The Collection Process, from beginning to end, is multi-faceted and involves multiple steps in order to get a person to pay. Any one of the steps may be the key motivator of this process. Here is an outline of the process:

1. A Dunning Notice (Demand For Payment In Full) is sent to the consumer in which they are notified to pay immediately and given information regarding their rights.
2. Telephone calls are made. The Home Phone, Work Phone, Cell Phone, or Spouse’s Phone numbers may be called or a relative or neighbor may, in some cases, be called. These telephone calls are made as long as there is a good contactable phone number for the person.
3. The account is reported to all 3 Major Credit Reporting Agencies and our contact information is included.
4. A 2^nd Dunning Notice is sent after 30 days advising that our efforts have been ignored and we again demand Payment In Full.
5.  A 3^rd Dunning Notice is sent at 6 months advising that all efforts have not been responded to and again demanding payment.
6. Annual Dunning Notices, usually timed near Tax Return time are sent out as a reminder to pay.

 The Collection Agency is due their fee for their efforts regardless of which method is used to entice or coerce payment. An agency obviously hopes that Step 1 is enough but 95% of the cases require some of the additional steps. Additionally the consumer may try to skip this process and pay the original creditor instead. In this case the agency is still entitled to commission as it is based on this sequence of events that finally motivated the person to pay. Because it is hearsay what factor motivated the person all direct pays are assumed to be because of the agency and they will thus bill the client or offset outgoing fees to be paid to cover this.