Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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2012, 2013, by Bestway Rental, Inc. All rights reserved. No parts of this material – written, audio or video – may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by an electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording means or otherwise, without permission from Bestway Rental, Inc.
At Bestway, we believe that a good renewal program is designed to help Customers own the
merchandise. We believe that a great renewal program helps them own merchandise for less. At
Bestway, we always endeavor to be the best.
It is essential that we properly communicate with our Customers to help solve any problems that might
prevent them from owning the merchandise. History has proven that Customers that pay on time are
more likely to continue to ownership.
Bestway’s credit program incorporates these ideals, and requires the following key elements to ensure
success.
1) Ensure the order form for every Customer is complete, and that all information is properly verified.
We must have complete and accurate information to help us maintain good communication
with our Customers.
2) Set the proper due date for every Customer, based upon their pay schedule.
This step is critical to maintaining on time payments. The Customers due date must always
coincide with the day they can make payment. (Due on Sat if paid on Fri.; due semimonthly
not biweekly if paid twice per month, etc.)
Ensure they understand our “reminder call” practice when performing the Delivery Callback.
6) Perform scheduled “reminder calls” and ensure Customers are contacted immediately should they
become past due.
Perform the credit program each day, exactly as outlined, in its entirety. Consistency is key.
7) Maintain the system records to reflect all changes in Customer information (address, phone #,
employer, etc.).
Verify and update information when accepting payments and correct any changes to
information that were identified during other activities (service, sales, credit, etc.). Remember,
our ability to communicate is critical, and we cannot do that if we have bad information.
Many states have laws that regulate collection practices. These laws are designed to protect consumers
during the collection process. Bestway intends for its employees to strictly comply with all applicable state
laws when attempting to collect debts from our customers. To the extent that applicable laws conflict with
any Bestway guidelines and regulations, Bestway employees should fully comply with state and federal
law.
Hours of Contact
Bestway employees should not contact a customer at unusual hours to discuss his account. The
Bestway standard is that customers are contacted to discuss the account only between 8:00 a.m. and
9:00 p.m. To the extent that a state law differs, always adhere to state law.
Entering a House
Bestway employees should enter a home only when there is a consenting adult (over 18 years old) present
and that adult has granted permission to enter the home. If the permission to enter the home is withdrawn,
then employees should exit the home immediately.
Misrepresentation
When contacting a customer or any third party, Bestway employees must identify themselves truthfully
and fully. Under no circumstances should an employee use a false identity or say anything to try and
“scare” the customer into taking action. The Bestway standard is that employees will not
misrepresent themselves to customers or others.
Third-Party Disclosure
Bestway employees should not disclose any information about the nature of collection calls to the
customer’s employer, references, relatives, neighbors, and so forth. When a third party is contacted,
Bestway employees should ask only for updated information to locate a customer and should never
discuss the reason for the call, the status of the customer’s account, or any other account information.
What employees can say is that you are trying to locate the customer and ask for a current phone number
or address to update your records. You may also ask someone to give a message to the customer to
return your call. However, you should not discuss why you need to talk to the customer.
If you are notified by a customer to deal strictly with his attorney, you must do so. Refer these
customers to the store manager.
Door Tags
When appropriate, one door tag should be left at a customer’s home. Do not write anything on the door
tag other than your name, the date, the time of day, and the store phone number. Do not include any
information about why you need to talk to her.
Many states have fair debt collection laws that require debt collectors to treat debtors fairly and
prohibit certain methods of debt collection. Most of these laws prohibit activities such as:
Contacting a debtor at an inconvenient time or place, unless the debtor consents to such contact;
Contacting a debtor at work if you are aware that the debtor’s employer disapproves of such
contact;
Contacting a debtor as opposed to the debtor’s attorney after being instructed by the debtor to deal
strictly with the debtor’s attorney;
Discussing a debtor’s debt with third parties other than the debtor and the debtor’s attorney;
Harassing, oppressing or abusing a debtor or any other third party in connection with collecting the
debt owed;
Using false statements or unfair practices to collect the debt owed; and
Threatening to bring criminal charges or have the debtor arrested.
To the extent that the debt collection laws in your state apply to our business, either now or at some point in
the future, we are committed to maintaining absolute compliance with it. If you are uncertain as to whether
a potential action would violate applicable state debt collection laws, you should contact your immediate
supervisor promptly to discuss the matter.
Harassment
Most debt collection laws prohibit a broad variety of activities that are considered harassing. In general,
harassing activities would be anything illegal or considered unreasonable by the public.
Bestway employees shall not take any action that is considered harassing under the laws of your
state. Below are some examples of behavior that might be considered harassing:
Bestway does not believe in harassment of any kind as a technique to “make the customer pay.” We
are working for a long-term relationship with the customer. If a customer accuses you of
harassment, immediately discuss the situation with your store manager.
If the customer hangs up, assume you lost connection and call back one time. We never call
the same number repeatedly, even if it appears we are being ignored. Leave a message and
give the customer the opportunity to return our call.
Always maintain emotional composure. Keep your cool.
Never belittle or talk down to a customer
Never leave more than one message per day on the same voice mail.
We never file criminal charges or even threaten to.
Dos Don’ts
Pull file on no contacts and 7+. Blame customer for pay history.
When discussing past due accounts with our customers, the goal is to find a solution that will allow us
to continue to do business with them. Remember, we want to find ways to help them own the
merchandise.
Although it is not possible to resolve all accounts and achieve this end result every time, we most
effectively communicate with our customers to determine the best option by practicing the following
Four Key Principles of Rental Customer Management:
2. Listen and Respond with Understanding—Listen to what the customer is saying and ask the appropriate
questions to ensure that you understand his particular situation. Let him know that you will do everything
you can to keep his business.
Seek to understand each customer and her unique situation, treating each customer
individually.
Be empathetic to his situation, but not sympathetic. It is our job to understand the problem
and help him find solutions to make his payment—not sympathize with him and provide an
“easy out.”
When making decisions, consider the payment history and the length of time on this
agreement as well as previous agreements.
3. Ask the Customer for Help in Solving a Problem—Even though you are responsible for making the final
decision to resolve the past due issue, recognize the value of what the customer can offer as an agreeable
solution.
Find out if his source of income or payday has changed.
Ensure that both you and your customer are planning long term when solving problems.
Work with the customer to get her account paid to the date when she can agree to make
all future payments on time.
4. Thank the Customer for His Business—Even if the agreement is terminated, we want to leave the door
open for this customer to return to Bestway in the future.
Once an agreement is reached, thank the customer for his assistance in solving the
problem and let him know we appreciate his business.
Remember:
Primarily, we must remember that every customer is an individual; we must adapt our
methods to consider the specific needs of each one, understanding the obstacles they
may face when trying to make their scheduled payments. This does not mean that we
will not have to make tough decisions; it means that we will make every decision based
on the information we gain by properly communicating with each individual customer.
Recognize the fact that sometimes a different voice on the phone or a different face at t he
door will prompt a different response from a customer.
Store managers must make time on a daily basis for employee training and evaluation; we are
only as strong as our weakest link. If we do not have a professional and proficient team to
support our store managers, it is unlikely that we will consistently achieve our credit goals.
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Bestway Credit Minutes
Bestway credit minutes are provided as a tool to organize and oversee all activities related to the
following:
Successful credit management.
The proper protection and preparation of inventory.
Ensuring that customers are 100% satisfied with recent deliveries.
Credit minutes also provide a record of our credit goals and daily activities fo r 90 days. Forms
specific to each day act as a “to do” list of what needs to be done, who will be doing it, and when they
will be doing it, allowing for the appropriate follow-up throughout the day to ensure that all required
tasks are on track for successful completion. Credit minutes are kept on the credit manager’s desk.
New binders are sent from the home office for each quarter.
It is the credit manager’s responsibility to ensure that the credit minutes are properly completed.
However, due to variations in the work schedule, (credit manager’s day off, vacation, etc.) this task
will fall to the employee(s) designated by the store manager as responsible for credit activities during
that time. Credit minutes must be completed each day to document activities completed and to
record daily goals and results.
Review the results of the team’s efforts often throughout the day, and evaluate the progress towards
reaching goals and achieving standards. This will allow you to recognize when and how to redirect
your efforts to ensure success. To do this effectively, you must inspect the work performed (not
simply verify that an assigned task has been “checked off” as completed), measuring activity to
results.
Credit minutes are reviewed daily by the store manager to ensure proper completion and to help
identify areas of opportunity for improving time management or employee training.
As training progresses, we will address in greater detail the processes and p ractices for executing the
tasks required to complete the credit minutes each day. For now, let us take a closer look at each of
these tasks to better understand what is required and why each of them is so important to our
success.
Complete First Call-Through by Noon, Call Home and Work, Starting with Least Past Due
Look to Solve Problems.
The objective is to resolve every past due customer to ensure that payments are made on time
going forward.
Completing the first call-through by noon is essential in achieving your goals for the day.
Making this call by noon will enable you to deal with some customers before they leave for
work.
Begin the call-through by contacting customers who are 1–6 days past due (in that order)
before moving on to the 7+ category, resolving any problems and obtaining a solid commitment
to pay.
As you make your calls, review the payment history, listen, and anticipate the questions and
comments from the customers. At that time, a decision can be made whether or not to take a
commitment.
If unable to reach a customer, leave a message. While you want to stress the importance of
the customer receiving your message, you want to be careful not to disclose the reason for
your call.
If you have to call the same customer again, you must assume he received your first message,
and your next step is to attempt to contact the customer at their place of employment.
Any customer commitment to pay beyond Wednesday must be discussed with and approved
by the store manager prior to accepting them from the customer.
Begin these calls on Saturday by 9:00 a.m. We should be able to contact any leftover
commitments and get our Saturday card close via phone.
Monday—Send Past Due Letters with Manager Approval on all new 14+ accounts
We must sometimes use this tool to “turn up the intensity” to increase our opportunities to
collect payment or recover merchandise in an amicable manner. Store manager approval is
required.
Work All 7+ Accounts; Pull Files on All 14+ accounts—Work and Document Daily
These accounts usually require more time; a daily emphasis needs to be placed on what
actions we are taking to resolve these today.
Calls to 7+ accounts are handled a bit differently. There is much more urgency in getting
a commitment for payment today or other arrangements may need to be made to hold
merchandise.
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 10 of 51
If we are unable to contact the customer, reviewing the customer file allows us to identify
alternate options for doing so. Contact and follow up with all references.
Ensuring that all information is documented on the Skip, Stolen, and Hard Account activity
sheet will help in future communications and will allow other team members to continue
work starting from the last activity completed.
Turn up the intensity on these accounts on Wednesday and Thursday to ensure
meeting Thursday’s standard close “bonus points.”
In most of these situations, once contact has been made with the customer, it is highly
recommended that the product be returned until the customer can come in and discuss the
situation with the store manager. We must be very judicious when making the decision to
continue to do business with these customers—ensuring that we consider their payment
history and the length of time as a customer.
Schedule Credit Runs for Sales Reps around Deliveries and Service Calls
On-time deliveries and service calls are always the priority, ensuring that our new and
existing customers receive the quality customer care and superior service they deserve.
Credit runs must be coordinated with delivery schedules and customer service calls,
utilizing the P.U.S.H. When scheduling credit runs, evaluate the delivery/service calls and
insert the respective visit for those areas.
“Routing” the credit runs in with sales activities will increase efficiency through better use
of vehicles and manpower, ensuring that deliveries and customer service calls are the
priorities.
Do not schedule credit runs on Saturday unless we have solid leads.
The store manager will perform credit runs as needed on Tuesday through Friday
after 7:00 p.m. Store managers should approach this as a training oppo rtunity and
take a sales rep. or assistant manager. The idea is to train your team so that a store
manager does not have to do field runs.
Ensuring that the credit minutes are properly executed each day means much more than inspecting
the list to ensure that employees assigned to complete the tasks have checked them off as
completed; these activities must produce results.
Store managers are responsible for reviewing the work performed each day to ensure all employees
properly represent and maintain Bestway standards, programs, and practices. The following outlines
key strategies and tactics:
1. The 7-part commitment is the key to our success. Review whether it is a correct commitment.
Pull customers up in the computer and look at the last time we updated the information .
Updates should be done with every contact meaning that if we take a commitment, we get an
update. Does the NPD match the commitment we took? Review all disc numbers on the route
card and make sure we updated these numbers.
2. Is the work number on the Route Card? If not, is the customer on the Credit Manager
worksheet for updates needed? If not, have the employee write the work number in the Route
Book and place the number in lines 1, 2, and 3 on the customer information page. If 1, 2, and
3 are full, place the work number in line 13.
3. Check route book for correct setup.
The contents of this binder are reports generated from the High Touch system that identify all
accounts to be contacted for payment.
It is the responsibility of the credit manager to properly execute the credit program, using the binder
to organize the information necessary for contacting customers to solve problems and ensure on-time
payments while properly documenting all actions. The binder must always contain the following, in
this order (top to bottom):
The past due cards report for the current week. This must include all accounts due from
the “beginning of time” through Friday of that week.
The “due today” report from the previous Saturday. This includes only customers due
on that Saturday.
Last week’s past due cards report.
Remember:
We never remove pages even if all accounts on that page are cleared.
After each call-through is complete, the binder must be kept at the front counter so that other
employees have access to this information when accepting payments.
If a customer is past due, the employee accepting payment must first check the credit binder
for any notes concerning the account (wrong contact info, etc.) and respond accordingly . Be
discreet; customers should never see the binder.
If the documentation in the credit binder indicates that we were unable to contact the customer,
speak with the customer privately to determine why he did not respond to our efforts. Update
the customer record as necessary with information learned (new phone, new job, etc.).
Once payments are made, employees accepting payment must highlight the corresponding
receipt and customer information in green to identify paid customers.
If the customer was committed, the employee must also highlight the commitment on the
commitment sheet to indicate that the commitment was honored.
Because stores have a different number of active accounts, we use a percentage of active
accounts to measure our performance and progress. Below are Bestway’s credit standards by
category. Because we are in a predominantly weekly business, we measure accounts as follows:
First thing daily, establish your close goal and the next day’s open goal (see standards for
guidance), and determine how many accounts will need to be paid to meet company standards.
To calculate this, multiply the total store BOR by the credit standard for that day . This will identify
CLOSE
CLOSE
CLOSE
CLOSE
CLOSE
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
TTL 18.9 13.9 15.9 13.9 14.9 12.9 12.9 10.9 10.9 7.9 7.9 5.9
7+% 4.9 3.9 3.9 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.9 3.0 1.9 5.5 3.9
14+% 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 .9 1.1 .9 1.9 1.5
The credit manager worksheet is provided as a tool for the credit manager to document the activities
required as each call-through is completed; then he must develop a plan of action for the team to
achieve daily credit goals.
It is the responsibility of the credit manager to organize this information, scheduling credit runs, and
identifying any customer files that need to be pulled and worked. She must ensure that information
is readily available to update the customers’ computer records if any changes are identified.
Documenting this information on the worksheet as call-throughs are completed provides for
efficiency, allowing the credit manager to work the accounts uninterrupted while gathering any
additional information necessary to continue credit activities, schedule customer service, or list any
necessary updates to the customer’s information.
The following explains the information necessary to properly complete the worksheet . A copy of the
actual worksheet is provided on the next page. Completed worksheets must be kept in a file and
placed in the drawer of the credit desk until reviewed by the district manager , who will then advise on
when to discard.
Use these spaces to list the names of customers who will be visited. This includes the following:
It is critical that the employee also understand the specific reason the trip is necessary, be aware of
the possible outcomes of the visit, know about any existing problems, and ha ve the payment history
and other appropriate background information for all customers.
Files to Be Pulled
Include the files for all customers who require additional credit activities, such as those accounts that
have “rolled over” to the 7+ category or those that have been identified as “skip.” Work according to
the credit program. Always work the file first and then schedule a run.
Remember:
Maintain efficiency by prioritizing the activities to be completed and utilizing the information
from the P.U.S.H. to plan runs with scheduled deliveries and service calls.
Make note of customers’ pay schedule and next pay date. Refer back to page 4.
7-Part Commitment = Date / time / who spoken to / commitment / amount / time paid / your
initials
7–16 / 9:30am/Sam/WBN Mon 7-18 @4:30/$39.75/ one week + fees/ DK
Remember: When taking a commitment, the objective is to solve the problem. Get a commitment
that ensures future payments will be on time.
Saturday:
1. Review the credit minutes. Meet with the store manager before and after every call-through.
2. Review the previous day’s results and establish the number of cards you will need to move (goal
setting) in each category to achieve your Saturday close standards as well as your Monday open
standards.
3. Print a “past due cards” report for all customers due on that day (Saturday). We often refer to
these as “today’s dues.”
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 20 of 51
4. First, the manager will run all auto pays.
5. Second, call your entire past due accounts, starting with least past due going back to 13 days. This
is the same “past due cards” report (route) you have been working all week.
6. Third, review the Saturday’s “today’s dues” report to determine the need for a reminder call. We
determine the need for a call based on customers’ previous pay history or length of time as a
customer. To ensure that everyone is on the same page, we will highlight Saturday due accounts
depending on the category (below) they fall into. We will have three categories of customers. Place
the appropriate-color star next to his or her name.
Daily Fallout:
a. (High Priority—pink) New and first-payment customers along with customers who
have paid late on half or more of their payments get a pink star. Never accept
commitments on pink-starred customers without manager approval. These
customers are “starred” with a pink highlighter meaning they need to be contacted. We will
attempt to contact them three times over the course of the day (morning, noon , and 1–2
hours prior to closing). Remember, we never leave more than one message on voicemail
in a day. Multiple messages will anger customers and decrease the chance of them calling
us back.
b. (Medium Priority—yellow) Slow payers who have been with us for a while. These
customers are “starred” in yellow. They make most payments on time but occasionally
need a reminder. We give these customers the benefit of the doubt and do not start calling
them until around noon, with a second call-through 1–2 hours prior to closing.
c. (Low Priority—green) Always on time. These customers do not require a call. They
pride themselves on paying on time, and we will harm the relationship with them if we call.
Know your customers. Even some green star customers appreciate a call; ask them if a
reminder call would be helpful.
7. Reminder calls should be friendly, yet honest about their intent. If customers request that we do
not call them, require that they discuss it with the store manager to resolve the issue. Broken
commitments for the current day should be called if the time they committed to has passed.
You: “Good morning, Mr. Smith, this is Mark from Bestway. How are you today?”
Customer: “Fine, thank you.”
You: “Happy to hear it, Mr. Smith. As we promised, I am calling you on your first renewal date. How is
the product working?”
Customer: “Great!”
You: “OK, good. We look forward to seeing you; what time can we expect you?”
Customer: “Does it matter, as long as I come in today?”
You: “No, sir. Will you be making it in by 5:00 p.m.?”
Customer: “Yes. I’ll be there by 5:00.”
You: “Great! Do you know how much to bring?”
Customer: “No.”
You: “Are you paying biweekly?”
Customer: “Yes.”
You: “It’s $64.87.”
Customer: “Ok.”
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You: “Great, we’ll see you then, Mr. Smith. Thank you for your time this morning.”
You: “Good morning, Mr. Smith, this is Mark from Bestway. How are you today?”
Customer: “Fine, thank you.”
You: “That’s great, Mr. Smith. I am calling this morning as a courtesy to remind you that your payment
is due today. We do this because you have been a customer only for a short period of time, and we
know how easy it is to forget new things in today’s world where we have so many things going on.”
Customer: “So, you’re going to call every week? I guess you want to know what time I’ll be there , too.”
You: “Mr. Smith we call all of our customers from time to time. We remind them of payments due, offer
them special rates and terms on additional products for their home, and let them know of any new or
improved products that are available. We are committed to building relationships with our customers
and ensuring that we do everything possible to guarantee their 100% satisfaction while helping them to
own the products they choose for their home.”
Customer: “I understand, and I think that’s great. It is just a little early, and I am new at all this. I’ll be
in around 1:00.”
You: “Wonderful, Mr. Smith. We look forward to seeing you at one o’clock. Do you know how much to
bring?
Customer: “Yes. $48.20.”
You: “That’s correct. So you still get paid weekly?”
Customer: “Yes I do.”
You: “Thank you for your time, and I will see you at 1:00 with $48.20.”
Pink—All Customers Who Have Been Late on 50% or More of Their Payments.
You: “Good morning, Mr. Smith, this is Mark from Bestway. How are you today?”
Customer: “Fine.”
You: “That’s wonderful to hear, Mr. Smith. I’m calling this morning as a courtesy to remind you that
your payment is due today.”
Customer: “I know when my payment is due; I’ll be there.”
You: “That’s great, Mr. Smith; what time can we expect you?”
Customer: “I am so tired of you people calling me. I’ll be there when I get there.”
You: “I’m sorry if my call has upset you, Mr. Smith; that was not my intent. I only wanted to remind
you of your payment so that you could avoid paying late fees, as you have had to do in the past. I’d
like to help you own this merchandise without that extra expense.”
Customer: “I’m sorry, thank you for calling. I’m leaving here shortly to do some errands, so I should be
in by noon.”
You: “No problem, Mr. Smith. We look forward to seeing you at noon. Do you know the amount of your
payment?” (This is your opportunity to update their information.)
Customer: “Yes. $27.87.”
You: “That’s correct. So do you still get paid weekly?”
Customer: “Yes, I do.”
You: “Thank you for your time; I will see you at 12:00 with $27.87.”
Yellow—Customers Who Have Been with Us for a While but Have Sometimes Been Slow to
Pay.
You: “Good morning, Mr. Smith, this is Mark from Bestway. How are you today?”
Customer: “Thank goodness you called today, Mark. I was just getting my to-do list together for the
day, and I did not have you on it. Both the boys have soccer practice this afternoon, we have
company in from out of town, and I really need to get to the oil changed in the van. It’ll be late this
afternoon before I can make it in.”
You: “Do you want me to put you down for 4:00 p.m.?”
Customer: “That is good. I can probably be there by then.”
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 22 of 51
You: “OK, I’ll put you down for 4:00 p.m. DO you know the amount to bring?”
Customer: “Yes. My normal payment.”
You; “OK. So you will be paying the month $125.56 to get you to the third of next month?”
Customer: “Yes sir.”
You: “Tell you what, Mr. Smith, since you’ve got such a busy day ahead of you, I’ll keep you in mind
and give you a call again if I haven’t seen you by 4:00 p.m.”
Customer: “Thanks, Mark; that would be wonderful.”
You: “Glad to help, Mr. Smith. Thank you for your time. I understand how valuable it is to you,
especially today.”
Customer: “Yeah, my plate is kind of full. Thank you, Mark, I really appreciate the reminder.”
You: “We’re always here for you, Mr. Smith. Good luck with that to-do list. I will call you again this
afternoon if I do not see you before then. You have a great day.”
Remember:
Always inform customers that we make these reminder calls to help them.
Your goal is to get them in today to make their payment on time.
If you decide to accept a future commitment for a customer due today, ensure that this
information is properly documented; include the information on the past due cards report, and
ensure that the information is recorded on the commitment sheet for that day.
Ensure that customers who commit today understand the exact amount of the payment that will
be due on the day they agree to make payment. If the payment is made after Wednesday of this
week, we will need to collect the past due payment, next week’s payment, and all applicable late
fees.
Monday:
1. Review the credit minutes. Meet with the store manager before and after every call-through.
2. First thing Monday, we print a past due cards report with every past due account from the
farthest past due account all the way to the upcoming Friday. This will show us everyone past
due at that time and all the possible fallout up to and including the upcoming Friday. Re move
the oldest past due cards report and the previous Saturday’s “today’s dues” from your route
binder. Replace them with your Saturday’s “today’s dues” in the binder and then place the past
due cards report generated today on top of it.
3. Transfer over all commitments or work from the previous week’s route as well as Saturday’s
“today’s dues.”
4. Establish daily goals for the number of cards to move to meet or exceed Bestway standards.
5. Today we want to work the phones to get as many payments in as possible. We should do
three complete call-throughs. One in the morning, afternoon, and 1–2 hours prior to going
home. Broken commitments for the current day should be called if their committed time has
passed.
6. Store manager and credit manager should review all 7+’s together. Their discussions need to
ensure that we are doing everything possible (within the law) to get those accounts resolved.
Store managers need to make sure proper follow-up and appropriate actions are taken. Keep in
mind that we never leave more than one message on voicemail in a day.
Tuesday Standards; close should be no more than 13.9% total past due, with no more than
3.5% of our accounts over 7 days past due. We should have a Wednesday open of no more
than 14.9%.
Wednesday:
1. Review the credit minutes. Meet with the store manager before and after every call-through.
2. Two good call-throughs are needed today: one before noon, and one between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.
3. Establish daily goals for the number of cards to move to meet or exceed Bestway standards.
4. During your first call-through, write down on your Credit Manager worksheet the account numbers
of customers you need to visit because you cannot reach them by phone. Customers who refuse to
return our calls or keep their word need to return the product. It is our goal to keep every customer
possible. “Friendly but firm” credit management will usually get you there.
5. Any customers who are past due from the previous Saturday or earlier, and are not committed, need
to receive a visit. These are customers we have attempted to contact with no success. We should
not make it a habit of accepting money at the customer’s house; therefore, if you decide to accept a
payment, let the customer know we will not be able to continue to do that. Never accept a check as
payment on any account. Bestway does not accept checks. More often, its best to have the
customer return the product until he can come in, catch up the account, and speak to the manager.
6. Today is the start of customers due from last Saturday who need to pay two weeks. Speak with a
manager before accepting a bailout payment.
Wednesday standards; close should be no more than 12.9% total past due, with no more than 3%
of our accounts over 7 days past due. We should have a Thursday open of no more than 12.9%
Thursday:
1. Review the credit minutes. Meet with the store manager before and after every call-through.
2. Two good call-throughs are needed today: one before noon and one between 5:00 and 7:00
p.m.
3. Establish daily goals for the number of cards to move to meet or exceed Bestway standards.
4. Hitting Thursday standards (10.9 / 2.9) will set us up for a growth weekend. If hitting these
numbers looks out of reach, immediately involve your supervisor for assistance.
5. Any customers not committed need to receive a visit. These are customers whom we have
attempted to contact with no success. We should not make it a habit of accepting money at
the customer’s house, therefore if you decide to accept a payment, let the customer know we
will not be able to continue to do that. Never accept a check as payment on any account.
Bestway does not accept checks. More often, its best to have the customer return the
product until he can come in, catch up the account, and speak to the manager. If you allow
the customer to keep the product, get new contact phone numbers.
Friday:
1. Review the credit minutes. Meet with the store manager before and after every call-through.
2. Two good call-throughs are needed today: one before noon and one between 5:00 and 7:00
p.m.
3. Establish daily goals for the number of cards to move to meet or exceed Bestway Standards.
4. Hitting Friday standards (7.9 / 1.9) will allow us to concentrate on sales and deliveries on
Saturday.
5. Any customers not committed need to receive a visit. These are customers we have
attempted to contact with no success. We should not make it a habit of accepting money at
the customer’s house; therefore, if you decide to accept a payment, let the customer know we
will not be able to continue to do that. Never accept a check as payment for an account.
Bestway does not accept checks. More often, its best to have the customer return the
product until he can come in, catch up the account, and speak to the manager. If you allow
the customer to keep the product, get new contact phone numbers.
Friday Standards; close should be no more than 7.9% total past due with no more than 1.9% of our
accounts over 7 days past due. We should have a Saturday open of no more than 7.9%.
Refuse to make excuses or blame others. The leader always says, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.
Taking a proper payment is critical to ensuring that we are solving problems. The steps to follow are the
following:
5. If the account is committed, review the commitment to make sure we are collecting the correct
amount and have an agreed-upon date regarding when the next payment will be made. Collect
the payment, and thank the customer for coming in as promised and for her business. Always
commit for the amount due and date of next payment.
6. If the account is not committed, review the work completed in the past due binder to determine
what information needs to be updated; obtain it at this time. We must make sure we have good
addresses and phone numbers for the customer, as well as his employment and references at all
times.
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 25 of 51
7. If counseling is required, the Four Key Principles should be used.
Follow these steps:
Print a payment history, and lead the customer away from others to ensure that the
conversation is private. Discussing a customer’s account should never be within earshot of
other Bestway customers or employees.
Apologize that we may not have explained the agreement properly; then reiterate the terms of
the agreement (rate, term, due date).
Let them know that we want to keep their business, and we understand that there are
sometimes circumstances that may prevent them from paying on time. However, express your
concern about the frequency of their late payment(s) and let them know that the purpose of this
conversation is to resolve this issue and ensure that future payments are made on time.
Ask if we have done anything to cause their account to be late. Is there a product service
issue? Have we failed to hold up our end of the agreement in any way?
Ask what we can do to help them make on-time payments. Find out if their source of income or
pay dates has changed. Do they need to return or exchange some merchandise to make
payments more manageable? Do we need to set a new due date?
After this discussion, you will make the decision regarding whether or not we can continue to
do business with this customer.
If yes, collect payment from the customer to the date they agree to that will allow them to make
all future payments on time.
To illustrate the importance of this discussion, it is recommended that you have the customer
sign this payment receipt today to indicate that she is aware of the next due date and agrees to
come in on or before that date. File a copy of the receipt in the customer’s file.
8. Avoid “bailout payments.” (Bailout: any payment after four days on a weekly customer.) Taking a
payment that has the account due again within the next four or five days is seldom a good
solution. The customer’s “next due date” should always coincide with the next time he is paid.
For weekly customers, Saturday due dates are encouraged. For monthly customers, the
preferred due dates are the 1 st, 3 rd, and 15 th.
9. Solving late payment problems is our job. The quicker we address a potential problem, the better
chance we have of keeping the customer. The goal is to get the next payment on time.
Let the customer know that you appreciate his business and want him to own the merchandise.
An update of address, phone numbers, and place of employment needs to be done every time we
contact a customer or a customer contacts us. Be uncompromising on this! It will save you time
and money.
When conducting an update, always ask open-ended questions. Ex. “What is your current address?”
Do not ask direct questions such as, “Is your address 2194 Smith St.?”
Reviewing of Updates
Bestway Rental
A vital part of any relationship is that each party in the relationship keep s the commitment it makes to
the other. Our commitment to our customers is to provide the best products at the best prices, through
the best programs, by the best people, with their account(s) set up to be paid on the date that is best
for both parties.
We can set up our customers for success by following these recommendations for successful credit
management:
Monthly accounts should generally be due on the 1st, 3rd, or 15th of the month. This should
cover any part of the month that a customer is paid, giving our credit management more
structure, and making it more manageable for both customers and Bestway. It has been proven
that customers on a fixed income CANNOT pay weekly.
We strongly recommend that no weekly accounts be due on Thursday and never on Friday for the
following reasons:
1. Should we need to contact the customers, we have limited time to make contact with them
and have them pay by Saturday.
2. From Thursday through Saturday, we should be concentrating on wrapping up the week for
credit activity, not scrambling to contact accounts that are 1–6 days past due. Our credit
efforts for those three days should be ensuring that we meet company standards for
Thursday, Saturday, and Monday without any new fallout.
3. We do not have time to focus on our potential growth over the weekend if we have to focus
on credit.
4. It is a proven fact that however many customers you have due on any day, only about half of
those will pay on time.
While we will go to great lengths to keep a customer, we’ve learned that sometimes the most effective
way to keep a customer is to not allow them to fall past due. With this in mind, there are times when we
must refuse a commitment. Here are some examples;
We should refrain from taking any commitments of six days or more. If a weekly customer asks
to double up next week, we know if making a one week payment is tough, coming up with two
weeks may be impossible.
Seldom, if ever, accept Saturday commitments on a past due weekly account.
If 40% or more of their payments are late
First payment defaults
Often we are helping a customer by offering them lifetime reinstatement, meaning they can return the
product and when they can catch up their payments we’ll bring the product back out to them. This way
they don’t’ fall further behind. Often when we say “NO Sir” or “NO madam” I can’t take a commitment,
the customer will come up with the money or we help them out by not allowing it to get further past due.
Keep in mind, we cannot grow our business or properly take care of all our customers if we are
continually accepting commitments or late payments from the same customers week after week. This
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 28 of 51
behavior, whether it is the customer’s, or ours will not help either party meet the ultimate goal of our
rental agreement…PRODUCT OWNERSHIP. Along with Product ownership there are 4 Benefits our
customers are missing if their payments are late.
*Additionally, if they are a BestCare plus customer, they get bonus bucks
The secret to success is getting credit in line at the beginning of the week. Remember, a credit
manager’s week begins on Saturday, with the focus on meeting or exceeding the 18.9% standard for a
Monday open. We must continually meet or exceed our daily standards so that by Thursday , the store’s
focus is on growth.
Important Note: Remember to offer and encourage our customers to take advantage of our “Easy Pay
Program,” or online Web payment. Have them complete our pre-authorized credit transaction form and
enjoy the convenience of paying from home!
This can be a very effective tool for managing Credit. Ideally, we will never have to contact Customers
enrolled in this program for payment because it is processed “automatically” every time it is due!
As we maintain communications and continue to build relationships with our Customers, it is important to
encourage this convenient, time saving option to our Customers. This is especially important at the time a
new agreement is opened, or if a Customer has demonstrated difficulties in making on time, payments to
their existing account(s).
All Customers using a credit card, or a debit/check card with a “visa” logo, are eligible for this program.
There is no charge to the Customer for this service.
To participate in this program, Customers must complete and sign a Credit Card Authorization form and
present a government issued picture ID.
To eliminate potential problems, we do not accept “phone in payments.” Any Customer not present for a
credit/debit transaction involving their card must have a signed Authorization Form on file. This form is our
signed documentation that the Customer authorized the payment to be posted to the card, and it is critical
that we have this documentation on file.
In order to process these payments efficiently and properly protect Customer information, completed forms
must be organized in an accordion file by Customer last name and/or payment date, and secured by lock
and key, in an area accessible only to Management.
The following outlines additional criteria for the successful execution of this program:
This program is for Customers who choose to authorize us to make all scheduled payments on the
day or date indicated, for the full amount specified (including tax). Participation in this program
requires that we post payments “automatically” as specified on the form. Should a Customer ask to
be notified before scheduled payments are posted, explain that their request makes them ineligible
to participate in this program, and recommend they make payment at the store.
Customers can cancel the program at any time by signing the form in the appropriate area at the
bottom of the page. Because we will only post these payments as the Customer has specified,
we are not responsible for overdrafts to the Customer’s account.
New authorization forms must be completed (do not “write in” updates) for Customers with
changes in personal or payment information (new credit or debit card/ expiration date, increase or
decrease in payment amount, switching to monthly instead of weekly payments, etc.). Old forms
must be cancelled (by Customer signature) then stapled behind the new form.
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 29 of 51
Use “Line 8” to identify Customers that participate in this program. However, do not identify the
card number here. We must ensure this information is available only from the secured
authorization form.
Review the past due cards report daily to identify this information; asking the Manager to pull the
form and process these payments at the beginning of each day. Ensure that we do not contact
“easy pay” Customers for payment unless their card is declined.
In the Customer signature line for these receipts, the Manager will indicate that we have a
signed authorization on file and initial the receipt; (For example; SOF / JS.) then ensure these
receipts are attached to the receipt audit trail for the date of the transaction.
Remember:
Get approval from the credit card company for every transaction posted. This is a 6-digit code that is
identified on the credit card machine or obtained from a customer service rep you have contacted for
assistance.
If a card is declined when you attempt to process the transaction, DO NOT run the card again. Contact
the Customer and ask for another form of payment. To comply with guidelines from companies that
approve or decline Bestway credit/debit transactions, our policy is to “run” a card only once.
All “Easy Pay” transactions are posted as “credit card” payments; therefore, PIN codes are not required.
However, all Debit Card payments made in person at the store must be posted as “Debit” and the
Customer must input their PIN code at that time. This will save money as credit cards are more
expensive for us to process than debit cards.
Located on the reverse side of the daily credit minutes, this tool is used to document information
obtained from past due customers with whom we have reached an agreement to continue our business
relationship, allowing them to keep the merchandise and make a payment beyond the due date.
It is the credit manager’s responsibility to utilize this sheet as follows to provide for efficient and timely
follow-up with these customers. A copy of the commitment sheet is provided on the next page.
Ensure that any necessary information for these customers is transferred from the past due cards
report to this sheet.
Complete the information within the proper time period to include the customer’s name, phone #,
total amount to be paid (including tax), and her next due date once the amount indicated has
been paid.
Check this information hourly and immediately follow-up with customers who failed to keep the
commitment.
To properly solve problems and ensure that future payments are made on time, the credit manager
should be the person to process past due payments.
All employees accepting past due payments must check the following prior to posting payment.
Check the credit binder and the commitment sheet to understand the work performed and to
obtain any information necessary from the customer.
If the customer is not committed, collect payment in full to advance them to the next desired due
date. Any variables must be discussed with the store manager prior to accepting payment.
If the customer is committed, the employee must verify the agreed upon payment, and the next
due date, with the customer. Again, any variables must be discussed with the store manager
prior to accepting payment.
Once proper payment is processed, the employee must highlight the information for that customer
in green both on this sheet and on the past due cards report. Once the report and the
commitment sheet have been highlighted, also highlight the receipt.
According to the rental agreement, customers have three options every due date; make a
payment, pay off the agreement, or return the product. However, because we strive to build long-
term relationships, we may be able to provide additional options based on their unique situation and the
individual history they have built with Bestway.
Proper communication with the customer is essential. Always determine the following if the customer
tells you he cannot make a payment:
Review the payment history. Has he been with Bestway for some time?
Why can’t he make the payment today? Ask him to be specific. Explain that the better you
understand the situation, the more likely it is that you can help him find a way to keep the
merchandise.
Does she demonstrate a desire to own the product? Is she still happy with it? Is it working
properly?
When will the situation that prevents them from making payments change? Is this a short -term or
long-term issue?
Is it reasonable to make payment arrangements, or are we simply delaying an inevitable product
return?
What will she do if the merchandise is returned? Will she replace it? How?
The following examples illustrates situations you may encounter when speaking with past due
customers, and offers suggestions to assist you in determining the best course of action for resolving
past due accounts.
Bailouts
What is a bailout?
When a customer is behind 50% of her pay cycle, she must make a double payment.
Weekly customer: After 4 days, must make a 2-week payment.
Biweekly customer: After 7 days, must make a 3–4-week payment. (If the payment is 7 days late,
the customer is most likely off a pay period.)
Semi-monthly: After 8 days, must make monthly payment.
Monthly: We should not take payments on customers 14+.
You are more likely to help customers own merchandise when you keep them on their pay date.
Accepting bailout is rarely a good solution.
Refusing Bailouts
Explain to the customer that per the rental agreement, there are no grace periods, and for us to
reinstate, we must collect the correct payment, allowing them to make all future payments on time.
Reviewing Bailouts
While reviewing your receipt audit trail.
1. You are looking for correct payments.
Accepting a Commitment
Situation: You have contacted the past due customer, and he has told you that he cannot make his
payment this week due to an unexpected car repair. He has been a customer for approximately four
months and wants to keep the merchandise, but if we cannot wait until this Friday for payment, he will
have to return it.
Although accepting a commitment is preferable to losing the customer, it must not be our first reaction to
a customer’s response of “I’ll catch it up Friday.”
Before accepting a commitment from a customer, we must first establish whether we can help him find a
solution to make payments now. To do this, we must determine the following:
Can he borrow money from a friend or relative? These loans are likely “interest free” and
preferable to late fees.
Has he honored past commitments on the day payment was expected? Have we set a proper
due date?
Will he be able to make the past due payment, the next payment due, and pay all applicable late
fees? How? Again, ask him to be specific; we need to understand his plan for being caught up
and ensure that he will continue to make on-time payments in the future.
Ask what we can do to get the account taken care of today (put in his hands).
If you decide that accepting the commitment is the best course of action for resolving the account, it is
critical that you do the following:
Communicate the seriousness of the situation and ensure that the customer understands that
accepting a commitment is not something that we can continue to do. The goal of this option is to
get the customer “back on track” to keeping his original agreement of making on-time payments,
ultimately working toward product ownership.
Document all commitments on the commitment sheet for the day the customer has agreed to pay.
Remember:
No commitments are accepted on any 14+ accounts!
Never accept a commitment for accounts 6 days or more past due without the store manager’s
approval.
Never accept Saturday commitments on a weekly account. All past due accounts must be cleared
by the end of the business day on Friday.
Never accept a commitment from a “first payment default.” We know that getting our customers to
pay on time from the beginning helps to establish a payment history more likely to result in
ownership.
Avoid “bailout payments.” Taking a payment that has the account due again within the next
couple of days is seldom a good solution. The customer’s “next due date” should always coincide
with the next time she will be able to pay.
All commitments beyond Wednesday require store manager approval.
NEXT
COMMITM AMOUNT TO EMPLOYEE
CUSTOMER NAME PHONE DUE
ENT TIME PAY COMMENTS/FOLLOW-UP
DATE
(123)456-
Bob Barker 7890 $37.37 8/12/12 Car broke down. LM
BY 12 PM
BY 1 PM (212)875-
Amy Smith 9650 $20.42 8/15/12 Borrowing Money
BY 2 PM (844)985-
Jerry Seinfeld 6975 $45.20 8/10/12 Lost job
BY 3 PM
(965)785-
BY 4 PM
Mary Poppins 4444 $24.36 8/13/12 Husband is coming in.
BY 5 PM
(452)856-
Ashley Jenkins 9642 $19.87 8/27/12 Was out of town.
BY 6 PM
BY 7 PM
(587)895-
Mark Ferguson 6741 $25.25 8/2/12 Cousin is in the hospital.
If commitments are broken, customer needs to be highlighted in pink.
If paid, customer needs to be highlighted in green.
Sometimes the customer’s plan to “get caught up” will not benefit him, even though he thinks it will. It is
sometimes very difficult to catch up once late. We are jeopardizing our long-term customer relationship if
we allow him to get in over his head.
It is the responsibility of the credit manager to ask the appropriate questions and understand the whole
situation. Then communicate with the customer to assist her in making the best decision for her current
situation. Sometimes we can do that simply by letting her know that we CANNOT wait for payment; there
is no grace period.
If after the review of all information and discussion with the customer, you feel that they
have been a customer for only a short period of time and have not established a sufficient
payment history
will be unable to keep the commitment to pay at a later date, or have a history of breaking
commitments
will be unable to continue to make on-time payments going forward
Customer Counseling
Situation: We have a customer whom we have had to call twice this week because he failed to make
his payment on Saturday when it was due.
We cannot grow our business or properly take care of all of our customers by continually accepting
commitments or late payments from the same customers week after week.
It is the responsibility of the credit manager to counsel this customer in person, referring to the rental
agreement to reiterate the customer’s responsibility to make on-time payments. Solve the problem to
ensure that all future payments are made on or before the due date.
Because this customer knows that we typically discuss credit issues using the phone , we illustrate the
seriousness of these situations, and the urgency of getting the matter resolved, by requesting that she
come into the store to discuss this issue in person. This action must be reserved only for those who are
repeatedly late.
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 34 of 51
While practicing the four key principles, the credit manager will perform the following steps for effective
customer counseling:
Print a payment history (we never discuss an account without a payment history in front of us, in
the store or at their house) and lead the customer away from others to ensure that the
conversation is private. A discussion of a customer’s account should never be within earshot of
other Bestway customers or employees.
Apologize that we may not have explained the agreement properly; then reiterate the terms of the
agreement (rate, term, due date).
Let customers know that we want to keep their business, and we understand that there are
sometimes circumstances that may prevent them from paying on time. However, express your
concern about the frequency of their late payments and let them know that the purpose of this
conversation is to resolve this issue to ensure that future payments are made on time.
Ask if we have done anything to cause their account to be late. Is there a product service issue?
Have we failed to hold up our end of the agreement in any way?
Ask what we can do to help them make on-time payments. Find out if their source of income or
pay dates has changed. Do they need to return or exchange some merchandise to make
payments more manageable? Do we need to set a new due date?
After this discussion, you will make the decision as to whether or not we can continue to do
business with this customer.
If yes, collect payment from the customer to the date she agrees to make all future payments on
time.
To illustrate the importance of this discussion, it is recommended that you have the customer
sign this payment receipt today to indicate that she is aware of the next due date and agrees to
come in on or before that date. File a copy of the receipt in the customer’s file.
Remember:
Friendly but firm. Ensure that the customer understands that if he fails to meet the terms of the
agreement, we have no choice but to ask him to return the merchandise.
We are not here to collect; he agreed to pay.
Find out why he did not return our call or respond to door tags. Do we have correct info? We
must work to keep the line of communication open.
Section Three
Customer Loyalty Program
The Customer Loyalty Program is a program designed to provide assistance to our long term and
best customers. This program is designed to assist our good customers that are having financial
challenges to make their renewal payments which results in the return of their merchandise. This
program is a part of our mission of Getting and Keeping our Customers. The objective of this
program is to reduce returns through LOYALTY…..and build a loyal customer base.
o Does the customer have a Deposit or Bonus Bucks that can be used?
o If we wait, can we get the payment?
o If we extend, can we collect all or some of the extended amount on the next payment?
o If we don’t offer the extension, will it result in a return of their merchandise?
o What can they pay today – 75%, 50%?
o Does this solve their problem?
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o Will they be keeping the account with us long term?
o Can they pay their fees today?
o Have the received an extension prior? When?
o How long have they been with Bestway – first agreement date? This agreement date?
o If multiple agreements, can we return one item and keep others on rent?
Objectives/Rules:
o Review payment history and pink star extended customers for same day due calls.
o Maximum amount per month – 4%
o Customer must be in store to sign Loyalty Extension Form and must be done by the store
manager. No exception
o Store managers will maintain notes on “office use only” situation/solution
o Reduce Delivery extension and lost revenue on returns and use for customer loyalty
(Extensions)
o Get return percentage under 10% of BOR
o Maintain 88% or higher percent collected – strive to collect
(COD + Processing = all Extensions & Free Time; excluding bonus bucks) or 1:1
o Get updated customer information
o No retypes
o Collect fees first
o Be prepared to send forms on request/matching signatures
Providing an Extension
In rare cases, the credit manager may feel that the best course of action is to provide a customer with
the option of deferring payment(s) to the date she can agree to make all future payments on time. The
possibility of this option must be discussed and approved by the store manager prior to
discussing it with the customer.
The credit manager should consider the length of the agreement, past payment history, and the number
of agreements on rent; then establish the following criteria before requesting that the store manager
approve a payment extension:
The customer’s inability to pay is only temporary, and she has no way of making the scheduled
payment(s).
The customer will be unable to “get caught up” once the situation changes; taking a commitment
and working with the customer will not solve the problem.
The customer would likely make all future payments on time, until ownership, if the option were
provided.
A temporary loss of the product will cause unusual hardship on the customer, or jeopardize an
established customer relationship.
Reducing the number of units/accounts the customer has on rent will not he lp.
The credit manager must understand and communicate the following to the customer when discussing
this option:
An extension is not part of the rental agreement and is not a part of our customer benefits
package. It is our option, used very judiciously, to assist established customers through an
emergency.
Rental payments are deferred, and the payout date of the rental agreement is extended; this is
not free time. Customers are expected to pay any late fees deferred at the time of the e xtension.
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 36 of 51
Remember:
The sole purpose for a payment extension is to assist an established customer to product
ownership in the event of an emergency.
All extension receipts must be signed by the customer at the time the extension is posted
to the system, attached to the appropriate rental agreement, and placed in the customer’s
file.
Working 7+ Accounts
7–13
Every day an account remains past due, the likelihood that we can keep our customer decreases.
However, we must understand that not all customers have failed to pay at this point simply because they
want to keep the merchandise and never make payment. If we properly verify all rental orders and
provide superior service, we will encounter very few customers who exhibit that kind of behavior. We
must consider the following:
Although we have left messages asking them to contact the store, maybe they do not see the
problem with being only a few days late and do not see the need to contact us right now. They
know they are going to make a payment within the next few days to be caught up.
Customers may be embarrassed by the situation that has caused them to be late in making their
payment, and they do not want to have to give us the details.
If we have not yet spoken with the customer, they do not understand that we may be able to
provide them with options for keeping the merchandise. They understand that their agreement as
“all or nothing,” and they do not want to lose the merchandise they have been paying on for so
long.
Customers may feel overwhelmed, thinking that the longer they avoid us, the longer they can
keep the merchandise—while hoping that their situation will improve.
To ensure that we do everything possible to open the lines of communication and take th e appropriate
actions for resolving these accounts, it is the credit manager’s responsibility to complete the following:
Pull the customer’s file from the active file cabinet; it will remain in the file holder on the credit
desk until the past due issue is resolved.
Review the file and the work completed (past due cards report, credit manager worksheets,
commitment sheet, etc.) to determine how best to proceed.
Before the customer turns 7+, all references from the file need to go into High Touch Line 13, 1–
5. Continue to call out of the route book twice per day.
Ensure that all references and employers have been contacted with a message for the customer;
properly documenting and acting upon any new information learned.
Perform credit runs at the time of day when it is most likely that the customer will be home.
Mail the 7–13 day form letter to the customer.
Remember:
Always practice the four key principles and treat each customer individually.
All credit rules and regulations apply, regardless of past due category.
Always thank the customer for his business, regardless of the number of days past due, or the
final resolution for clearing the account.
The store manager will work the account one day per week with 14+ accounts.
With these accounts, we must counsel the customer and collect payment to get the account up to the
next proper due date, have the customer pay out the agreement, or ask the customer to return the
merchandise. Absolutely no commitments are accepted.
While we may empathize with a customer’s situation, it is our responsibility to implement the terms of
our rental agreement. This should take place after we have explored all other options and have been
unable to reach an agreeable solution.
Once all efforts and leads have been exhausted, discuss with the store manager the options for
pursuing payment or merchandise recovery using an attorney or the judicial system. Keep in mind that
our documentation provides proof of our efforts, which is often required to proceed.
Remember:
Proper credit management is never personal, regardless of the number of days past due.
Always relate your conversations with the customer to the terms of the rental agreement.
The store manager must “take over” the collections efforts for any customer for which all
leads have been exhausted, regardless of the number of days past due.
“Skips”
Although this term is used to define a customer who has moved from the most current address on file,
we must ensure that we fully investigate the issue before classifying him as a skip. We can avoid this
negative connotation and perhaps avoid unnecessary work on this account by doing the following with
each customer:
Consider the payment history and the length of time they have been a Bestway customer. Maybe
they just did not remember that they were supposed to contact us before they moved. While we
will still want to locate the customer, this allows us to better understand who we are dealing with
when we do.
Check with neighbors; do they know where the customer has moved? If so, we can visit the
customer at the new address, reiterate the terms of the agreement, and obtain new information to
update the customer’s record.
Call the customer at work. Maybe she was just busy moving over the weekend and did not have
time to contact us or make her payment.
If we cannot locate the customer, using the steps above, it is the responsibility of the credit manager to
inform the store manager and complete the following to properly document the account as a skip.
Remember:
Do not classify as a “skip” until you have done the proper legwork. Once leads are exhausted,
surrender the file to the store manager for further activity.
“Stolens”
This term is used to define a customer who reports that the rental merchandise has been stolen. It is the
responsibility of the customer to report the theft to the police and provide us with a copy of that report.
If the loss is not covered, we must communicate to the customer that he is responsible for paying for this
merchandise. We will then classify this as a “Stolen” and continue to work it as such.
Depending on the product’s remaining value and the length of time the customer has paid on it, the
district manager may decide to provide more options for these customers. Consult the district
manager prior to discussing this with the customer.
Ensure that a copy of the police report is kept in the customer’s file.
Complete a Skip/Stolen/Hard Account worksheet/activity sheet to properly document the
information.
Follow up with the police officer assigned to this case; then document the worksheet with any
leads or new information learned.
Remember:
This is likely a very emotional time for our customer; if he does not have coverage, he will likely
be even more upset. Help to protect your customers by selling the BestCare Plus or waiver
programs during every contact with customers not currently enrolled.
NOTE: Store managers must personally begin working all accounts 4 days per week once they
become 30 days past due, regardless of category (HA, SK, or ST). New worksheet/activity
sheets must be completed to document all efforts.
Customers pay only one “club” fee although the information prints for each agreement. YOU
MUST ADD TAX when collecting a club payment.
Skip / Hard Account Worksheet and Skip, Stolen, and Hard Account Activity Sheet
This is a two-sided document used to document information and activity concerning accounts in these
categories so that we can work them more efficiently. Completed worksheets must remain in the
customer’s file, attached as identified on the instructions provided on the worksheet.
It is the responsibility of the credit manager to complete these forms for all accounts identified in these
categories, ensuring that all information remains current and that all leads receive the appropriate follow-
up. These accounts are defined as follows:
Hard Accounts—Customers unresponsive or indifferent to repeated communications regarding their
account. We have determined that the product remains in their possession, at the address identified on
the agreement; we just cannot get them to make a payment or return the merchandise.
Skip Accounts—these are customers we cannot locate; they have moved with the merchandise from
the most current address on file. If an account cannot be resolved after the proper legwork (check with
neighbors, call at work, etc.), these accounts are to be immediately discussed with the store manager to
determine continued activity. Although you want to resolve these accounts as quickly as possible, be
discreet and give the customer the benefit of the doubt; it is possible that he just failed to mention that
he moved.
Stolen Accounts—these customers report the rental merchandise as stolen to the police and to
Bestway. The customer is responsible to report the theft of the rental property to the police and obtain a
report. Once the report is received, it is placed in the customer’s file. These files must then be discussed
with the store manager to determine continued activity. If the customer fails to file a police report, these
accounts should be worked as “hard accounts.”
Bestway Rental, Inc. © 2013 Version Jan 15, 2014 Page 39 of 51
Note: Police reports must identify the theft as “forced entry/locked property” in order for any waiver or
BestCare Plus benefits to apply. In addition, all rental payments must have been current at the time of
the loss. You must begin this worksheet immediately upon determining that an account falls
within any of these categories. Work these accounts daily until resolved , reporting each day’s
actions to the store manager.
The store manager will personally work all accounts 30 days or more past due, starting a new
worksheet and referencing the old one. She will work daily until all such accounts are cleared.
This worksheet must be completed to document the actions performed to obtain additional information
and develop new leads for resolving all accounts identified as “Skip” and “Hard Account .” Write down
every detail, no matter how small; this is a tool for communicating with other employees that may be
working the account.
This worksheet must be completed for all “skip” accounts as soon as that determination is made.
It must also be completed for all “hard accounts” as soon as the agreement becomes 14 days or
more past due if the customer has not committed to pay.
Review the list with your store manager prior to performing any of the actions listed, to determine
which will enable us to comply with all local, state, and federal laws.
Document each action taken and the date is it completed (including service calls). Also, include
copies of any correspondence in the customer’s file (Accurint, certified mail receipts, collection
letter, attorney letter, etc.).
Specifically state any information obtained while working these accounts on side 2 (employer,
landlord, references, etc.).
This activity sheet must be completed to consolidate the customer, product, and agreement
information; and to document all activity completed for these types of accounts.
Complete the top part of the activity sheet to document all information, ensuring that the account
is properly classified.
Document the date of contact and the name and phone number of each person contacted.
State the specific information that you obtain from each activity or contact. Use an additional
activity sheet if necessary.
Ensure that you update the activity sheet, and the customer’s computer record, with all new
information obtained and results achieved.
Remember that communication with our customers is everything! It starts when they first come into the store
to rent an item, and continues with each and every rental payment they make. Proper and professional
communication will prevent many collection problems from ever developing.
Place In File
If phone calls and credit runs fail to produce the results necessary for resolving past due accounts, it
is the credit manager’s responsibility to mail collection letters to those customers.
Often, these letters communicate to the customer the seriousness of the situation and can encourage
them to amicably resolve the account.
Written correspondence from the store regarding past due accounts is restricted to the use of these
letters. Stores are not permitted to “create” letters.
Remember:
Copies of all 7–13 and 14+ letters (with “certified” receipts attached) must be placed in those
customer’s files to properly document our efforts.
Accounts identified as “Skip,” “Stolen,” or “Hard Account” must be flagged as such in the system
as soon as that determination is made (the Computer Operations section outlines how). The credit
manager must immediately begin both the Skip/Hard Account worksheet and the Skip/Stolen/Hard
Account activity sheet for those accounts.
A collection letter in a customer’s file (active or inactive) does not necessarily disqualify a
customer from opening a new Bestway account. Customer situations and circumstances ch ange.
However, we must ensure that past problems were appropriately resolved before a new account is
opened, to avoid repeating past issues.
The Bestway route card is identified in the High Touch system as a past due card. The route card
provides the employee with the information necessary, when contacting the customer, to discuss an
appropriate resolution to a past due account, or to assist in credit runs for renewals or service calls. A
field sheet can also be used for these purposes.
Cards should be generated in the system to allow for the proper execution of the credit program as
defined. It is important to remember that customers may have more than one card to identify multiple
past due accounts.
Route cards and field sheets can also be generated on demand as needed.
The following provides an example and explanation of the past due / route card.
Note: Although past due cards and field sheets will identify that a customer has a past due
BestCare Plus payment due, the system does not generate a past due card or a field sheet
for BestCare Plus accounts. Employees must also remember to collect any applicable
taxes due for a BestCare Plus payment.
As outlined in the credit program, past due cards are used to contact customers by phone concerning
past due payments. However, because employees in the field do not have access to the computer or the
customer’s file, the field sheet is a better alternative when making credit runs for renewals, returns, and
service calls.
Field sheets are generated on demand; the Computer Operations guide provides systematic instructions.
The field sheet provides additional information that is not available on the past due card.
Information for more than one account will print on the same page.
The early purchase option is provided for each agreement.
Specific information concerning the customer’s employment is available.
A sample field sheet is illustrated below. The following page provides an overview of the information
provided.
1. The route number and the name of the employee assigned to that route.
2. The date and time the field sheet was generated from the system.
3. The names, address, and contact numbers for the customer(s).
4. The code from a local street map to assist in locating the customer’s home.
5. Specific information concerning the customer’s employment.
6. Includes all “customer comment" information from line 13 of the customer’s computer record. It
is an excellent place to include notes for the person that will be conducting the credit run; there
is more space here than on the “memo” lines. Just ensure that the information is revised as
needed to ensure that it is current.
7. This is “memo” information, which includes the info from line 9 of the customer’s computer
record and the name of the person who referred this customer to Bestway (if applicable).
8. Names and phone numbers for the customer’s references.
9. Information for all past due agreements begins here.
10. The rental agreement number.
11. The date the agreement was opened.
12. A snapshot of the customer’s history of past due payments; identifies the number of times the
customer has been past due in each category.
13. The date the agreement is due to payout.
14. The information for the merchandise on rent to the customer.
15. The rental rates for the agreement. These totals include waiver and sales tax.
16. The current EPO amount for this agreement. The total includes sales tax.
17. The total IHC fee due, including tax, if payment is received at the customer’s home.
18. The current status of the account and the payment mode for the agreement.
19. A record of the most recent payments, broken down by category (rent, fees, other).
20. The next due date after payment was processed.
21. Any free time awarded at the time of the payment.
22. The number of days past due when payment was processed.
23. The location where the payment was posted.
24. The type of payment collected (store, route, drop).
25. The method of payment (cash, credit).
26. Provides information for accounts not currently past due.
27. Provides information for any fees that were not paid at the time they were due.
28. The total calls made to this customer.
29. The information concerning any commitments made by the customer.
Note: Because Bestway does not use the High Touch system to document customer calls
and commitments, information will not be identified on lines 28 and 29.
While assisting the customer to ownership, we must stay in contact with them. If we are unable to
contact them by phone, a “run” will be necessary. Some customers will get embarrassed or upset that
we are at their home, and we need to remember that. Always be professional with the customer, but a
commitment is not an option at this point. If the customer is willing to pay , we need to obtain all new
information. New numbers for home, work, and personal references. An IHC (in home collection) fee
must also be applied. If the customer is unable to make the correct payment to get them to their pay
date, then a return must happen. Although some customers will say they cannot let you pick up the
merchandise at this time, you must stay professional while persistently reminding the customer of the
agreement he has, with the lifetime reinstatement. Persistence beats resistance.
The vast majority of all past due accounts must be resolved by phone.
Once we have attempted unsuccessfully to contact all customers listed on the past due cards report by
phone during the required call-throughs, both at home and at work, we will need to schedule a credit run
to their home.
It is the credit manager’s responsibility to prioritize these accounts by reviewing all customer
information, making the decision as to “who to run and when,” and planning these activities with those
currently scheduled on the P.U.S.H.
Remember:
Prior to performing credit runs, you must generate and print individual field sheet(s) for each
customer. (The Computer Operations section outlines how.) Never use a past due cards report
during a visit.
Never accept a commitment in the field without prior approval from the store manager; and
always leave these customers’ homes with a new phone number where they can be contacted in
the future.
Always complete a hand receipt to document merchandise returned or payments accepted.
Never accept a check as payment during a visit. All hand receipts must be signed by the
customer and initialed by the worker accepting payment.
To ensure that we are both effective and efficient, we must consider all of the following to review and
prioritize each customer before scheduling a credit run:
What is this customer’s payment history? Look at the payment histories and the work
completed on the past due cards report. Is it urgent that we contact this customer right away?
Has she paid a few days late in the past? Have we recently made a credit run, confirming she still
lives at the address and leaving a door tag to ask her to contact the store?
When is she likely to be home? Remember that our goal during a credit run is to resolve the
account; we cannot do this if she is not home. Check the order form to understand her work
schedule.
Do we have a delivery or service call planned in her area? Visiting the same area of our
market at different times of the day is not an efficient use of our time. Review the P.U.S.H . and
consult the street map.
Once we have planned our credit runs and scheduled them to be completed during our deliveries and
service calls, we will want to further ensure efficiency in our schedule by adopting the right turn
philosophy.
Remember:
Properly document every credit run to each customer on the past due cards report.
If you make the decision to accept payment from a customer during a credit run, collect the IHC
fee in addition to the payment due and the late fees accumulated. This will l ikely serve as an
incentive for the customer to make future payments on time and in the store.
Because servicing our new and current customers is our priority, “runs” are not scheduled for
Saturdays unless we have solid leads and information to suggest that the customer will be more
likely to be home on this day.
Door Tag
To ensure that we properly communicate with our customers who are not home at the time of a credit
run (past due payment, deliveries, service calls, etc.), it is Bestway’s policy to leave a door tag letting the
customer know that we visited his home.
It is the responsibility of the employee making the credit run to ensure that we leave this message at the
customer’s home. Never leave more than one door tag on the same day.
Spaces are provided for employees to complete the date, time of their visit, as well as their name, and
store phone number. Never add additional information to a door tag.
Remember:
Because these become dirty and discolored when left in our vehicles, take only as many door
tags as you need from the store each day.
Ensure that door tags are secure; we do not want our customers to find our “message” in the yard
or have it become lost. Never leave a door tag in/on a mailbox.
Charged-Off Accounts
The store manager must begin working all accounts 30 days or more past due, and those for
which all leads have been exhausted on a daily basis.
Each month, all accounts that we have made every effort to collect payment or recover merchandise on
are submitted to the district manager for charge off. These are processed as follows:
Any account that is past due must be submitted and appropriately “flagged” in the system
(SK/ST/HA). Ex. In August, May’s past dues would need to be “charged off.”
Charge-offs are completed on the first working day of each month by the district manager.
Once charge-offs have been processed, the store manager will identify the potential charge-offs
for next month (those two months ago will need to be moved over) and properly “flag” them in the
system for identification.
Ex. In August, June’s charge-off accounts would be moved over.
The remaining value of each unit charged off is charged as an expense to the store.
If the account has been charged off as a “Skip” or “Hard Account” and the account is not
awaiting judgment through the legal system, the following information must be submitted to the
home office so that any continued collections activities can be properly completed:
The original customer file must be submitted to Home Office each month in the designated charge off
packet that is sent to the store monthly.
Attorney Letters
Bestway retains “home office-approved attorneys” for the purpose of communicating to a customer
whose account is at a critical level and must be resolved immediately to circumvent any additional
outside collections activity she may wish to avoid (civil/criminal court proceedings). Only a “home
office-approved” attorney can be used. Specific information, as well as the necessary forms to
execute this action, can be obtained by contacting the home office.
Remember:
The form to request these “demand letters” from the attorney must be completed by the store and
submitted to the attorney retained in your area.
Any customer documents required by the attorney must be copies; originals must always
remain in the customer’s file.
Stores are charged a flat fee per letter and are copied with the actual correspondence to the
customer from the attorney, which should then be placed in the customer’s file.
Because these are “direct billed,” a copy of all requests to the attorney must be kept in the store’s
P&L review file.
Only one letter per customer account.
Consistently Achieve Monday Open, Thursday Close, and Saturday Close Standards
Ensure that all employees understand the proper execution of the credit program.
Ensure that all employees understand how to properly execute the necessary tasks for
completion of the credit minutes.
Ensure that all employees are proficient in explaining the rental agreement.
Provide superior customer service. Deliver merchandise that meets or exceeds expectations,
and deliver it on time. Respond to all customer service calls within 24 hours.
Contact all past due customers (either by phone or credit run) by the close of business on
Tuesday.
Ensure that all employees understand and practice the following four basic principles:
o Maintain or increase the customer’s self-esteem.
o Listen and respond with understanding.
o Ask the customer for help in solving the problem.
o Thank the customer with a sincere smile.
Update customer information with each contact (phone calls, accepting payments, etc.).
Ensure that all rental orders are properly completed and verified and maintain proper file flow.
Set daily and weekly goals to ensure that credit standards are met.
Collect all fees due.
Ensure that employees performing credit calls are solving problems with a sense of urgency—
asking the customer when they will able to pay again and then ensuring that the proper next
due date is set.
Obtain management approval on all commitments past Wednesday.
Reiterate the terms of the rental agreement to customers who are consistently late.
Credit manager: Meet with the store manager after each call-through to ensure proper
commitments and problem solving and to ensure that we are on track for achieving daily
goals.