Dealing with Difficult Debtors: Screaming and Crying

Is your debtor making business exceptionally difficult to conduct?

Debtors come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. If you’re lucky, your customer will be polite and apologetic. However, it’s more realistic to think that you’ll encounter unpleasant behaviors. Here are two common difficult behaviors:

Screaming

Some debtors can become enraged to the point of screaming at you over the phone. You must remain calm and remember your ultimate goal: to collect payment. Some screamers calm down if you request permission to speak. If the screamer grants you permission, state the case for payment without any sign of emotion or attempt at intimidation. Describe their account balance and make a specific request for payment.

Crying

This type of debtor wants your sympathy and makes every effort to make you feel sorry for them by using illness, divorce, a death in the family, accidents, and other life altering events to pull at your heartstrings. Don’t fall for it!

Remain calm and composed, giving a response like, “I can certainly appreciate how you feel; however, we have business at hand and must resolve this outstanding balance.” You should demonstrate that you listened to what the crier was saying, but at the same time continue demanding payment.

Learn more in our latest article.

Need Help? Enlist Expert Michigan Collection Services!

If trying to collect from you debtor has gotten out of control, it’s time to call in the pros.

The Mullers offer collection services in Michigan, meaning that if you or your debtor are in Michigan, we can help! Call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here to get started. We look forward to taking collections off your plate and getting you the money you’re owed.

Dealing with Difficult Debtors: Arrogance and Selective Memory

Are you having trouble dealing with your debtor’s personality?

You should know the best way to respond to the most common unpleasant personalities in order to get the best outcome out of your collection calls. Here are two of the most frustrating personality traits:

Arrogance

Some debtors think they are a lot smarter than you. In this case, your debtor will offer all sorts of explanations for nonpayment, and may have even convinced themselves that they don’t owe you any money. To keep the call under your control, respond calmly and persistently, point by point, with the facts that refute your debtor’s allegations. Don’t let your temper escalate with each point.

Selective Memory

This debtor claims that they don’t recall making their purchase, and don’t recall making a commitment to paying the bill. Your job is to remind your debtor that commitments were made on specific dates for specific amounts of money. By producing a document for every denial, you can successfully overcome your debtor’s selective memory. This is where keeping detailed documents proves invaluable.

Learn more in our latest article.

Need Help? Enlist Expert Michigan Collection Services!

If trying to collect from you debtor has gotten out of control, it’s time to call in the pros.

The Mullers offer collection services in Michigan, meaning that if you or your debtor are in Michigan, we can help! Call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here to get started. We look forward to taking collections off your plate and getting you the money you’re owed.

Why is it Important to Create Urgency?

Have you sent a reminder to your debtor, and they’re still not paying?

Imagine yourself forgetting to pay a couple of bills before you take a long vacation. One bill is from your doctor, and the other is from your credit card company. When you come home, you’ll probably find two or three reminders – in your mailbox or email and on your voice mail – from your credit card company. Each reminder is sterner than the last, transitioning from polite to insistent. In contrast, your doctor probably hasn’t contacted you at all or perhaps has sent you another statement. By the time your doctor warns you that your account may go to collections, you may have already heard from your credit card company’s law firm.

Credit card companies figured out a long time ago that urgency works. If you’re like most people in this situation, you’ll respond predictably: you’ll pay your credit card bill before you pay your doctor.

Debtors who have more debt than money (most of them) have to set priorities. You are competing with other creditors, and you need to make payment of your bill the debtor’s priority. 

Learn more in our latest article.

Michigan Collection Services You can Rely On

If you’re tired of trying to get ahold of your debtor and you’re looking for reliable collection services in Michigan, you’re in the right place. To get in touch with a collection firm that prioritizes you and your money, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

Beginner's Guide to Payment Reminders

How do you craft effective payment reminders?

When you follow up with your newly delinquent customers, you want to grab their attention. Common techniques for creating urgency include:

• Interest and penalties: Consistent with your credit agreement and state laws, add interest, late fees, or both. Give your debtor the unambiguous message that the consequence of dragging out payment is that they’ll end up having to pay more money.
• Attention-getting words and “big red letters:” It’s corny, but it works. Send notices more often with notations like “urgent” and “past due” on them in red ink. (If you’re dealing with consumer debtors, keep any red ink that suggests the communications for debt collection inside the envelope. You can mark the envelope “urgent,” but save words like “past due” for the printed invoice that you put inside.)
• Frequent reminders: Use a series of collection letters. For pointers on this, check out our guide to writing demand letters.
• Multiple modes of contact: Use different forms of communication to keep your reminders in front of your debtor: email, overnight delivery, telegram, hand delivery, fax, text messages, and even social networking websites – whatever works.
• Making a phone call: If collection letters and similar contacts don’t result in payment, sometimes a phone call will bring in the money.

Learn more in our latest article.

Michigan Collection Services You Can Rely On

If you’re tired of trying to get ahold of your debtor and you’re looking for reliable collection services in Michigan, you’re in the right place. To get in touch with a collection firm that prioritizes you and your money, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

Writing a Demand Letter

How do you craft a demand letter to your debtor?

It may vary depending on the situation, but here are a few pointers you can always count on:

Demand letters should be personal; that is, they should be directed to a specific person and personally signed. Whenever possible, identify a person in the debtor’s company who has the authority to pay you, and send your letter directly to that person; sending letters to the wrong people doesn’t get you anywhere. If your demand letter looks like a form letter or isn’t directed to a real person, it will be treated like a form letter (thrown in the garbage). “To whom it may concern”? If your debtor doesn’t want to pay, nobody’s concerned (except you).

Read more in our latest article.

Take Care of Debtor Communication with Michigan Debt Collection Services

When you use our Michigan-based debt collection services, you don’t have to worry about doing all the communication yourself. We take care of it for you! To get started or ask questions, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here. We look forward to hearing from you!

Intro to Communicating with Debtors

How do you remind a debtor to pay without making them angry?

Effective communication with debtors is hard work. It involves both the art of persuasion and a creative imagination. Think about it: who really wants to pay a debt? Obstinate debtors are a tough audience, yet your job is to persuade them to pay up. So how do you draw your debtor’s attention to your past-due bill and create the desired sense of urgency?

Your demand letter should convey in the clearest possible way that the bill must be paid. The initial demand letter should come across as a friendly reminder so you maintain customer goodwill, and at the same time help you get paid. Remember to make it easy for your debtor to reach you. Include the name and phone number or email address of a contact person at your company so any questions or comments can be easily raised by the debtor and quickly addressed by your company.

Read more in our latest article.

Take Care of Debtor Communication with Michigan Debt Collection Services

When you use our Michigan-based debt collection services, you don’t have to worry about doing all the communication yourself. We take care of it for you! To get started or ask questions, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here. We look forward to hearing from you!

Give Your Debtor Deadlines

How can you get your debtor to stop stalling their payments?

In your communications with the debtor, try this tactic:

Make your objectives known – You expect full payment by or before a specific date. Keep it straightforward. For example: “With the exception of [one or two legitimate disputes] raised on [one or two specific invoices] that I am researching, I expect full payment of the remaining balance of [balance not involved in dispute] by [a specific time]. I’ll have the information back to you on the disputed invoices by a [specific time].” Have your calendar in front of you while you’re on the phone and pick a date a week or so in the future. If full payment isn’t received by the agreed date, you’re dealing with a debtor who is stalling for time and can’t be trusted.

Learn additional collection tactics on our website!

Professional Collection Services in Michigan

Need help with collection services in Michigan?

Muller Law Firm can provide prompt collection services for B2B and B2C businesses, specializing in pre-suit, post-suit, and post-judgment collection.

When you’re looking for collection results, you want a reputable professional who has been doing this work for a long time. With over five decades of legal collections experience, you can count on the attorneys at the law firm of Muller, Muller, Richmond &Harms, P.C., to take aggressive action and to get results for you.

Fill out our contact form or give us a call at (248)645-2440 to get the money you deserve!

Short-Circuiting Debtor Stall Tactics

Do your customers stall with their payments?

If a debtor gets away with stalling on an account, your company ends up footing the bill for any shortfall in cash flow. In a difficult economy, your cash flow may be strained even when your customers pay on time. You must cut the stall tactics short to improve your cash flow and regain control.

Some of the best ways to short-circuit stall tactics are:

Require that disputes be supported by facts – A general allegation that “This invoice just doesn’t seem right” or “There must have been a mistake somewhere on your end” just isn’t sufficient. You can’t resolve that kind of dispute because you have no facts to work with. Make the debtor specify what’s wrong.

Quickly resolve any disputes – Insist that you need to know now what disputes exist, immediately followed up by any documentation the debtor has concerning the disputes. Example: “I hear what you’re saying about an alleged dispute, but I need you to back up your comment with full documentation. Can you fax it to me this afternoon?”

Learn more tactics on our website!

Professional Collection Services in Michigan

Need help with collection services in Michigan?

When you’re looking for collection results, you want a reputable professional who has been doing this work for a long time. With over five decades of legal collections experience, you can count on the attorneys at the law firm of Muller, Muller, Richmond &Harms, P.C., to take aggressive action and to get results for you.

Fill out our contact form or give us a call at (248)645-2440 to get the money you deserve!

Documenting Disappointment for a Paper Trail

Have you been keeping a detailed file on your debtor?

Documenting your disappointment is another aspect to add to the debtor’s file to create a convincing a paper trail.

Suppose you’ve reached an understanding and sent written confirmation to the debtor but haven’t heard anything back – no confirmation, no check, no apology. Send another letter reiterating the debtor’s admission and the agreement, and expressing your disappointment at the fact that the debtor didn’t follow through.

Learn what to do when you receive oral admissions!

Collect with a Collection Company in Birmingham, Michigan 

At Muller, Muller, Richmond, & Harms, P.C., our attorneys specialize in debt collection in Michigan. We can help you build a strategy customized to fit your business needs. We want to ensure you receive the best possible outcome in pursuing your case. 

To protect your creditors’ rights, contact an experienced collection company in Michigan today at (248) 645-2440 for an effective resolution to your collection matters.

Documenting Admissions

Is your delinquent customer ignoring your requests for payment?

Before a debtor commits to payment, you may have to force them to make an admission.

An admission is a statement from the debtor conceding that they owe you money.

Don’t think of getting admissions as a passive process, but rather as an active one. Anytime you’re in contact with your debtor, you’re fishing for admissions – especially written admissions. Take any opportunity to get an admission from your debtor that the money is owed. Hook your debtor and reel them in.

Documenting Oral Admissions

Although your goal is to get a written admission, that’s not always possible. But you can create a paper trail with an oral admission by doing the following:

• Note any oral admission in your records.
• Follow up the oral admission with a note or memo
• Send a confirmation of any oral agreements, and ask the customer to sign and return it

Learn how payments can be considered partial admissions!

Collect with a Collection Company in Birmingham, Michigan 

Since 1961, our top-rated lawyers have been dedicated to professionally and aggressively pursuing the money you’re owed in a straightforward, ethical manner. With offices in Birmingham and Grand Rapids, we handle claims against debtors located in Michigan, even if you are located out of state or out of the country. To protect your creditors’ rights, contact an experienced collection company in Michigan today at (248) 645-2440 for an effective resolution to your collection matters.

What is a Personal Guaranty?

Are your customers asking for an extension of credit?

Are they less than trustworthy?

In the credit industry, when an applicant asks for an extension of credit that isn’t justified based on their net worth, rejection is imminent. One way to extend credit to applicants who fall into this category is to request that the customer obtain a guaranty of payment from either a person or another company. You can incorporate a guaranty into your credit application, or it may be a separate document.

Guaranties come in two forms: guaranty of payment and guaranty of collection or performance. With a guaranty of payment, you can collect payment from the guarantor without first trying to collect from the primary debtor. 

With a guaranty of collection or performance, you must first attempt (and fail) to collect from the primary debtor before you can collect from the guarantor.

You always want a guaranty of payment to collect as quickly as possible.

Learn what to expect from a guaranty on our website!

Collect with One of the Best Collection Companies in Michigan

Looking for other ways to collect?

Muller Law Firm will handle your case with the professional attention it deserves! 

Contact one of the best collection companies in Michigan today at (248)645-2440 for an immediate resolution to your collection matters.

How to Respond to Common Disputes

Do you want to resolve customer disputes quickly?

You’ll need to get the specifics of the complaint. Here’s an example of a common situation:

The customer says: “Your billings are messed up” or “I’ve been overcharged.”

You need to inquire:

• What exactly do they mean? Make inquiries to turn this from a vague complaint to specific objections about specific billings. For example, was the customer billed twice for the same order? Did you forget to credit them for a returned shipment? Was the price of the order misquoted?
• Which invoices are you referring to? Get the information you need to verify the complaint, track down any error, and either fix any wrongdoings or establish that their objection isn’t valid. 

Learn what to do in other common situations!

Collection Services in Michigan

At Muller, Muller, Richmond, & Harms, P.C., our attorneys specialize in debt collection services in Michigan. We can help you build a strategy customized to fit your business needs. We want to ensure you receive the best possible outcome in pursuing your case.

Fill out the information on our “Contact Us” page or give us a call at 248-645-2440 for collection services in Michigan. 

How to Handle Expired Claims

All claims arising from business agreements have an expiration period. Under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), a claim for breach of contract for the sale of goods, the statute of limitations is four years. For commercial sales, the UCC permits parties to reduce the period of limitations to not less than one year, but they may not increase it.

Learn more here!

Make the First Step! Contact a Debt Collector in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of a debt collector in Michigan, your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

What Defenses are Used in Contested Lawsuits?

If your client is raising affirmative defenses, it could stand in the way of you getting paid what you’re owed.

The most common affirmative defenses include:

1. Payment 
2. Satisfaction 
3. Discharge 
4. Release 
5. Fraud 
6. Statute of limitations 
7. Void agreement 
8. Failure of consideration 

Learn more here!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

How to Determine Your Litigation Strategy

If you can’t get paid any other way, it may be time to consider collecting through a lawsuit. Before you jump straight into court, however, get things right by considering the following:

1. The strengths and weaknesses of your claim, and whether you need to settle for less than you want or write off the debt.
2. Whether you should file a lawsuit or instead consider alternative dispute resolution.
3. Who you should name as a defendant in your collections case.
4. What legal theories you should raise against the defendants.

Your goal is to devise the best strategy, right from the start, to achieve the best possible result. 

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Having Trouble Clearing a Check? Call in the Experts!

When a check you deposit doesn’t clear, your bank will return the check to you. The check will have a number of markings on the front and back, indicating when and where it was processed, and that it was rejected because of nonsufficient or insufficient funds. If the customer doesn’t immediately offer to replace the NSF check with a cashier’s check, deposit the same check a second time. 

The second time may be the charm and it may clear. Monitor your account to see if it fails to clear a second time, and if it does, seek debt collection help immediately. It’s time for aggressive action to be taken by the experts at Muller, Muller, Richmond and Harms, P.C. 

If all else fails, call in the experts! Learn more here!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

What You Need to Know Regarding Debt Collection Telephone Call Restrictions

 

The FDCPA imposes some specific restrictions on your collection phone calls to debtors. Follow these guidelines:

• Collection Calls should be made during normal business hours to avoid harassing the debtor.
• Normally, calls should be made between 8a.m. and 9p.m. However, if the debtor indicates in writing that he would prefer to be contacted at another time, then you must respect that request to avoid harassment under the FDCPA.
• If you are told in writing not to contact a debtor at work, you must stop calling.
• Even on the phone, communications governed by the FDCPA must include the warning that you are “a debt collector attempting to collect a debt.”

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Can I File a Claim Against the Deceased Debtor’s Estate?

Yes. When an individual who owes you money dies, you should follow up for collection. You do this by filing a proof of claim with the person’s probate estate in the probate court of the county where the debtor resided. Check with the probate court where the estate was filed, as it may have a standard claim form for creditor’s claims.

Learn more here!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Collection in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Tips to Prepare to Be a Witness in Court

Never been a witness before?

Are you not sure what to expect?

Worried about your testimony?

Here are some tips we recommend to ensure your experience as a trial witness goes smoothly include:

1. Talking to your attorneys before trial can help prepare you for court. They may even be willing to walk you through the testimony itself. 
2. Listen carefully! During a trial, while a defense witness is testifying, it’s helpful to take notes describing your thoughts and observations.
3. Answering questions in court. Some of the questions your attorney may ask may seem unnecessary, but they’re foundation questions that the attorney must ask in order to introduce evidence or to make a particular point to the court.
4. Offering documents into evidence. When introducing evidence, your attorney must follow requirements set forth in court rules and the rules of evidence. Your lawyer may ask you questions intended to lay down a foundation (a legally sufficient basis) for the admission of an exhibit into evidence.
5. Handling cross examination. On cross-examination, an attorney wants to lead you into making admissions that are harmful to your case, to embarrass you, to show that you’re ignorant, incompetent, biased, not to be trusted, and so on. 

Call Experienced Debt Collectors in Michigan Today!

If you’re a business owner, you may decide having a debt collection law firm work on your unpaid invoices is your best choice. That’s an area we specialize in, and we’re happy to discuss your options.

Our attorneys know how to get results for our clients and they’re dedicated to getting a satisfactory outcome. Contact debt collectors in Michigan today at (248) 645-2440 for a free no obligation consultation.

Can you file a lawsuit on expired debt?

Do you have expired claims?

Are you unsure if the statute of limitations has run out?

Are you worried about the consequences of filing a lawsuit on an expired debt?

Consequences of filing a lawsuit on an expired debt include:

Dismissal and sanctions: When a judge realizes that a claim is beyond the statute of limitations, he or she may dismiss the claim on their own initiative or on the motion of the defendant, and may even assess a fine or penalty for starting a suit that has no legal merit. Sometimes the defendant also receives an award of attorney fees.

Counterclaim: As a result of your filing litigation beyond the statute of limitations, the defendant may file a counterclaim for violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or similar state or local consumer protection acts.

A few states forbid collections lawsuits after the limitations period has run so ignoring the limitations period can put you in front of an angry judge.

Call Experienced Debt Collectors in Michigan Today!

If you’re a business owner, you may decide that having a debt collection law firm work on your unpaid invoices is your best choice. That’s an area we specialize in, and we’re happy to discuss your options.

Our attorneys know how to get results for our clients and they’re dedicated to getting a satisfactory outcome. Contact our debt collectors in Michigan today at (248) 645-2440 for a free no obligation consultation.