Occupation

Bill and Account Collectors

Human Advantage 69%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
4.2 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

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.

Also Known As: Account Receivable Associate, Account Representative, Account Service Representative, Accounts Collector, Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist), Bad Credit Collector, Bill Collector, Billing Representative +37 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
  2. Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
  3. Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
  4. Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
  5. Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
  6. Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
  7. Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.
  8. 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.
  9. Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts.
  10. Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.
  11. Notify credit departments, order merchandise repossession or service disconnection, and turn over account records to attorneys when customers fail to respond to collection attempts.
  12. Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
  13. Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.

Supplemental Tasks (2)

  1. Contact insurance companies to check on status of claims payments and write appeal letters for denial on claims.
  2. Negotiate credit extensions when necessary.

Education & Training

Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
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.
On-the-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.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
48%
Some College Courses
27%
Bachelor's Degree
21%
Less than a High School Diploma
2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
1%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software

Software (43)

  • ADP Drive DMS for Accounting
  • ADS Advantage
  • Adtec Agency Manager
  • Austin Logistics CallSelect
  • CU Connect processing software
  • Collection Data Systems CollectOne-Tiger
  • Columbia Ultimate Archive
  • Columbia Ultimate RPCS
  • Columbia Ultimate Remit
  • Data-Tel Ceasar
  • Debt account management and collection software
  • Diagnostic and procedural coding software
  • Document management system software
  • HMS
  • Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
  • Internet browser software
  • LexisNexis
  • LexisNexis Banko
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • NetSuite ERP
  • Ontario Systems FACS
  • Optical character recognition OCR software
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Quantrax Intelec
  • Relational database software
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Spreadsheet software
  • System Innovators
  • TCI XML Credit Interface
  • W3 Data BatchAppend411
  • Web browser software
  • Word processing software

Tools & Equipment (6)

  • Amplified telephones
  • Autodialers
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Predictive dialers
  • Scanners

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Accounting Financial Services

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