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This ended up being pretty long, I hope it makes sense...
So this is not a new concept for me, working in collections, but the audacity of this gentleman really stunned me. I spoke to him this morning because his service was suspended again because he had another returned check. He has had service since mid-March and has had four returned checks.
Yes, that's four. And all of them were in the past five weeks, because he waited a month and a half to pay his first bill. With a check. That bounced.
When I spoke to him around 9:00am, I told him that under no circumstances can he pay with another check. In fact, if he does attempt to pay with another check, his services will be terminated. He has yet to actually cover more than one month of service, since all of these payments keep coming back, so even with another payment, he would still be a month past due.
So then, I hear my coworker on the phone about 45 minutes later. By coworker, I mean the only other one. There's three of us in this whole department, and the other girl is off today. He is telling whoever on the phone that if he made a payment in the machine, it would post immediately, and if he made payment with a clerk, he would have a receipt with a big-ass bold receipt number on it. He didn't say "big-ass", but it's really big, I promise. This guy apparently kept insisting that he paid in the machine. So finally my coworker tells him that as soon as the payment posts, his services will restore.
Fast forward 15 minutes. The rep introducing the calls gives me half of the account number and I already know who it is. Puts the customer on the line.
Me: And how can I help you today?
SC: Yeah... I, uh, paid my bill in the machine and a supervisor told me to call in and say I did that and you would turn my services back on.
(I look over the notes and BEHOLD! It's the same dude.)
Me: And how did you make that payment? It's really strange that it wouldn't post right away if you made it in the kiosk.
SC: (whispering) A check...
At this point, I am trying to hold in my glee, because this dude has been a pain in my butt for three months.
Me: Actually, sir, I spoke with you not an hour ago and advised you that we can no longer accept check payments on your account. In fact, I advised you that another check received on your account would result in your account being terminated. Since the kiosk rejected your payment before it was processed, you should be able to pay with cash or a credit card to have your services restored. Anything else I can help you with?
He hung up.
Seriously though, not every call center in the world is huge. He was trying to pull the whole "but someone else said I could!" There's only two of us, and the other one is within slapping distance, so don't pull that with me. People do it in this department all the time. They will say that they never spoke to so-and-so and if they did admit to making a payment arrangement, it wasn't for the date set on their account. Too bad we all sum up the call by saying "So that will be $XXX.XX on Tuesday, June 12th, correct?" or whatever.
I understand that some people have money problems, I swear. If people call in and tell me they are having some issues, I will hold their account as long as I can before company policy dictates that they get suspended (which, by the way, lets them be two months late). I'm way too nice for a collection agent. However. I can't and won't help you if you knowingly bounce checks, I really have no sympathy for that.
My mantra is starting to be "All of our customers are liars."
So this is not a new concept for me, working in collections, but the audacity of this gentleman really stunned me. I spoke to him this morning because his service was suspended again because he had another returned check. He has had service since mid-March and has had four returned checks.
Yes, that's four. And all of them were in the past five weeks, because he waited a month and a half to pay his first bill. With a check. That bounced.
When I spoke to him around 9:00am, I told him that under no circumstances can he pay with another check. In fact, if he does attempt to pay with another check, his services will be terminated. He has yet to actually cover more than one month of service, since all of these payments keep coming back, so even with another payment, he would still be a month past due.
So then, I hear my coworker on the phone about 45 minutes later. By coworker, I mean the only other one. There's three of us in this whole department, and the other girl is off today. He is telling whoever on the phone that if he made a payment in the machine, it would post immediately, and if he made payment with a clerk, he would have a receipt with a big-ass bold receipt number on it. He didn't say "big-ass", but it's really big, I promise. This guy apparently kept insisting that he paid in the machine. So finally my coworker tells him that as soon as the payment posts, his services will restore.
Fast forward 15 minutes. The rep introducing the calls gives me half of the account number and I already know who it is. Puts the customer on the line.
Me: And how can I help you today?
SC: Yeah... I, uh, paid my bill in the machine and a supervisor told me to call in and say I did that and you would turn my services back on.
(I look over the notes and BEHOLD! It's the same dude.)
Me: And how did you make that payment? It's really strange that it wouldn't post right away if you made it in the kiosk.
SC: (whispering) A check...
At this point, I am trying to hold in my glee, because this dude has been a pain in my butt for three months.
Me: Actually, sir, I spoke with you not an hour ago and advised you that we can no longer accept check payments on your account. In fact, I advised you that another check received on your account would result in your account being terminated. Since the kiosk rejected your payment before it was processed, you should be able to pay with cash or a credit card to have your services restored. Anything else I can help you with?
He hung up.
Seriously though, not every call center in the world is huge. He was trying to pull the whole "but someone else said I could!" There's only two of us, and the other one is within slapping distance, so don't pull that with me. People do it in this department all the time. They will say that they never spoke to so-and-so and if they did admit to making a payment arrangement, it wasn't for the date set on their account. Too bad we all sum up the call by saying "So that will be $XXX.XX on Tuesday, June 12th, correct?" or whatever.
I understand that some people have money problems, I swear. If people call in and tell me they are having some issues, I will hold their account as long as I can before company policy dictates that they get suspended (which, by the way, lets them be two months late). I'm way too nice for a collection agent. However. I can't and won't help you if you knowingly bounce checks, I really have no sympathy for that.
My mantra is starting to be "All of our customers are liars."
that he doesn't have the money in the bank, and was just trying to buy some time before we came to pick up the vehicle. I immediately referred the account to our legal department to pursue further legal action, the customer not only 'stole' a vehicle, but he was intentially passing bad checks albeit through the ACH system.
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