Credit controller - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

Denise · Senior Member

Credit controller

RobH · Expert

Hi Denise,

why not give it a go, it's dead easy. So long as they give you a debtors list, you can chase up, keep a log of who you've called and their responses etc. You could charge something like £2 to £3 per phone call. There would be a good chance you would get their bookkeeping at some point as it would make sense for you to at least do the sales ledger. You could offer to send statements out then too.

Just a thought!

Rob

-- Edited by RobH on Friday 16th of April 2010 12:58:44 PM

additionsbookkeeping · Veteran Member

Hi Denise,

I would be interested in this, I can't figure out how to use the PM thing though!! D'oh!

Can you PM me the details please?

Thanks

Denise · Senior Member

Hi additions,

I can't figure out where the pm facility has gone either. Email me @ denise@niftynumbers.co.uk and I will let you have theirs.

Rob, I know I would be ok with the telephoning side, but its the letters and court action etc I am unsure about. In what order to send and what to put etc.

Thanks for the encouragement though.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Hi,

I think that the PM function was removed a little while ago due to some messages ceasing to make sense because posters were going off line.

Denise, I agree with Rob but you also need to have access to the clients sales ledger, bank statements and hard copy documentation of receipts so I disagree that credit control can ever be done off site.

I've done a lot of credit control and invariably cheques get misposted. Before you chase a debt check all the entries coming in during that month for the same amount. Also check to ensure that no query was raised over the debt. Also check that the client has not already gone to dunning.

Too many credit controllers just go down a list of debtors and make themselves and the company look unprofessional by chasing debts that either do not exist, have already been paid but have been misrecorded, or have already gone legal but remain on the aged debtor reports.

If you're lucky all client correspondence should be recorded on their system so you're really going to need to be sitting in their offices looking at the client records whilst your on the phone.

Hope that this helps,

Shaun.

additionsbookkeeping · Veteran Member

Thank you so much Denise, I emailled them straight away and I have a meeting with them on Tuesday. I am really excited and absolutely terrified!! First client meeting, I shall be a bag of nerves all weekend.

It can be done Shaun, I have worked with external credit controllers before and all too often the mistakes you mention do happen and they make everyone look stupid to be honest. It depends on the person at the clients end and the external person being pretty switched on to make it work but it can indeed work well.

Denise · Senior Member

Thanks for the advice Shaun.
I agree that, although not necessary its probably best to be on site for this. At the moment I don't have a day free that I could visit them anyway and as you can see Sarah has managed to arrange a meeting with them, so I am just glad that the work looks to be going to someone from this forum.

Good luck on Tuesday Sarah!

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Ah-Ha. That's what her name is! Seemed weird keep referring to Sarah as Additions!

Your a bit of a star Denise. It's great that we do seem to look after each other on here isn't it.

All the best,

Shaun.