When your business needs to make a call to get invoices paid, make sure your accounts receivable and collections specialists are using the right language and abilities. Successful calls are handled by skilled collections specialists with the qualities of persistence, confidence, great listening skills, and training. When emails aren't bringing those late payments current, these call script examples may help.
Call Scripts for Successful A/R and Collections Specialists.
Be Prepared to Make That Call
Before picking up the phone, specialists must be prepared with all they'll need to successfully handle any pushback from customers. This begins with getting in the right frame of mind and not taking the non-payment personally. Remember that collecting what's owed isn't personal, it's necessary.
Collecting receivables also requires documenting any correspondence to prove that the customer said they would pay so the specialist must be prepared to take notes. Other information necessary for the call are contracts, invoices, communication notes, and reports on other attempts to collect. With all of this in mind, the goal of these call scripts is to resolve any payment disputes and nail down an expected payment plan.
The Invoice is Missing or Wrong
Often, invoices aren't paid because they haven't received the invoice or they have questions about what they owe. These calls can usually be resolved quickly.
"I apologize that you have not received the invoice. I can resend it right away. Can I please verify your email address is xxx@xxx.com and your mailing address is..."
"I see we've been sending invoices to that address (or email address). Can you verify that they haven't been marked as spam or been misplaced?"
"Now that you've seen the invoice, can I please verify that you can make payment now over the phone?"
"If you're unable to pay now, when can we expect payment? Great, thank you for confirming. (Repeat the payment information back to the customer.)"
If they have a dispute about what they owe, the dispute may be handled over the phone or the initial sales team may need to get involved.
"You have some questions about the invoice. Can you be more specific?"
"Thank you for clarifying. We can take a look at this and get a corrected invoice to you as soon as possible. I'll be back in touch in the next (quantity) hour(s)."
Or, if the invoice is correct...
"Ah, I see where there might be some confusion. (Explain why the invoice is correct.) I will see if we can make the invoice more clear in the future. For now, the total remains past due. Will you be resolving this amount due today over the phone?"
The Invoice is in a Holding Pattern
When the invoice requires approval or an executive's signature on a check, payment may be delayed. If this is the case, the accounts receivable specialist may need to work with the credit manager to change the customer's payment terms.
"I see that the invoice was sent to your company on (date) and remains unpaid as of today's date. Can you provide the status of the payment?"
"I understand that the late payment is out of your control. Is there someone that you or I could escalate this to so that payment could be made today?"
"I appreciate your attempts to escalate this as it is past due and could (cost more due to a late fee or affect services or goods provided). If anyone has any questions about it, please have them reach out to me at (phone or email)."
The Invoice was Forgotten or Already Paid
The lucky A/R or collections specialist will occasionally talk to a customer who is willing and able to pay! They may have paid already and it wasn't received yet or they may have forgotten to pay.
"I see that your payments have been on time until this month. I wanted to verify that you've received the invoice or if you've already sent payment."
"You've already paid? Great! Can you please verify when payment was sent? It's possible that it simply hasn't been marked as paid in our system. I appreciate your time. "
"Oh you were not in the office last week? No problem, I can take payment over the phone right now so you can mark it off of your to-do list."
"I understand. I can make a note in my system that you've forgotten and will send payment on (date). Thanks so much for your time."
The Invoice and the Language Are Both Important
As all of the above reveals, both the invoice and the language are important to the success of the phone call. The invoice must provide all of the information necessary for the customer to understand what they're paying, why they're paying, and how. Plus, it can't be overstated that the invoice must be sent to the correct contact person with clear payment terms.
The language is brief and precise and never accusatory or angry. The successful A/R & collections specialist will be understanding and patient with the singular goal of getting the invoice paid.
If these call scripts are unsuccessful, it may be time to fire the client and/or send the accounts to a third-party collections agency like Enterprise Recovery. Enterprise Recovery can handle a single invoice or multiple invoices from accounts receivable clean up to legal services. Learn more about our services by clicking the button below.
