Yes, collections comes with its unique set of complexities. While we need to focus on that challenge, it is also important to stay ahead of known risks to business operations. Managing cell phones comes under this category.
Cell phone management techniques are still open to debate. While there may be no specific rules for how collection companies must handle the area of cell phones, we know enough to make good decisions and demonstrate that we have taken steps to address known issues.
How does Quantrax approach this important area? It starts with the need to accurately identify cell phones and land lines.
- We have access to cell phone data bases (cell block and ported numbers)
- This information can be used do an initial scrub of all phone numbers on the system
- Ported number data can be used to update phone numbers based on recent changes
When accounts are worked and new numbers are obtained, it is important that new information is scrubbed in real-time. Why? What if a consumer gives you a cell number when they are asked for their home number? What should happen?
- We notify the agent that the number entered in the home phone is a cell phone
- The agent review this with the consumer and moves the number into the cell phone field
- The system asks the agent to confirm that they have permission to call the cell phone
- Agent confirms this and the account is notated that permission to call the cell phone was obtained
These simple steps make sure that important compliance guidelines are followed.
What about working accounts with cell phones? The following features help manage this important area.
- Accounts with cell phones can be separated from accounts without cell phones
- There is a field to indicate that permission was obtained to call a cell phone
- You can stop cell phones from being called through predictive campaigns
- Any calls to a cell phone (even preview dialing) can be stopped
- The number of calls to a cell phone can be limited based on rules set up for the day or different periods of time
- Calls to a cell phone can be routed though the PBX – this will be documented and it can be proved that the call was not made by an “automated dialer”
Good cell phone management in collections is complex. With good design, we believe that that the process can be user-friendly, simple and effective. This is important in an area that has the potential for expensive litigation and future regulation.