Student Aid on the Web Skip Navigation

Career Details : Bill and Account Collectors

   << Back    Add Career to MyFSA

Description

Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visit to solicit payment. Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's account; preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond; initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection; keeping records of collection and status of accounts.

Experience

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.

Education

These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Training

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Tasks

  • Mails form letters to customers to encourage payment of delinquent accounts.
  • Notifies credit department, orders merchandise repossession or service disconnection, or turns over account to attorney if customer fails to respond.
  • Receives payments and posts amount paid to customer account, using computer or paper records.
  • Drives vehicle to visit customer, return merchandise to creditor, or deliver bills.
  • Sorts and files correspondence and performs miscellaneous clerical duties.
  • Persuades customer to pay amount due on credit account, damage claim, or nonpayable check, or negotiates extension of credit.
  • Confers with customer by telephone or in person to determine reason for overdue payment and review terms of sales, service, or credit contract.
  • Records information about financial status of customer and status of collection efforts.
  • Traces delinquent customer to new address by inquiring at post office or questioning neighbors.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Deal With External Customers
    • Objective or Subjective Information
    • Persuade Someone to a Course of Action
    • Frustrating Circumstances

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Administrative Scienceadd Administrative Science to MyFSA
    Administrative Secretaryadd Administrative Secretary to MyFSA
    Administrative Systemsadd Administrative Systems to MyFSA
    Bankingadd Banking to MyFSA
    Banking/Financeadd Banking/Finance to MyFSA
    Bankruptcyadd Bankruptcy to MyFSA
    Business Administration/Financeadd Business Administration/Finance to MyFSA
    Business Financial Managementadd Business Financial Management to MyFSA
    Business Management/Bankingadd Business Management/Banking to MyFSA
    Business/Financeadd Business/Finance to MyFSA
    Business/Management/Financeadd Business/Management/Finance to MyFSA
    Business/Public Administrationadd Business/Public Administration to MyFSA
    Clerical Studiesadd Clerical Studies to MyFSA
    Commerce/Financeadd Commerce/Finance to MyFSA
    Corporate Financial Managementadd Corporate Financial Management to MyFSA
    Economics/Financeadd Economics/Finance to MyFSA
    Farm Business Management/Financeadd Farm Business Management/Finance to MyFSA
    Financeadd Finance to MyFSA
    Finance/Bankingadd Finance/Banking to MyFSA
    Finance/Businessadd Finance/Business to MyFSA
    Finance/Economicsadd Finance/Economics to MyFSA
    Finance/Financial Servicesadd Finance/Financial Services to MyFSA
    Finance/Insuranceadd Finance/Insurance to MyFSA
    Finance/International Businessadd Finance/International Business to MyFSA
    Finance/Investmentsadd Finance/Investments to MyFSA
    Finance/Marketingadd Finance/Marketing to MyFSA
    Finance/Pre-Lawadd Finance/Pre-Law to MyFSA
    Finance/Real Estateadd Finance/Real Estate to MyFSA
    Finance/Real Estate/Lawadd Finance/Real Estate/Law to MyFSA
    Financial Managementadd Financial Management to MyFSA
    Financial Planning/Servicesadd Financial Planning/Services to MyFSA
    Financial Servicesadd Financial Services to MyFSA
    Financial Services/Planningadd Financial Services/Planning to MyFSA
    Financial Services/Risk Managementadd Financial Services/Risk Management to MyFSA
    General Office Proceduresadd General Office Procedures to MyFSA
    Insurance/Financeadd Insurance/Finance to MyFSA
    International Business Financeadd International Business Finance to MyFSA
    Office Technologyadd Office Technology to MyFSA
    Quantitative Methods/Financeadd Quantitative Methods/Finance to MyFSA
    Secretarialadd Secretarial to MyFSA
    Secretarial Scienceadd Secretarial Science to MyFSA
    Secretarial/Office Studiesadd Secretarial/Office Studies to MyFSA
       TOP    

    • End of Page