Do the right thing, Adviser's and creditors experience of best practice ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Step 5Complaints and feedback from people in debtPeople in debt are ideally placed to commenton the performance of a debt collection practice.Creditors should listen to complaints and addressproblems quickly. Furthermore, if a creditor iscommitted to doing the right thing they shouldvalue feedback from people in debt. Creditorsshould carry out satisfaction surveys with peoplein debt. These people are still residents, tax payersand customers and potential future customersand their views are still important. Advice sector inputDebt advisers are extremely well placed tocomment on creditors’ collections practices.Advisers regularly deal with collections staff andthey see the impact collections practices have ontheir clients on a daily basis. Creditors can engagewith and learn from advisers in a number of ways:• By attending and participating in money advicegroups which are organised by the advice sectorand take place across England and Wales.• By joining a regional discussion forum of theMoney Advice Liaison Group (MALG) which wasset up in 1987 to promote better understandingbetween creditors and advisers.• By regular, direct liaison with the free-to-clientdebt advice sector, which gathers detailedevidence of the problems people indebt experience.A number of creditors have already worked veryclosely with the advice sector to understand andimprove their debt collections practices. Somechanged the wording of a letter; some set updedicated helplines and some set up whole newteams specifically to help advice providers resolveproblems more quickly. Information exchanges with other creditorsIt should also be possible for creditors to share bestpractice with each other, through trade associationsor best practice forums. For example WealdenDistrict Council is part of the Local Authority CivilEnforcement forum. This is an email forum wherelocal authorities can share good practice. 22
Using the information gatheredCreditors have to use the information they gather.But they will only be willing and able to use thisinformation if everyone is committed to theorganisational culture of doing the right thing.Otherwise senior members of staff – those whocan make change – will not be involved in themonitoring process and nothing will happen.Northern Rock took this approach to their recentreview of unsecured debt collection processes.The review was driven by and included membersof the executive committee, and sought input froma number of sources – including the debt advicesector with which Northern Rock now regularlyengages via their dedicated Debt Advice Manager.This high level executive involvement and debtadvice sector input enabled Northern Rock tomake substantial positive changes in a relativelyshort time. We hope other creditors follow theNorthern Rock approach of listening and takingaction after reading this report. 23
Page 5 and 6: Advisers’ experienceof best pract
Page 7 and 8: The right organisational culturethi
Page 9 and 10: The needs and powers of other credi
Page 11 and 12: Targets and incentives areimportant
Page 13 and 14: Using private bailiffsCreditors are
Page 15 and 16: If people in debt can’t see anybe
Page 17 and 18: ReviewsIt is only reasonable that a
Page 19 and 20: Once an arrangement hasbeen set up,
Page 21 and 22: Library photos posed by models: Joh
Page 23: Information should be gatheredfrom
Page 27 and 28: Do you want to be partof the conver

Do the right thing, Adviser's and creditors experience of best practice ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?