2-way communication

Remember I mentioned that this blog is to ensure 2-way communication between myself and my creditors? So how come I'm the only only talking here?

Well the standard mode of interaction between a collection department and their debtors is 1-way communication : they talk, you listen. They insist and demand, you get all anxious. You put down the phone, you try to do what they told you. You want to let them know that you're done, or that you had problems and... oops! how do i contact them back?!

So you get more anxious. Then they call again. Did you do it na? You did? Very good, keep that up. You didn't do it?! Oh, I have to penalize you unless you do...

And the cycle goes on. There is an active effort to limit communication to 1 direction only, because communication, being heard, is a form of power or at least an equalizer. Without any way for you to contact them, they have taken away your voice. They have taken your power, to ensure you are not on even ground with them.

But like I said, that's the old traditional way of doing it. More banks seem to relaize that the job of their collection groups is to collect, and that threatening and berating your debtors is actually not an effective way to get that done (not to mention all the ill-will it generates for the bank).

I guess it depends on your paradigm of the debtor. If you believe that your debtor is a criminal who will screw you the first chance he/she gets, then I guess you will naturally tend towards the old "I am powerful, you are powerless" model.

I'm sure a certain percentage of your debtors are actually like that. But if you believe that those who are criminals are fewer than the debtors who want to pay to clear their names, then you will approach it more as a problem to be solved along with the debtor, which involves dialogue.

Yes there's a risk - the guy who says all you want to hear but actually does nothing. Aba, when you find out his/her game, dapat lang ipa-sherrif nyo na yan!

But the change is happening quite slowly. So far the collection group that seems to have come the farthest has been Citibank's. When they call nowadays I can sense that they are instructed to help not to hurt. But I still don't have anyone's email from there, only phone numbers. And it's still impossible for me to ge the last name of anyone who works there.