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Bill and Account Collectors

Bill and Account Collectors

Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Job Training

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Examples

These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.

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

Salary Salary

Salary at 10th Percentile: $26K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $31K
Median Salary: $38K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $47K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $58K

Demand
Career Demand by State Career Demand by State Legend
Core Tasks

Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.

Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.

Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.

Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.

Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.

Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.

Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts.

Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.

Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts.

Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.

Notify credit departments, order merchandise repossession or service disconnection, and turn over account records to attorneys when customers fail to respond to collection attempts.

Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.

Contact insurance companies to check on status of claims payments and write appeal letters for denial on claims.

Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.

Negotiate credit extensions when necessary.

Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Access software
CU Connect processing software
Accounting software
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
Categorization or classification software
Diagnostic and procedural coding software
Customer relationship management CRM software
Microsoft Dynamics
Data base user interface and query software
Relational database software
Document management software
Document management system software
Electronic mail software
Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
SAP
Information retrieval or search software
LexisNexis
Internet browser software
Web browser software
Medical software
MEDITECH software
Office suite software
Microsoft Office
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
Optical character recognition OCR software
Point of sale POS software
System Innovators
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Time accounting software
HMS
Word processing software
Microsoft Word
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Communications Devices and Accessories
Amplified telephones
Computer Equipment and Accessories
Scanners
Data Voice or Multimedia Network Equipment or Platforms and Accessories
Predictive dialers
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
82%
Importance

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service
76%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mathematics
67%
Importance

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Economics and Accounting
66%
Importance

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Law and Government
65%
Importance

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Computers and Electronics
63%
Importance

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Administration and Management
62%
Importance

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Clerical
62%
Importance

Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Production and Processing
47%
Importance

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Communications and Media
45%
Importance

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
78%
Importance

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking
78%
Importance

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Persuasion
68%
Importance

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Social Perceptiveness
68%
Importance

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Writing
65%
Importance

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Critical Thinking
63%
Importance

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension
63%
Importance

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Monitoring
60%
Importance

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Negotiation
60%
Importance

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Service Orientation
60%
Importance

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
75%
Importance

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression
75%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity
73%
Importance

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition
73%
Importance

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Comprehension
73%
Importance

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression
70%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Near Vision
65%
Importance

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Category Flexibility
60%
Importance

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Problem Sensitivity
60%
Importance

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Selective Attention
60%
Importance

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Top 10 Work Activities
Interacting With Computers
84%
Importance

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Documenting/Recording Information
79%
Importance

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
79%
Importance

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
78%
Importance

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
74%
Importance

Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Getting Information
73%
Importance

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
72%
Importance

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Performing Administrative Activities
70%
Importance

Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems
69%
Importance

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
66%
Importance

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Detailed Work Activities

Maintain financial or account records.

Provide notifications to customers or patrons.

Monitor financial information.

Negotiate financial arrangements.

Discuss account status or activity with customers or patrons.

Respond to customer problems or complaints.

Collect deposits, payments or fees.

Obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants.

Interview employees, customers, or others to collect information.

Provide information to coworkers.

Sort mail.

Maintain medical records.

File documents or records.

Work Context
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

Contact With Others

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People

How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

Frequency of Decision Making

How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?

Deal With External Customers

How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Spend Time Sitting

How much does this job require sitting?

Electronic Mail

How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks

How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?

Education
Majors
Major
Finance and Financial Management Services
Interests
Conventional
96%
Importance

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Enterprising
81%
Importance

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Social
34%
Importance

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic
29%
Importance

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative
19%
Importance

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Artistic
15%
Importance

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
88%
Importance

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Attention to Detail
87%
Importance

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability
87%
Importance

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Independence
87%
Importance

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Cooperation
86%
Importance

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Analytical Thinking
85%
Importance

Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Initiative
84%
Importance

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Persistence
84%
Importance

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Self Control
84%
Importance

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Stress Tolerance
82%
Importance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values
Relationships
62%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Support
58%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Achievement
48%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence
43%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Working Conditions
43%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Recognition
34%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.