A creditor is calling your staff about unpaid bills.

Collection calls have moved beyond the accounts desk

A wholesaler’s receptionist receives repeated calls from a supplier asking when the owner will pay. A caller then tells a warehouse employee that wages might be next to go. The owner is embarrassed and tells staff to hang up on every unknown number. That response risks losing useful account information without addressing either the debt or the caller’s behaviour.

Record what actually happened

Ask the staff member to note the date, caller’s name, company, phone number and words used. Save messages and emails. Distinguish a routine request to reach accounts from disclosure of personal details, threats or misleading statements.

Do not encourage staff to argue about liability. They may have no access to the account and should not be pressured into giving personal information or making a payment promise.

Name an authorised contact

Provide the creditor with one responsible contact, a working email address and a realistic time for a response. Give reception a short instruction for routing calls without discussing the balance.

Check that the nominated person actually responds. A communication protocol works only if it provides a genuine route to deal with the matter; it should not become another way to evade the creditor.

Separate conduct from the account dispute

The ACCC explains limits on debt collection conduct and protection of personal information. Ask for advice on how those rules apply to the particular business, people and communication involved.

Raise a factual complaint with the creditor or collector, attaching the relevant record and stating the change requested. At the same time, reconcile the account or explain the specific dispute through the authorised channel.

Source: ACCC — Debt collection rules

Protect the team’s ability to work

Tell affected staff who will handle further calls and where to send messages. Share only what they need for their role. Do not dismiss a worker’s concern because the underlying bill is legitimate.

If the account cannot be paid, prepare a credible response and seek financial advice. A conduct complaint does not itself resolve the unpaid amount or replace a required legal response.

Give staff a clear route for every call

Preserve factual records of calls and messages.

Nominate a responsive accounts contact.

Address inappropriate conduct and the underlying account separately.

Call CRP today to coordinate support with creditor pressure and an orderly response.