A day in the life of a Utility Field Collections Officer

The role of a field collections officer (FCO) in the utility sector is often perceived in a negative light. When thinking of debt collection, it’s not uncommon to imagine aggressive or intimidating collectors harassing customers.

In fact, our own research has found that 50% of consumers feel they have been harassed during collections processes, while 48% say they've experienced overly aggressive collection techniques.

However, despite these perceptions, the modern role of an FCO is actually very different to the one you might imagine, and is much closer to that of a customer engagement and support function. Indeed, many people who choose to move into the job are actually from a customer service background and enjoy engaging people.

The role of an FCO
Today’s field collections officer is required to offer guidance to those in debt and help them get back on their feet, rather than to simply chase customer arrears. FCO’s, in particular, support those with affordability concerns, or who may be in circumstances of vulnerability.

Our field officers engage with 600,000 customers every year and dealing with that many people, with many varying issues, means that no two days are ever the same. Every face-to-face visit our FCO’s make is unique, as people’s circumstances will differ greatly. From carrying out pre-disconnection visits, identifying vulnerable customers, investigating theft or meter tampering to executing pre-payment meter warrants, the range of skills needed by today's field officer is vast. While debt collection remains a key aspect of the role, it is now just one part of the job and officers must also have excellent customer service skills, be sympathetic to customer expectations and vulnerabilities, and be able to act in a debt advisory capacity for those customers in need.

There was a school of thought in the debt industry that every visit could be split into one of two categories – those who can’t pay and those who won’t pay. In our opinion, that’s not a theory which produces good results. You can engage with your customer base far more effectively by listening to the unique story they have to tell. In fact I’d go as far as to say that listening to your customers is arguably among the most important parts of the role.

Many of them, however, are going through short-term struggles. For example, due to a change in personal circumstance, and in these cases offering accessible support is vital.

This is when the importance of great customer service skills comes into play and field officers must be capable of dealing with often challenging and difficult circumstances effectively, while remaining sensitive to the individual needs of the customer.

We never forget that customers are the lifeblood of any business. When we do need to undertake a doorstep visit, we don’t see it as a negative action, but rather as a way we can help our clients identify and engage with customers with vulnerability and affordability issues. These visits also help us to reconnect with customers who might not have been in touch for a while, and they have been found to increase the likelihood of timely repayment in full or via an affordable and sustainable payment plan with around one in two customers.

Helping vulnerable customers
When we knock on a door we never know what we’re going to come across, and the first piece of advice we give our teams is to ‘always expect the unexpected’. Many of the people we visit are dealing with difficult circumstances which are no fault of their own, and our first priority is to identify these more vulnerable cases and provide tailored support however we can.

This means reviewing their personal circumstances, including income and expenditure assessments, and working out the best course of action for the individual customer. Understanding a customer’s personal circumstances is something we do before taking any action because it is the only way we know if the action will work.

A great recent example of the work our field collection officers carry out was during a pre-payment meter warrant execution where once on site, our officer identified the customer was living with bi-polar disorder. Initially she was distressed seeing an FCO at the door but by identifying this early, the officer was able to calm the situation and talk with the customer about the best solution for her.

By understanding her personal circumstances, we were able to find an appropriate solution, enabling the customer to pay off her debt bit by bit at the same time as she paid for the gas and electricity she used. By the time the officer left, the lady expressed her gratitude and thanks how the situation was handled.

Customer service is key
Ultimately the aim of every FCO is to engage with customers and provide the appropriate level of support for the individual circumstance.

Being able to listen to customers and having the communication and people skills to deal with each case with empathy and patience are therefore the essential skills for the role.

The best debt recovery strategies will always be formed with the customer in mind, making sure that any dealings are done in a fair and ethical manner. This is particularly true in cases of pre-payment warrant executions and dealing with sensitive customer circumstances. At this stage it is likely the customer will be in a state of some distress and being able to bring expert customer service skills into the scenario can be the difference between a smooth case and an escalating situation.

If businesses and FCOs keep the customer’s needs front of mind, not only will they enjoy stronger relationships with a more engaged customer base, but they will find that their customers are both more willing and able to pay off their debts in a fair and appropriate manner.

Lloyd.