Collector - May 2018 - 6
INDUSTRYNEWS COMMUNITY Jeff DiMatteo Talks the Ins and Outs of Working in the Collection Industry J eff DiMatteo, president of American Profit Recovery in Marlborough, Mass., offered his perspective on the debt collection industry and how collectors work with consumers and clients in a comprehensive interview with author David Greenwood on "Overcoming Distractions: The Podcast." "Jeff is a great resource to actually teach you how to get out of debt and to actually work with a collector if they actually call," Greenwood said. "Many people are just prone to ignoring those calls from a debt collector and Jeff is going to teach you how to actually pick up the phone and work it out so everybody wins." DiMatteo and Greenwood also discussed reasons consumers get into debt, the process of working with a collector, why it is important to communicate with your creditors, resources available to help those in debt and the industry's community involvement efforts. "We do a lot," DiMatteo said. "In the industry there is so much [community 6 involvement] that goes on. It's partly giving back to the community; it's partly having a great place to work. Being a collection specialist is not an easy job ... so we try to make it a great place to work." DiMatteo pointed out that debt collectors work with consumers as much as creditors to resolve an account. Communication is critical to all sides, he said, adding that debt can be stressful for consumers as in many cases they are not purposefully trying to avoid paying a debt. But if consumers know their rights and communicate with a debt collector, together they can work out a solution. "We try to step in and help, and see how we can help them get the debt resolved," DiMatteo said. The result of that approach to working with consumers is appreciation, he said. "It's amazing how every single day we get so many people actually thanking us," DiMatteo said. Listen to DiMatteo's complete interview here: http://bit.ly/2oGf1cw. ACAINTERNATIONAL.ORG