5 Skills You Need to be a Collections Advisor

 Being a Collections Advisor is a role that requires so many different skills. It’s not a job that’s for everyone. It’s a role that centres around good customer service, sensitivity and building relationships. It can be challenging – particularly in the current climate – but, ultimately, it can be equally rewarding. With the ongoing lockdowns and pandemic, unfortunately, many people have suddenly found themselves to be vulnerable financially. This could be to furlough, redundancy or reduced hours. Finding yourself in financial difficulty – especially when it’s unexpected – can be incredibly scary. It can lead to mental health issues such as depression, stress and anxiety. That’s why it takes a highly skilled Collections Advisor to support that person. The clue is in the job title – you are there to advise; to support; to find a solution. Here are just some of the skills we like to see from candidates applying for Collections Advisor roles: Empathetic You will be dealing with customers who are, quite often, at their lowest ebb. They are financially vulnerable and will need your support and listening skills as they reveal their problems. Providing them with a metaphorical shoulder to cry on will be important – they will need to feel like you really care. Computer Literate Depending on the role and the organisation, you may be asked to work within specific financial services systems or track debtor progress on programmes such as Microsoft Excel. It’s important that you are familiar with such programmes or can demonstrate transferable skills that will allow you to ease into the role. Trustworthy You will be responsible for accessing and noting sensitive customer information. You will need to demonstrate that you understand the confidentiality of the information you will have access to. You will also need to build up relationships with your customers in order to achieve desired outcomes – and you can do this by earning their trust as they discuss their issues. Solutions Driven Ultimately, you will be tasked with sourcing a solution that is best for your organisation and the customer - e.g. a payment plan – as this is a target driven role. You will have to use your problem solving skills to work out how best to do this. What clues has the customer given as to their financial situation? What kind of payment plan does your organisation typically expect to work towards? How long will it take to clear off the debt? Resilient As we said before, you will be dealing with customers who are potentially very upset. This may mean, from time to time, that they become frustrated whilst on the phone with you. Your customers may often not return calls or hang up on you. The important thing is not to take it personally – you are there to advise and to provide an amicable solution that suits all parties. If you are interested in becoming a Collections Advisor, we have many roles on offer across Scotland and the UK. These are a mix of temporary and permanent roles; remote working and in-office positions. To find out more about our current vacancies, click here to drop me an email.