Debt Collection Course

Lesson 1 • The Collections Function Explained

Defines collections as a business process and its place in the revenue cycle. Establishes context for all subsequent technical skills.

Lesson 2 • Types of Debt and Accounts

Distinguishes consumer, commercial, and secured debt categories. Enables accurate account classification from day one.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Standards in Collections

Introduces professional ethics and consumer dignity principles that govern collections work. Sets behavioural expectations before any debtor contact is covered.

Lesson 4 • The Collections Lifecycle

Maps the full arc from account origination to resolution or write-off. Provides a mental model for tracking account progress.

Lesson 1 • Dispute Handling Requirements

Details the regulatory process for receiving, logging, and resolving debtor disputes. Prepares students to manage disputes without triggering violations.

Lesson 2 • Data Privacy and Security Rules

Explains data handling obligations for debtor personal and financial information. Connects privacy compliance to daily data management tasks.

Lesson 3 • Compliance Monitoring and Reporting

Introduces internal compliance tracking, escalation paths, and regulatory reporting duties. Links daily coordinator tasks to organisational compliance health.

Lesson 4 • Consumer Protection Regulations

Covers the functional requirements of debt collection consumer protection law, including contact restrictions and prohibited practices. Grounds all future contact strategies in legal boundaries.

Lesson 1 • Account Segmentation and Prioritisation

Explains how to segment portfolios by balance, age, risk, and collectability. Enables coordinators to direct collector effort toward highest-yield accounts.

Lesson 2 • Debtor Identity Verification

Teaches methods for confirming debtor identity before any collection activity begins. Prevents contact errors and protects against fraud.

Lesson 3 • Account Intake and Onboarding

Covers the process of receiving new accounts from creditors and entering them into the collections system. Accurate intake prevents downstream errors in contact and legal activity.

Lesson 4 • Data Accuracy and Maintenance

Establishes routines for updating account records, correcting errors, and managing duplicate entries. Clean data directly improves collection rates and compliance outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Account Workflow and Queue Management

Explains how accounts move through automated and manual workflow queues. Proper queue management ensures no account is missed or worked out of sequence.

Lesson 2 • Dialer and Contact Technology

Covers predictive, preview, and manual dialer modes and their compliance implications. Selecting the right dialer mode balances productivity with regulatory risk.

Lesson 3 • Collections Management System Overview

Introduces the architecture and core modules of a collections management system. Understanding system structure enables faster navigation and fewer data entry errors.

Lesson 4 • System Troubleshooting and Escalation

Prepares students to identify common system errors, apply first-level fixes, and escalate unresolved issues. Minimising system downtime protects daily collection productivity.

Lesson 1 • Communication Channel Selection

Analyses phone, written, email, and text channels for effectiveness and compliance fit. Matching channel to account stage improves contact rates.

Lesson 2 • Effective Verbal Communication

Develops professional phone scripts, tone control, and active listening skills for live debtor calls. Strong verbal skills reduce call escalations and increase promise-to-pay rates.

Lesson 3 • Contact Attempt Documentation

Establishes standards for logging every contact attempt, outcome, and follow-up action. Accurate contact logs are essential for compliance audits and collector performance reviews.

Lesson 4 • Handling Difficult Conversations

Equips students to manage hostile, distressed, or unresponsive debtors professionally. De-escalation skills protect both the debtor relationship and the organisation.

Lesson 1 • Monitoring and Enforcing Arrangements

Establishes processes for tracking active payment plans and responding to missed instalments. Proactive monitoring prevents arrangement collapse and reduces write-offs.

Lesson 2 • Payment Reconciliation and Reporting

Covers daily and monthly reconciliation of payments against account balances and creditor remittance. Accurate reconciliation supports financial reporting and creditor trust.

Lesson 3 • Structuring Payment Arrangements

Teaches how to negotiate and document instalment plans within authority limits. Well-structured arrangements improve completion rates and reduce re-defaults.

Lesson 4 • Payment Methods and Processing

Covers accepted payment types, processing workflows, and posting timelines. Correct processing prevents misapplication errors and debtor disputes.

Lesson 1 • Core Collections Metrics

Defines key performance indicators including recovery rate, roll rate, and promise-kept ratio. Mastery of these metrics is the foundation of all performance analysis.

Lesson 2 • Using Data to Drive Strategy

Applies portfolio and performance data to recommend operational adjustments and strategy changes. Translates analysis into actionable recommendations for management.

Lesson 3 • Portfolio Aging Analysis

Teaches how to read and interpret aging reports to identify at-risk account segments. Aging analysis directs resource allocation before accounts become uncollectible.

Lesson 4 • Creditor and Client Reporting

Explains the structure and cadence of reports delivered to creditor clients. Accurate client reporting builds trust and supports contract renewal.

Lesson 1 • Bankruptcy and Special Account Handling

Explains required actions when a debtor files for bankruptcy or invokes other legal protections. Incorrect handling of protected accounts creates significant legal liability.

Lesson 2 • Write-Off and Charge-Off Procedures

Details the criteria, approvals, and documentation required to write off uncollectible accounts. Accurate write-off processing maintains portfolio integrity and financial reporting accuracy.

Lesson 3 • Legal Referral Process

Covers the documentation, handoff, and communication steps required when referring accounts to legal counsel. Proper referral packages reduce legal processing delays.

Lesson 4 • Account Closure and Final Reconciliation

Covers the steps to formally close resolved, settled, or written-off accounts and reconcile final balances. Clean closure prevents future erroneous collection activity.