Computer-Based Training Helps In-House Debt Collectors

Advice For
In-House
Debt Col­lec­tion

Computer-Based Train­ing Helps In-House Debt Collectors

By Dean Kaplan

Using computer-based train­ing (CBT) can def­i­nitely help your in-house debt col­lec­tors become more pro­fi­cient and more effi­cient. One of the most dif­fi­cult chal­lenges for any busi­ness is ensur­ing employ­ees have essen­tial knowl­edge and skills. In-house train­ing man­u­als can often be put together in a hurry and then never looked at or updated again. In addi­tion, the actual train­ing can be per­formed to sat­isfy a cor­po­rate require­ment rather than used as an oppor­tu­nity to truly improve inter­nal pro­duc­tiv­ity and results.

In the area of debt col­lec­tions, where laws gov­ern much of what can and can­not be done, these sub par train­ing man­u­als and ses­sions can have unfor­tu­nate con­se­quences. In con­trast, good col­lec­tion train­ing pro­grams can make a huge dif­fer­ence in employee pro­duc­tiv­ity and reten­tion, result­ing in a dra­matic impact on the company’s bot­tom line.

Using tech­nol­ogy to assist or even lead your in-house debt col­lec­tors train­ing pro­gram can be accom­plished through video­tapes, tele­con­fer­enc­ing and computer-based train­ing (CBT) in both CD-ROM and web-based for­mats. CBT is essen­tially soft­ware designed to instruct employ­ees, as well as guide them through the train­ing process.

CBT can be a par­tic­u­larly effec­tive train­ing tool for in-house debt col­lec­tors because it employs many dif­fer­ent teach­ing strate­gies uti­liz­ing text, graph­ics, audio and video to com­mu­ni­cate impor­tant con­cepts and skills. One of the most pow­er­ful train­ing aspects of CBT is its abil­ity to use inter­ac­tive meth­ods to engage employ­ees in their train­ing. Good CBT can teach both basic col­lec­tion pro­ce­dures, as well as com­pli­cated, sub­tle pro­fi­cien­cies such as com­mu­ni­ca­tion skills.

Any good train­ing pro­gram should be equally effec­tive for all employ­ees and needs to be con­sis­tent over time. Com­pared to in-house train­ing pro­grams put on by other employ­ees, CBT has the advan­tage of its var­ied train­ing method­olo­gies. By using CBT, each employee can choose a train­ing method­ol­ogy that best matches his or her learn­ing style. In addi­tion, unlike trainer-based pro­grams, CBT-based pro­grams stay con­sis­tent over time and never have a bad day.

CBT can be tai­lored to teach your unique busi­ness processes and can reflect exactly how you want your in-house debt col­lec­tors to oper­ate. In addi­tion, good CBT can be revised and updated on a reg­u­lar basis to reflect changes in your busi­ness as it grows and evolves.

Good CBT engages the trainee with con­stant com­pre­hen­sion checks using quizzes and tests to mea­sure what the trainee has learned. Trainees, par­tic­u­larly new hires can auto­mat­i­cally be routed within the CBT to review a sec­tion if impor­tant ques­tions are missed. In addi­tion, CBT can offer trainees the oppor­tu­nity to prac­tice more com­pli­cated, sub­tle skills. For exam­ple, trainees can prac­tice mak­ing mock col­lec­tion calls which are recorded and can then be reviewed by a super­vi­sor. These mock calls can also be used for ongo­ing per­for­mance evaluations.

One unex­pected advan­tage of scru­ti­niz­ing your exist­ing in-house train­ing pro­gram is that it can help you iden­tify other weak­nesses in your debt col­lec­tion oper­a­tion. No train­ing, no mat­ter how good can over­come difficult-to-use col­lec­tion soft­ware or inef­fec­tive busi­nesses prac­tices. Before invest­ing in any new train­ing method­olo­gies, make sure that your col­lec­tion processes are effi­cient and work­ing smoothly. When you do choose to invest, CBT can be the basis for a supe­rior train­ing pro­gram that yields imme­di­ate pos­i­tive results for your in-house debt collectors.

The Kaplan Group is a bou­tique col­lec­tion agency spe­cial­iz­ing in large (over $10,000) debt col­lec­tions due from busi­nesses. Founded in 1991, the com­pany has a stel­lar rep­u­ta­tion (A+ rat­ing with the Bet­ter Busi­ness Bureau) and is rec­og­nized as one of the lead­ing col­lec­tion agen­cies for results on large and com­plex mat­ters.

…