In our data-driven world, it’s no surprise that analytics play a critical role in the success of debt collection efforts. Agencies that aren’t using data are doing themselves a critical disservice. In this blog post, we’ll explore which data points matter most and how they impact performance.

From delinquency rates to payment history, we’ll cover the key metrics that help agencies like Southwest Recovery Services optimize our operations and improve debt collection outcomes on behalf of our customers.

Why data analytics are important in debt collection

Debt is a major problem for many businesses, and data analytics can be a valuable tool in helping to collect outstanding debts. By analyzing data such as customer payment history, businesses can develop more effective debt collection strategies.

For example, data analytics can help to identify customers who are at risk of defaulting on their payments, allowing the business to take steps to recover the debt before it becomes delinquent.

Data analytics can also help businesses to understand why customers are falling behind on their payments, which can be helpful in developing targeted payment plans or other strategies to improve payment rates.

Debt collection agencies also use data analytics to improve their collections efforts. By analyzing the payment patterns of businesses, debt collection agencies can develop more efficient and effective methods for pursuing outstanding debts.

Additionally, data analytics can help debt collection agencies to identify potential red flags that may indicate fraud or other problems with a particular account. As a result, data analytics plays a key role in helping businesses to collect outstanding debts in a more efficient and effective manner.

Which data points matter most?

There are a few key data points that debt collectors need to pay attention to in order to be successful. The first is delinquency rates – this is the percentage of accounts that are past due by a certain number of days.

Agencies need to keep track of this metric so they can identify which customers are at risk of becoming delinquent and take action to prevent that from happening.

One action that debt collectors can take is to develop more effective methods for pursuing outstanding debts. By understanding the payment patterns of businesses, debt collectors can more efficiently target those that are likely to owe money.

Another important data point is payment history – this is the percentage of customers who have made a payment on their account within the last 30, 60, or 90 days. This information can help agencies determine whether or not a customer is likely to repay their debt. For example, an agency might look at a customer’s payment history to determine if they are likely to repay their debt before conducting additional business with them. A customer who has paid within the last 30 days is more likely to continue payments than one who hasn’t paid in the last 90.

Finally, agencies should track total account balances. This metric allows agencies to see how much money they’re owed overall and target their collection efforts accordingly. For example, a medical clinic should track the total account balance for all patients to see how much money is owed to them overall. In addition to the targeted collection, this helps to set benchmarks that can be worked toward for improvement.

How data impacts performance

The data that we’ve discussed above are critical whether you’re pursuing the debt yourself or entrusting that responsibility to a professional. Most accounts don’t start out with the intention of going rogue. It often happens as part of a snowball effect that you could have prevented had you been more aware of consumer behaviors.

Data analytics play a critical role in the success of these debt collection efforts. The data points that agencies need to track vary depending on the business and its goals, but it’s important to have access to as much data as possible in order to optimize operations and improve outcomes. Collection agencies that don’t use data are doing themselves and their customers a critical disservice.

Do you feel like you could be getting more from your past due accounts than you are? Are you feeling spread thin by the low recovery rate of your accounts receivable department? Let us take on those burdens for you. At Southwest Recovery Services, we’ve been helping businesses of all sizes and industries recover what’s rightfully theirs. Contact us today to learn more about your next steps to getting paid quickly!