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Looking Ahead
Help gain information on your customers. As a member, their information could help build the database on your customers. It's not just a one-way street. more Info
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A Strange Situation
by Carolyn Thompson, Meadow Gold Dairies
As I was contemplating what to write this month, one of our collectors brought me an unusual situation. We still don't have all the information, but I thought it important enough to start a conversation about it. I will finish it next month when I have the rest of the facts.
We have several customers that are hotels or motels. Their balances are generally small, mostly milk, yogurt, and butter for their guests' continental breakfasts. When an account grows a little more than usual, it prompts a phone call from one of our collectors. This particular hotel is in Wyoming and now had a couple of month's invoices on the account. After several days of no returned phone calls or emails, we were getting a little nervous. A preliminary search has not found any business license for the hotel.
After a couple of days we finally got a gentleman to talk to us at the hotel. He informed us that he's the new owner of the hotel and would be handling all future payments. We told him that since there was a new owner, we would need a new credit application and that his orders would be COD until the new account was set up. He tried to get us to keep shipping saying he would just go to the grocery store for our product. When we pointed out that would be no different than COD with us, he retracted his statement. When we asked if he had information on the old owner's orders, he gave us a name and number. View full article
The Power of Internal Customer Service
by Melissa Mickelsen, CBA, Geneva Rock Products, Inc.
Ron Tillotson said, "Organizations have more to fear from lack of quality internal customer service than from any level of external customer service." The level of internal customer service being practiced within a company has a direct and often profound effect on the quality of external customer service being provided. When employees are providing good internal company service, moral is boosted and productivity increases. Employees are engaged and they take pride in their organization and they pass that on to external customers.
Because the correlation between internal and external customer service is so strong, it is important to continually improve the level of internal customer service that you and others are providing within your organization. The following tips and reminders will help in developing a stronger culture of excellent internal customer service. View full article
November Recap: Change Anything
by Jeni Isbell, CCE, Wasatch Supply Inc.
This month we had the pleasure of welcoming Neil Staker with "People Smart" to ICEL.
He spoke to us about change, and that everyone has the ability to change anything if they go at it the right way. Don't live in "quiet desperation." Make that change that you have always wanted. Here are few examples of why we don't make change a priority: don't feel like it, not a priority, no time, overwhelmed, don't want to, and it's never the right time.
Neil spoke of the six things that must be present to change anything and stick with the change. You must first have personal motivation and the personal ability to change. Then you must have the social motivation and the social ability. Finally, you must possess the structural motivation and structural ability. You can read more about this in the book "Change Anything" by; Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron Mcmillan, and AL Switzler.
What happens if you fail? What are you going to do? Failure is not bad-just learn from your error and try again. How many diets have you tried and which one is the best? The best one is the one that works for you.
Turn bad days into good days!!!!
Have You Tried NACM Collection Services?
NACM has a full service collection department. Trained collectors work to collect your past-due accounts, large or small, as quickly as possible. Our collectors are firm, but fair, with your customers. The primary objective is to collect your money.
NACM collection services include:
10-Day Demand Letter Service
Collection Service
Litigation Service
Online Access to Account Status
More information about NACM Collection Services or contact Scott Lee at 801-433-6106.
Spotlight
Connie Johnson CBF
by Georgette Bevan, CCE
New View video of Connie Johnson, CBF
ICEL welcomes back Connie Johnson, CBF. Connie received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1999, the CBA Designation in 2004, and the CBF in 2006. Connie has been in credit management for 11 years and has served on the ICEL Executive Committee as Historian and Publicity Assistant as well as Chair of the Salt Lake Contractors Group in 2006. Connie is currently working at Cabinetry by Karman.
Connie is dependable, detail oriented, and loves a good challenge. Connie's favorite class was Principles of Business Credit with Susan Archibeque, CCE, Nicholas & Co. Connie stated, "it's a terrific overview of everything you need to know in credit and Susan is such a good teacher."
Connie has one son and 2 granddaughters and loves to read and hike.
The Excellence Newsletter invites ICEL members to write articles for upcoming issues. The articles should be based in business and credit management. Articles containing 350 words or more that are published are eligible for NACM Roadmap and CCE Recertification points.
Articles may be submitted to Georgette by email at GBevan@nacmint.com |
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