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Activities ... Collections ...Generate Past Due Notices
Activities ... Collections ...Distribute Past Due Notices
Activities ... Collections ...Customize Past Due Templates
About Collections
Collection Statements (also called Past Due Notices) can be issued when accounts fall delinquent. You can set up predefined templates which specify the wording on notices to be sent to customers who are in various stages of non-payment. The program will select the accounts which qualify, and after confirmation, post any collection charges and print the notices for distribution.
In this Topic
| Past Due Templates
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| Field by Field Help - Past Due Templates
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| Field by Field Help - Past Due Criteria screen
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| Posting Past Due Notices
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| Distributing Past Due Notices
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| Field by Field Help - Distribute Past Due Notices screen
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| Q & A - Collections
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Related Topics
2.10 How to Use Activities
7.8 Finance Charges
5.6 Bad Debt Write-Off
7.7 Statement Processing
Using Collections
| 1) | If necessary, select the Past Due Templates menu option to create a Past Due Template to define the message to be sent.
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| 2) | Select the Collections menu option.
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| 3) | Click the Build List button to enter past due criteria.
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| 4) | Verify list of notices to be posted. Delete items if necessary.
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| 5) | Click the Post button to post notices.
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| 6) | Select the Distribute Past Due Notices menu option.
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| 7) | Click the Distribute button to select distribution criteria.
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Past Due Templates
Past Due Templates are used to preformat the message that will be sent to a set of customers. These templates are usually written in letter-style format, but can contain any information you wish. The template controls the text portion of the past due notice that is created. This text is printed on a professional form, containing balance and customer information, for each customer selected.
The user may create as many templates as desired. One template should be created for each message that will be sent to customers.
Field by Field Help - Past Due Templates
Template ID
Displays the sequential, internally-generated ID number used to identify this template's message. This value must be unique for each template created.
Description
Enter a description of the template, for informational purposes. This value will not appear on the past due document, and is used when selecting templates.
Message Text
Enter the message to appear on the past due notice.
Field by Field Help - Past Due Criteria screen
Begin Building List
Click this button to accept the entered criteria and begin building a list of past due customers.
Billing Group
Select or enter a billing group. This value will determine which customers will be selected.
Select Past Due Range
Check the boxes that contain the past due groups for which notices will be created. These values will determine which customers will be selected. A customer will be selected, if the account contains a balance in any of the range(s) selected.
Specific Customer Class Code(s) to Qualify
When processing selected class codes only, enter the Class Code(s) here. Multiple class codes can be entered individually, separated by commas; or in ranges, separated by hyphens.
 | Suppose you wish to distribute notices for class codes 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. You could simply type the following into the Customer Class Code(s) field: 1,4-7
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Specific Location to Qualify
Select or enter a specific location that customers should be chosen from. Leave this value blank to search from all locations.
Minimum Invoice(s) Balance to Qualify
Specify the least amount which must be past due on a particular invoice for that invoice to be selected for processing.
Collection Fee to Charge Past Due Customer
Enter the dollar amount to be charged to each customer receiving a past due statement. This amount will be posted using the internal "COLLFEE" SKU item.
Maximum dunning notices to send to Customer
Select the number of notices that a customer should receive in total from the company. Each time a customer receives a past due notice, a counter on their customer record (which is not visible to the user) will increase by one. If the counter stored in the customer record exceeds the maximum selected here, then that customer will not receive a past due notice. This counter will be reset when the customer is selected for normal statement processing.
Apply selection criteria to active / inactive customers
Select whether the program should select active or inactive customers. If both values are selected, the program will select both types of customers.
Posting Past Due Notices
The next step in creating past due notices is to post the notices which have been selected. Click the Post button provided and the program will update the customer records for the notices created, and create collection fee invoices.
 | Like most other posting processes, past due notice posting is irreversible. In the event of power failure or computer lockup during posting, re-attempt the posting process again to finish the process.
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Use SuperSpeed Posting for Very Large Databases
When checked, speeds up the posting process by using more memory and system/network resources. This option is recommended for larger databases and/or during times of light system usage.
Distributing Past Due Notices
The final step in the collection process is to distribute the past due notices. The notices can be distributed by printing the selected form type, or sending the output to a file for third party/other distribution. This file can also be sent to a collection agency for collection purposes.
Field by Field Help - Distribute Past Due Notices screen
Identification Fields
Billing Group
Displays the billing group for which the notices were processed.
Due Date
Displays the date that any collection fee invoices will be due.
Distribution Method
The fields in this section determine how the notices will be distributed.
Method to Use
Select the method of distribution to be used to distribute the past due notices.
| Print the notices on your printer.
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| File | Send the notice information to a file, for use via third party/other distribution
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| Send the notices via e-mail.
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Format Type
Select the format type that the program should use to print notices. This field will be active only if the print method is chosen.
Template ID for 1st/2nd/3rd notice
Select or enter the template ID for the message to be sent on these past due notices for those receiving their first, second, or third past due notice.
Disk Filename
Enter the full path and file name (i.e. C:\Intellisoft\MMWIN\PASTDUE.TXT) for the output file to be created. This field will be active only if the file method is chosen.
Print Preview
When checked, allows the notices to be previewed on screen prior to printing.
Sort Distribution List by Zip Code
When checked, the program will sort the distribution by zip code instead of account number.
Starting/Ending Account Number
If distributing past due notices to a range of account numbers, enter or select the beginning and ending account numbers in the range here.
Customer Class Code(s)
When distributing selected class codes only, enter the class code(s) here. Multiple class codes can be entered individually, separated by commas; or in ranges, separated by hyphens.
| Suppose you wish to distribute notices for class codes 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. You could simply type the following into the Customer Class Codes field: 1,4-7
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When distributing for one location only, select or enter that location number here.
Buttons
Accept Window
Click this button to accept the criteria and distribute the past due notices.
Close this window
Click this button to discard changes and return to the previous window.
Q & A - Collections
Q01. I need a printed report containing information to be sent to a collection agency. What information prints out in your collection report?
A01. The collection report contains the customer's account number, location number, name, address, driver's license number, social security number, date of birth, home and work telephone numbers, the number of prior past due notices they have received from your company, past due balance, and total balance. These bits of information will be blank if no information was entered in the first place, however.
Q02. Can I easily track what I have recovered through collections?
A02. Yes. Since the debt is still shown as outstanding in your customer's account, a simple payment from the collections company or from the customer themselves will still be able to post to the account.
Q03. If I am distributing the past due notices to a file for the collection agency, what information will be included in the file?
A03. In the ASCII text file that is created, you will find the account and balance information, your company information, customer name and the message you created for the past due template. You can optionally use the File Export Module to select the fields you want exported.
Q04. I don't see my question here. Where else can I get information?
A04. Visit our website's Technical Support section.
