looking like the good guy.

#2. BE RESPONSIVE. Many Collection Agencies are hard to reach. When a member calls in to our agency it is imperative that we answer the phone and respond quickly. Voicemails, letters, and email correspondence are handled promptly. Nothing leads to more complaints on Social Media than a consumer who is unable to resolve the issue simply because there is no one to talk to. We have an A+ BBB Rating simply because we take the time to respond to every single consumer request in a timely manner.

#3. WE UNDERSTAND THE GYM BUSINESS. Chances are good that we have heard it before. With over 25 Years of Health & Fitness Experience, you can bet that our agents and supervisors have had plenty of experience dealing with every excuse known to mankind. Regardless of the complaint or excuse, we have created effective talk-offs geared toward putting the consumer at ease and still collecting the money required by our clients. It’s not easy, but being the best at something never comes easy!

The number 1 question gym owners ask a collection agency no longer has anything to do with cost or results…, it is all about maintaining a positive relationship with gym members regardless of the payment status of the membership.

Honestly, there are not too many collection agencies out there that care about your reputation as they are typically money-hungry, and only care about their own bottom-line. That is why it is so important to seek out the assistance of an agency that truly understands your business and knows how to maintain a high level of professionalism without alienating a single member.  Here is how we do it here at First Credit Services.

We are First Credit Services… check us out www.firstcreditonline.com

First Credit Services Acquires American Healthcare Outsourcing Alternatives

First Credit Services (FCS), an established leader in the Accounts Receivables Management Industry recently acquired American Healthcare Outsourcing Alternatives (AHOA) out of Midland, GA. This important acquisition bolsters the already thriving Healthcare sector within FCS’ current operation. Raj Chhabria (CEO of First Credit Services) stated “This transaction fits in perfectly with our business strengths as both organizations have a long track record as innovators by going the extra mile when it comes to outstanding patient service and compliance.  Our growth plans within the healthcare market are a major focus of our growing business, and this acquisition is coming at the perfect time as we continue to establish a new trend in how collection agencies treat patients. We take a lot of pride in how we operate, and we have always been big fans of AHOA and how they have also made a positive impact on the healthcare community.”

 

AHOA focuses exclusively on Healthcare with core strengths that include First Party Self-Pay, Insurance Follow-up and Bad Debt Collections. AHOA is located close to Fort Benning in Columbus GA, and has successfully built their entire operation around the core value of giving back to United States Veterans by providing good paying jobs to the Military and their immediate families.  This mission has proven to be a very successful business model and First Credit Services will continue to support and grow the operation and offer even more jobs to our valued and appreciated American Service Men and Women. Fred Landrum, (a Vietnam-era veteran and former CEO of AHOA) will stay on with FCS as Vice President of Healthcare Services to help support existing and future FCS/AHOA Customers.

 

Integrating the AHOA operations into the FCS system is already under way, and all AHOA customers are being welcomed into the First Credit Services community.  Raj goes on to say “We could not be more excited about this great partnership with AHOA, and welcome all of the great AHOA Employees and Customers with open arms.”

4 Years in a Row!!!

First Credit Services, Inc. was recently selected as “WINNER Best Call Centers to Work For 2017” marking it the 4^th year in a row being recognized with this distinct honor from insideARM (2014 -2017). The program celebrates excellence among call center work environments in Care, Collections, and Outsourcing. The award program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in the call center industry. This award makes a positive impact on our ability to recruit and hire a very strong work force as we continue to expand our product offerings to our valued clients and partners.

A sample of the categories surveyed for this accomplishment include; “Feeling Valued”, “Confidence in Leadership”, and “Contributing Economic Value to a Business Sector”.  

We are proud of our staff and share this award with our clients and partners as they allow us to be innovative and creative with our work strategies, which ultimately fosters a very strong work environment.  Employees who feel valued, consistently perform a better overall service offering. Please join us in celebrating this exciting accomplishment for the 4^th year in a row.

 

 

 

 

"F" is for FAILURE

I must admit, I am a little taken back when I see a business operating in today's "all access" world with a sub-par Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating. Reputation Management matters, and it all starts with the BBB.  I recently conducted an online review to see how we ranked in comparison to our competitors, and I was absolutely amazed at what I uncovered. 

We operate primarily in the Health & Fitness Market where the overall MEMBER EXPERIENCE is the single most important aspect of doing business, and for a collection agency to simply ignore what we feel is so important is totally unacceptable...at least it should be.

Unfortunately, I found that some of our most active competitors actually have an "F" Rating with the BBB. This should be interpreted by a gym owner as an agency who does not really care about gym members or the overall success of the gym business.  Not only does this show a lack of good Member Service, but this behavior (in the collection industry) is also a legal and compliance issue since the agency is failing to resolve the simplest consumer requests and complaints. If these agencies can't keep up with a simple BBB Rating, then what do you think you will find if you take the time to look even deeper under the hood.

Think about it, if the agency is failing to deliver on their duties, then the members will get increasingly frustrated with the agency's lack of communication, and the member will ultimately complain to the gym staff and voice their concerns to other members (can your staff truly handle these complaints properly?). These unaddressed issues will likely get escalated to a higher authority, which will ultimately hurt YOUR reputation and business. Honestly, this is the agency's responsibility to handle, and these complaints should never be thrown back at the gym operator to handle...It's time for these agencies to step up and do the job correctly!

A gyms' reputation is fully dependent on how their partners represent the brand.

To review First Credit Services BBB Rating - please CLICK HERE... We will continue to lead the fitness industry down a path which delivers a positive Member Experience!

First Credit Services one of the ‘Best Collection Agencies to Work For’

Press Release in Club Solutions Mag...

Taking a "Different" Look at the Collection Process

Check out page 63 of the January issue of Club Solutions Magazine...

Legal Collections and Attorney Letters are way too much!

Gym Collections

It’s kind of like using a sledge hammer on a thumb tack. Yeah, it gets the job done, but the collateral damage is unnecessary and causes more harm than good.  In an industry where the lifeblood of your future revenue depends solely on how you are perceived within your local community, do you really believe a member who owes you for a past-due amount of only $100-200 truly deserves to feel threatened by a law firm.  It is widely known that consumers truly believe they are being sued when an attorney letter pops up in their mail box, when in reality a lawsuit is never even considered by the firm that sent the letter (It just would not be cost-effective to file suit).  

The alternative is to partner with a collection agency who has your best interests in mind (an agency with a lot of experience in health & fitness), and cares about your future reputation.  Look, consumers know that if they fail to pay a bill on time, there are repercussions for their delinquency, and generally speaking it is understandable if a collection agency chooses to report the unpaid balance on the consumer’s Credit Bureau Report.  The collection tactic that works best is to simply appeal to the consumers’ good nature and simply inform them of their obligation to fulfill the contract they signed…, and try to work with the member and get them back into the gym…, not threaten to sue them!

Yes, there is a time and place for a collection attorney, but it’s not on balances that fall below $1,000. It is overkill, and you will see the negative impact after the damage is done, and it’s too late.

Professionalism and common sense always prevail.

Learn more about First Credit Services, and their professional Collection Approach which is geared toward Member Engagement, and maintaining a very positive reputation for everyone involved. Maybe that’s why we maintain a perfect A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau…