From: Bayer, Ben (Ben.Bayer@eku.edu)
Date: Thu Feb 15 2001 - 09:05:37 EST
Answers to questions about "In-House Collection Efforts"
1. After several monthly billing invoices we send two collection
letters
approximately a month apart. The first letter expresses to the
student that we are concerned about the account. The second letter
spells out, including numbers, what we intend to do with the account
should we not receive a response from the student.
2. Due to the elapsed period of time we find telephone contacts to be
unsuccessful and basically a waste of time for the limited responses
received. Even coming in on week-ends proves very unproductive.
3. E-mail is something we are only now beginning to explore. So far,
we have had limited success but are hopeful for the future.
4. About performance measures - we are not sure how worthy they are.
I may have the answers to the two sets of questions I received about this
subject matter in reverse so please excuse me.
1. Do you try to collect in-house?
Yes. This is basically answered in 1. above.
2. How long are account active at the school.
Years ago, under a different administration, we would keep account
active for a year or more. Today, we start in-house collection
efforts
after 90 days past due and refer to agencies after six months.
3. Our dolloar threshhold is $100.00 plus.
4. Uncollectable accounts are pursued through as many as three
collection
agencies. Once we have run the table, we give up and write off.
5. Negative effects? Not anything that would give one concern
about
alumni giving.
-----Original Message-----
From: cathy foland [mailto:cfoland@siue.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 6:19 PM
To: bursar-l@virginia.edu
Subject: In-House Collection Efforts
Dear Colleague,
I have a few additional questions that follow the same topic raised by
MaryCatherine Dieterle's earlier email on Past Due Student Accounts. We
are trying to determine the effectiveness of our in-house collection
efforts to see if letters work better than phone calls and how many
attempts do you make before turning over to an external agency. I would
appreciate your responses to the questions below. Thank you for your
time.
1. Do you mail students a collection letter? How many written notices
do you send before referring account to external collection agency?
2. Do you contact student on the telephone? How many phone attempts do
you make?
3. Do you contact students via email? How many emails do you send?
4. Please tell me about any performance measures you have in place to
monitor how effective in-house collection efforts are.
Thank you.
-- Cathy Foland Associate Bursar Office of the Bursar Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Phone: (618) 650-3131 Fax: (618) 650-2971 Email: cfoland@siue.edu
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