In a world that is undergoing economic and social changes, including wars, conflicts. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming more and more challenging to navigate. Financial institutions in these turbulent times face significant challenges, from increased risk factors and a rapidly changing economic landscape to the need for immediate responses to emerging challenges.
The collection industry is not an exception to these difficulties. As it is managing a growing portfolio where the fastest and most effective approach to respond to changes is crucial to minimising the chances of financial loss.
However, the industry is undergoing a significant transformation in the age of digitalisation. The cutting-edge technologies such as cloud-based debt collection applications powered by Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
These innovations are reshaping the customer experience and optimising recovery rates, bringing a new era of efficiency and convenience to debt collection. This allows financial institutions to streamline processes ultimately fostering a healthier portfolio.
A response to evolving customer expectations
Digitalisation is a strategic answer to the changing dynamics of customer preferences. Today’s customers prefer to use digital and self-service channels for communication and to make payment transactions.
( We recommend you read our previous blog post to get an overview of how financial institutions can enhance debt collection effectiveness by addressing their customers through preferred channels).
To address these expectations, debt collection processes are transforming digitally, embracing technologies that enhance efficiency and engagement.
Digital revolution with the power of self-service apps
The era of digitalisation has brought about a significant change in the world. Self-service applications are leading this transformation, serving as key solutions to meet constantly changing customer expectations. These applications give debtors a new level of control over their finances.
Debtors now have real-time access to their finances from anywhere and anytime in the world. They can check balances, view outstanding debts, request payment rearrangements or make part or full payments with just a few simple steps on their devices.
As well as meeting changing customer preferences, this transparency and accessibility can significantly enhance collection rates:
What drives self-service apps?
- Efficiency is in the focus
A major driver for the adoption of self-service applications in debt collection is the significant improvements in efficiency and automated workflows. These applications allow debtors to access and manage their accounts without assistance. That reduces the workload on debt collection teams. Automated workflows streamline repetitive tasks, enabling collection agents to focus on more complex cases that require a personal touch. - On-demand availability
Classic debt collection processes often operate within standard business hours, which limits accessibility for customers with different schedules. Self-service applications break down this limitation by offering 24/7 availability. Debtors can view their account information, make payments or set up payment plans at their convenience, which drives a more customer-centric approach. - Cross-platform application
The state-of-the-art self-service application eliminates the set-up of a new application to the client’s device, making it universally accessible from any web browser. So the customer’s interactions within the application are instantly updated in the collections system. This feature enables collection managers to access detailed and up-to-date information, enabling more effective communication and interactions.
Digital revolution in customer experience
- Live chat to deliver a more engaging customer experience
In the world of debt collection, effective communication is essential. Self-service applications enable this through built-in chat capabilities. Reaching financial institutions through call centres or email can be time-consuming in the modern, fast-moving world.
Live chat provides a seamless solution, allowing customers to receive instant answers from agents. This real-time support improves the customer experience by reducing wait times.
48% of users prefer live chat as their communication channel for managing cases according to The Global State of Customer Service Report. - Virtual bridges are streamlining debt collection
Debt can be a sensitive topic for debtors and some customers prefer to manage their outstanding debts without personal interaction, such as phone calls. Communicating through virtual channels offers a more convenient option as clients navigate their financial difficulties.
Real-time chat is acting as a bridge between digital processes and the personal touch, offering an essential tool that fosters transparency and leads to more efficient debt collection. This ultimately improves the overall satisfaction of customers and willingness the pay. - Hyper-personalised messages
Financial institutions can leverage self-service applications to implement customised communication strategies. These applications enable the sending of automated notifications, reminders and personalised messages to debtors.
For example, debtors can receive instant updates via push notifications on their mobile devices about payment reminders. This functionality increases engagement and results in a more personalised approach to debt collection.
Empowered synergy bridges the gap
The financial industry has been transformed by the introduction of self-service apps. This advancement provides customers with greater convenience and flexibility, while financial institutions benefit from improved collection rates through streamlined and enhanced methods. The combination of digitalisation and self-service apps creates a transparent and effective debt collection environment in today’s digital era.
These tools are efficient, accessible, and personalized, enhancing the debt collection process and creating a positive customer experience. So it is clear that they will play a significant role in the future of debt collection, enabling more efficient and customer-centric debt recovery strategies.
To explore how the transformative combination of digitalization and self-service apps can elevate your debt recovery strategies, schedule a consultation now.