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Even debts that our clients have written off, and we often succeed in making a satisfactory recovery. How?

Well, there is some magic behind what we do but it isn’t difficult magic to understand. There are three things that we do, that our clients usually do not.

First; we are skilled at skip-tracing. This is looking for where people have gone. Often, when people fail to pay a debt to you, they have also failed to pay many others as well. They then go to ground, drop off social media, and keep a low profile.

The problem is, it is hard to get completely ‘off the grid’. Even the most low-profile individual will leave bread-crumbs if you now where to look, and at Tempest we have spent years knowing where to look. We don’t have access to any secret records, but we do have experienced investigators who know what rocks to look under.

Often, finding the person is all it takes. Once we get the debtor on the phone a resolution comes quickly.

Second, it is all about that phone call. Calling a person who owes you money is not easy. They would rather you didn’t call and, let’s be honest, most of us do not like making that call. Sometimes it is easier to write the debt off than endure the unpleasantness of having a difficult conversation.

But, with practice, these get easier. We understand, and we are very good, at making the debtor feel at ease, in letting them know we are not interested in going over the past, but in working out a solution. We also invest heavily in training. Our staff learn what works, and what will cause the debtor to dis-engage.

Every call with a debtor is a sales call; either they will make a sale and get off the phone without making a commitment to pay, or we will make the sale and get a result. This is a skill. It takes time to develop. These soft skills are valuable.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, we bring a credibility to the process.

If the debtor fails to engage, we can escalate through litigation. This knowledge gives our collectors the confidence to push for a resolution, to not take ‘no’ for an answer, and to refer the debtor our legal team for enforcement if no progress is made.

Gravity works with a number of clients, from the very large to small contractors. If you would like to talk to us about unlocking some of the value in your old ledgers, give us a call. on 0800 GRAVITY or email us at [email protected].

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In a world of growing economic uncertainty Credit Management is going to be one of the skills that will determine what firms survive 2021 and which firms will not.

During good times, people pay their bills. Many businesses do not invest in checking who they are doing business with because even bad customers usually pay. That is something that is going to change. As Warren Buffett famously said; “when the tide goes out we get to see who was swimming naked.”

An effective Credit Management function incorporates all the activities aimed at ensuring customers pay any invoices on time and within the defined payment terms and conditions; including verifying who you give credit to before you give them credit. Getting this right or at least minimising exposure at the various stages in the process is where we can assist.

Prior to extending any credit or simply double checking previous limits – we can provide a comprehensive report on a business and its current credit score compiled from several industry sources. This will eliminate any guess work in process – its real time data and can be done at minimal cost to you. This service can also be extended to individuals as well, but as with any personal information we must abide by the privacy act around data collection and usage.

On the back of this credit referencing, we can also assist at the other end of the process where your terms may not have been adhered to or the debts have simply become hard to collect. Gravity Credit Management has been in existence for over 30 Years, the team is based in New Zealand and multilingual.

We understand the psychology of credit collection; how to treat debtors with respect whilst overcoming objections and establishing the basis for the repayment of your debts. We interact immediately with the clients if we feel the information is in correct or the debtor is vulnerable, and in fact some may be referred back to the client where appropriate.

Whatever the size of the debt we will look at it and remember if we are not successful – no collection no fee (subject to certain terms).
At Gravity Credit Management we are part of a larger group that specializes in business restructures, turnarounds, and recoveries.If you would like to connect and discuss any aspect of your debt collection / credit management process, OR would like a copy of our publication “Commerce & Credit In New Zealand” please don’t hesitate to contact  us at 0800 GRAVITY