Collector Connector

PAID
PRESORTED STANDARD
The Official Quar ter ly Publication of the American Collector s Association of Texas • V ol. 27 No. 1 • Winter 2014
southwest
Collector Connector
PERMIT #372
AUSTIN, TX
US POSTAGE
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
table of contents
features
From Paul’s Desk: Sales Tips...............................................................................9
Paul Morrow
Key Questions Every CEO Should Ask Their Team..........................................11
Christina Kleinhans Tuttle
The Pros & Cons of Growing Organically, By Acquisition or Alliances............15
Eduardo Berdegue and Roy Graham
Three Words to Change Your Year....................................................................21
Jon Mertz
ACA of Texas Executive Committee............................................................24-25
Important Announcements..............................................................................26
Dues are Due, Spring Board Meeting, Scholarship Competition
departments
President’s Letter............................................................................................ 5
Executive Director’s Comments..................................................................... 7
Legislative Update........................................................................................19
CollectPAC...................................................................................................31
Professional Education and Development...................................................33
Index to Advertisers......................................................................................42
Cover Photo: VOTE! A very important concept in our democratic republic. However, before you vote, it is wise to
know who/what you are voting for. The following is a quote from Dan Flynn (R-Van), Texas State Representative
(HD-2); “Many of you have heard me say that our Government belongs to those individuals who show up. Show
up to vote, show up to door knock, show up to volunteer and show up to learn about the issues affecting their
community. Government is fueled by the energy found in the hearts of individuals who are determined to ensure that
their home - their state -continues to push forward. “To which I would add, “Your business and your livelihood.”
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ACA OF TEXAS
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from the president
PRESIDENT
Mike Ryalls
President
RGS Financial, Inc.
1700 Jay Ell Drive, Suite 200
Richardson, TX 75081
[email protected]
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Jeff Hurt
President
Southwest Credit Services
4120 International Parkway, Suite 1100
Carrollton, TX 75007
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
Ron Nunley
President
Certified Recovery Systems, Inc.
6161 Savoy Drive, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77036
[email protected]
TREASURER
Andrew Marancik, Esq.
CCO & General Counsel
LTD Financial Services, LP
7322 Southwest Freeway, Suite 1600
Houston, TX 77074
[email protected]
The Government as God
One of my mentors in this business would always say “God, family, job” whenever he talked about
the priorities in his life. God, for the purpose of this conversation, is faith. Faith that what was
yesterday will be tomorrow.
It is in our nature to be faithful and to trust that tomorrow will be the same as today. That we will
be provided a consistent experience and we act or often times fail to act based on that faith. When
we barrel through a green light intersection, we have faith that the
opposite light is red. When we park our car, we have faith that it will
be there when we get back. Faith helps us process and deal with the
immense amounts of information and to function efficiently. The
downside can be complacency and inaction when critical things are
changing around us.
I have observed, and more so recently, that we tend to think
of government as a vehicle of faith. We tend to believe it to be
untouchable and remote and completely out of our control,
somewhat like a vengeful Greek God who will leave us unharmed if
we would only stay out of sight. At the same time, many increasingly
rely on the support and gifts of government and have faith in it above our own self-reliance. This
combination of attitudes and action creates a climate of both fear and of impotence.
PAST PRESIDENT
Our great industry is changing and inaction is not an option. Unfortunately, I fear that many of
us are operating on the habit of faith. We believe that tomorrow will be similar to today and that
the green light has its counterpart stopping traffic. Not so and the sudden appearance and growth
of the CFPB should be all the proof we need.
NATIONAL DELEGATES
I have advised previously that the CFPB needs our attention and our respect and that was met with
some serious pushback. But acquiescing does not mean we agree and the method of challenge cannot
be denial. We must notice the change, act on it, and more importantly, work to change it.
STATE DIRECTORS
This holds true with every level of government and brings me to the point of this article. We must
be vigilant in opposing forces that are contrary to our faith, family and jobs. The time for inaction
and complacency has long passed and all of us need to be actively involved in shaping the future.
Greg Mason
President
Service Bureau, Inc.
2705 81st Street
Lubbock, TX 79423
[email protected]
Julie Goforth, San Antonio (2013-2016)
Tom Stockton, Carrollton (2013-2016)
Vic C. York-Houston (2011-2014)
Stephanie Rifenberg, Amarillo (2011-2014)
Carrie Finney-Carrollton (2013-2016)
Steve Whigham, Round Rock (2013-2016)
Ken Bone, Carrollton (2011-2014)
Tim Britt, Arlington (2011-2014)
Daron Ratcliff, Carrollton (2012-2015)
Katie Zugsay, Carrollton (2012-2015)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Thomas G. Morgan
18604 Interstate 20 West
Lindale, TX 75771
512-458-8666
[email protected]
The path to change for your job has been nicely paved by your association. Nationally and at the
state levels, ACA International and our state associations both have highly developed vehicles for
involvement and for support. ACPAC and COLLECTPAC are excellent political action committees
that support causes and officials that are supportive of our industry. Giving, at any level, is important
but your voice and your presence means more.
Attend the Legislative Days and the Washington fly-in, respond to the email Call to Action, call
your representatives, visit their offices, invite them to your business, write your editor, comment on
Continued on page 39
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 5
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The dialer places minimal
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ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
executive director’s comments
A New Year Filled with New and Old Challenges
I trust that you all survived the holidays with minimal impact to your finances but maximum impact in time spent with family and
friends. Our businesses and jobs allow us to earn a living but it is our families and friends that truly make living worthwhile.
As we begin this New Year I thought it appropriate to introduce to you our Executive Committee members for 2013/14 (see
pages 24 and 25). These folks give of their time and expertise to do the important work of managing the association by chairing
committees, attending conference calls and assisting me in my duties as your Executive Director. They are supported by a great
board of directors (we will feature them in the Spring issue).
As a volunteer trade association with two primary missions (member education and legislative/
regulatory advancement), it is important that members become involved and participate. Call our
office at 512-458-8740 to see how you can help. You will be surprised at how much you gain from
personal involvement. Members are also invited to attend the Spring Board of Directors meeting in
April (see page 26 for more information).
Along that line, I came across a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that elegantly expresses the idea that
getting “in the arena” brings “high achievement”;
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where
the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes
short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy
cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
I would also like to acknowledge our Associate Members who, through their membership and participation bring so much to our
association and our members. The list of associate members is on page 34. When you see them, please give them your thanks, it will
be appreciated. When considering vendors for your company, please consider our associate members, you will be glad you did.
One place for sure where you can meet our associate members is at our Annual Conference. This year we will have our 67th Annual
Conference & Exposition at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, September 22-24. The Fall Board of Directors meeting will precede
the conference on Sunday, September 21 and will be at the Menger Hotel. More detailed information on the conference and board
meeting will be forthcoming in future months. Now is the time to mark your calendars!
Another item of significance is the scholarship announcement from the Educational Foundation. The Trustees have increased the
scholarship amount for this year to $2,000! Up to three scholarships may be awarded. See the announcement on page 26 and
watch your email for the scholarship information, to include the application (due date is April 7th).
Also, please read the Legislative Update (page 19) as the Legislative Committee needs your help during this 2014 election cycle to
make a positive impact for our industry.
As editor of this magazine, I welcome your feedback. Tell us what you like (or dislike) and we would solicit your ideas for future
articles that would be of interest to our members and readers. All constructive criticism is appreciated.
As always, thank you for allowing me the privilege to serve as your Executive Director. If I can assist you in any way, please do not
hesitate to give me a call or send me an email.
Sincerely,
Tom Morgan,
Executive Director
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 7
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
Sales Tips
By Paul Morrow
I have heard sales reps leave this message many times when
trying to reach out to a prospect. An alternative is “I am just
touching base.” This type of message is usually deleted in a
nanosecond. Even worse, your prospect might see you as just
another pesky salesperson. Is that what you really want?
Each time you reach out to a prospect, your objective is to
keep some momentum alive, and the way to do that is to
provide a value. This value should enable you to help advance
the sales cycle. It is OK to talk about something that would be
considered sociable, but always steer the message toward your
service and indicate how it can help your prospect’s business.
You need to have a good idea of what you are going to say, no
matter whether the prospect is available in person or you have
to leave a message. Some prospects read emails all day long and
rather than following up with a phone call, it could be just as
effective or even more effective to send them a short email.
There are a few ways to approach a callback situation, and one
is to review a selling point that was important to the prospect
in previous conversations. Remind prospects of something that
will be of help to them, especially if it is a hot topic that has
been discussed previously.
You might say, “Paul, in our previous conversation, you indicated
it was important to you that we provide comprehensive reports
and I would like to review ours with you for a few minutes.”
Prospects want to deal with a creative person, someone who
is constantly thinking of ways to improve on their operations.
You can be that person by submitting something that will
reduce their outstanding receivables by taking advantage of
your advanced technology, a previous topic of discussion.
Proposals are always well received if they take some burden of
work off the shoulders of the prospect.
Your prospect is probably still debating whether it makes sense
to move forward, and therefore you want to give your prospects
additional reasons to say yes. You could begin by saying you
know they are making a big decision and follow up by emailing
your prospect an article that addresses a particular advantage
of using your agency. Even better would be to include a quote
from an existing client that addresses this advantage.
Winter 2014
An example might be to include a case study that discusses the
effect of a certain collection technique that you use and how it
helps in reducing outstanding bad debt.
Another approach might be to say that your dialer technology
enables you to reach more of their customers just as you were
able to do for XYZ hospital. And then ask if you can set up a
time to review this concept and discuss with them some of the
results you were able to achieve for XYZ hospital.
Following are a few other points that apply to any phone
conversation or callback:
• Don’t be too pushy. Your prospects know why you are calling.
Make it sound like you are trying to help them, and don’t press
too aggressively for a final commitment. You could suggest
that the prospect undertake a small pilot program to ensure a
particular process will work, which might be an easier decision
for this person to make.
• Ask a question as part of your message, which will prompt the
prospect to get back to you for a valid reason even if he is not
about to sign an agreement right away. In this way, you might
get an update on his situation during a callback. Remember
not to make the message too long; it should be concise.
• If prospects say to check back next week, emphasize in your
callback a value to them that you have presented previously.
Drop the “Just getting back to you” and “Just touching base”
openers. Become an asset to your prospects’ decision-making
process and make them want to work with you.
This article is by Paul Morrow, sales consultant to the collection
industry. If you would like to discuss any subject with Paul, please
contact him at 215-643-4282 or [email protected].
“The best way to
predict your future
is to create it.”
- Peter Drucker
Southwest Collector Connector 9
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KEY QUESTIONS EVERY CEO SHOULD
ASK THEIR TEAM
By Christa Kleinhans Tuttle
In today’s economic environment and ever faster moving
marketplaces, it has never been more important for company
leaders to make the right decisions about strategy, people,
execution, and money. There is little room for error.
While ideas abound on the topic of accelerating growth, here
are several critical and less frequently asked questions that can
have a substantial impact – both short and long term – on
a company’s ability to reach and exceed their revenue and
profitability objectives.
What Do Customers Really Think of Our Company?
Customers see the company for who it is today, and that is
not always where the company wants to be. Hearing customer
perspectives on the sales experience, the onboarding process,
use of products or services, support, and even billing can be an
eye opening experience. That insight is priceless to executive
leadership as it can highlight where to focus to support achieving
a company’s growth objectives.
Companies who embrace the concept of truly understanding
market perceptions often use a third party to conduct audits by
speaking with customers [and even lost deals]. These interviews
gather in-depth feedback on all aspects of each customer’s
experience and often lead to recommendations for change and
improvement throughout the organization.
For example, one technology company in the northeast recently
made changes internally to people investments, the focus
of product enhancements, and the structure of the support
organization based on the findings of a customer satisfaction
survey. Within one year they doubled their customer base,
turned several disgruntled early customers into evangelists, and
are continuing their trend of triple-digit growth each year.
What Are We Doing to Encourage Innovation Internally?
Employees at every company can be the source of countless ideas
that will effectively cut costs, streamline operations and/or grow
revenue. From the corporate office, to the factory floor, to out
in the field, each employee brings a unique perspective based
Winter 2014
on their role and responsibilities, and many great ideas can be
uncovered just by asking.
Beyond the employee suggestion box, encouraging innovation
can take the form of putting together small teams to brainstorm
new ideas, allocating and encouraging a certain amount of time
each month dedicated to idea creation, or implementing an
online solution focused on sharing ideas, which often leads to
further innovation.
Just as critical as creating an environment that encourages
innovation, is having a plan in place to implement the most
promising idea(s). This requires true support from management
as it entails allocating resources and dollars that could be used
elsewhere to further develop each idea and determine its longterm viability. While not every project will turn out as planned,
they may turn out even better and have a substantial impact on
the company.
What Are We Doing to Support Sales Funnel Growth?
Using a variety of inbound and outbound lead generation
activities to drive top-of-funnel traffic is the norm for marketing,
yet what is working continues to evolve. This is especially evident
by the rise of the “self-directed buyer” – one who researches
product or service options extensively via online and social
channels before ever engaging with the company or going to
the store to make a big purchase.
To address this trend, new techniques are now being used on
the marketing front to find, develop and qualify potential leads
before passing them to sales. This includes using marketing
automation (MA), which enables marketers to more efficiently
uncover and engage with prospective customers and understand
which programs are really impacting revenue, how budget can
be shifted to maximize ROI, what the lead flow and conversion
rate is through each stage of the sales funnel, and more.
These insights mean that company leaders can objectively
measure the impact of marketing on sales and accurately project
what is needed to support sales funnel growth. In addition, this
Southwest Collector Connector Continued on page 41
11
ACA OF TEXAS
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NEW ACA OF TEXAS
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THE PROS & CONS OF GROWING ORGANICALLY, BY
ACQUISITION OR ALLIANCES
By Eduardo Berdegué and Roy Graham
Achieving growth stands out as the objective most commonly
pursued by executives whether by design or by default. Yet, as
exciting and personally rewarding as growth may be, growth for
growth’s sake does not necessarily equate to better performance,
much less success. Many executives have seen, and some may
have actually experienced, situations where a substantial increase
in revenues from one year to another was accompanied by
unexpected, sometimes devastating decreases in profits.
As with all other strategic business objectives, the aim of pursuing
growth should be to maximize long-termvalue which results when
shareholders, as well as other stakeholders, including customers,
employees, suppliers, and others, are considered. Moreover, the
adoption of growth as a strategic objective should result not
from instinctive execution, but from a review of the alternative
strategies, and the types and pace of growth options available in
light of the company’s own management, culture, and market
characteristics.
Organic Growth
Organic growth refers to growth achieved by a company “on its
own.” Managers can pursue market share or efficiency-seeking
measures to achieve this type of growth. Market-oriented
tactics may involve improving product mix to attract additional
customers and/or increasing profitability from existing ones,
or expanding into new geographic markets. Efficiency-related
measures involve the adoption of management systems,
technology, productivity incentives, improvements along
the supply chain, and others. Proponents of organic growth
emphasize the importance of keeping a company focused on its
core competencies and on the skills of existing management. A
notable example is Bigcommerce.com, a 4-year old e-commerce
company in Austin with over 35,000 clients paying $25 a month
each for its software-as-a-service platform (the company recently
received $40 million in equity investment from former AOL
chief Steve Case for a total $75 million raised in two years).
Observers point out that there is naturally an inverse relationship
between size of business and rate of organic growth: the larger
the business, the slower the rate of organic growth.
Growth through Acquisitions
Inorganic growth or growth through acquisitions, on the other
hand, implies the gain of revenues, markets, technology, talent,
capital or otherwise strategic assets via the acquisition of a
Winter 2014
company possessing those assets. Whether friendly or hostile,
the acquisition of a business can be as complex a process as it
can be rewarding in terms of the immediacy with which growth
objectives can be achieved both in terms of revenues and bottom
line through synergies achieved with the acquired business.
Another important advantage of inorganic growth is that it
practically eliminates entry barriers for an acquirer seeking to
integrate vertically and own most or all aspects of the value chain,
or to expand geographically. Such is the case of Austin-based
Whole Foods, which owes a great deal of its present footprint to
the acquisition during the past three decades of food-store chains
across the U.S., as well as in Canada and the UK. Disadvantages
are mainly related to integration issues, which, if not accounted
for early in the process, may have disastrous consequences for
all parties involved.
Growth through Alliances
Finally, growth can also be achieved by leveraging resources
through strategic alliances. These arrangements allow partnering
companies to gain access to opportunities otherwise costly or
altogether unavailable to each of them individually. Examples
include the alliance between Starbucks and Barnes & Noble
to sell coffee at B&N’s bookstores in the 80s. Another current
example is the alliance between Eagle Ford Trucking of San
Antonio with HTC Express of Roff, Oklahoma, by which Eagle
Ford will be offering its clients a larger fleet for the hauling of
frac sand, while HTC expands their presence in Texas. Strategic
alliances may be temporary, project-specific, or permanent and
are usually done through the creation (by the alliance partners)
of a third company responsible for carrying out the agreed
plan. While this approach can bring about rapid growth at a
fraction of the cost of achieving similar results organically or
through acquisitions, the limited control over execution and,
more importantly, selecting the right partners, are key areas of
concern.
What’s the Rate of Return?
It is important to note these growth strategies are not mutually
exclusive. A company may choose to increase market share of
an existing product line by organic means, while it chooses
to expand geographically through an acquisition or strategic
alliance. A number of factors will come to play in a manager’s
Southwest Collector Connector Continued on page 39
15
Several years ago, a large, Detroit-based automotive maker needed a sophisticated and secure database to handle vehicle and
client information. Two programmers, Gary Perlick and Rob Swearengen, were hired to provide a solution for this complex application.
In 1982, after achieving successful outcomes, these same programmers formed Renkim Corporation.
Thirty years later, Renkim stands out as a leader for its ability to handle financial and mission-critical documents for credit,
collection, healthcare, insurance, automotive and utility companies located throughout North America.
At Renkim, we’ve always been ahead of the curve. Our forward-thinking approach to doing business keeps us at the forefront
of the industry. With that in mind, the following timeline identifies some of our noteworthy accomplishments:
1985: First to handle outsource return-mail processing
1996: First to offer house-holding multiple pages in one envelope
1997: Second print and mail firm to be licensed by USPS for Fast-forward/NCOA-18 in the U.S.
2002: Introduced Renkim Mail Track and deployed Self Mailer to the collection industry
2007: Introduced Renkim EZ Letter, the first online letter editing tool
2010: Introduced Renkim eNotice and Renkim UAA
2010: Obtained USPS full-service certification
Renkim operates from two locations, headquartered in Detroit, MI with a satellite facility in Toronto, Canada. Our 140 employee
shareholders have a vested interest to ensure our clients’ success. Data and Physical security is paramount and adherence to PCI-DSS
Level 1, GLBA, FISMA, HIPAA/Hitech and current individual state Credit Card Security Laws (AZ, MN, NV). Renkim’s Flexible
messaging system allows users to communicate with customers through Print & Mail, eNotice and Fax. All Client data is scrubbed
using a variety of debtor account information to assist in account decision making. Services provided: Print and Mail, eNotice, Fax
on Demand, NCOA 18 and 48, AEC, Bankruptcy, Deceased, Phone Append, Account Scoring, Directory Assistance Plus, Return Mail
Processing and Renkim UAA. Renkim has multiple envelopes and paper stock options available.
Renkim at a Glance
· Established in 1982 in Southgate, Michigan
· Employee-owned
· 100,000 square feet of facility space
· Print and electronic mailing
ACA OF TEXAS
· Monthly capacity of 65 million mailings
ASSOCIATE
· State-of-the-art printing capabilities
MEMBER
· Photo eye insertion integrity
· In-house postal presort
· Superior client services
16
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
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software.
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packages united under a common goal: improving your
bottom line and customer service quality.
Our consultants will help you evaluate, plan, and implement strategies that ensure you are
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You can improve your performance through workflow optimization, improved scoring and
analytics, increased right-party contacts, and much more. Please contact us to find out
how we can help.
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Since 1980
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Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 17
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TEXAS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The Primaries and Me
By Paul Nagy, Legislative Committee Chair
I
t’s primary season! Primaries for the 2014 elections will be
held on March 4th. Right around the corner, this is why
you may be noticing so many campaign ads. When looking at
contested Texas legislative primary races in your county (use
this link to find a copy of the primary ballots in your county
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/links.shtml#County), ask
yourself “which candidate will best help to maintain a positive
business environment in Texas without additional regulation,
especially for our industry.”
“What about me? What else can I do,” you ask? Easy, let us
know who you know. Just drop us a quick email at info@
texascollectors.com with the names of any Texas representatives
or senators that you know personally, through business, from
your civic involvement, etc. Tell us about any mayors, city
councilmembers or county commissioners, too.
What will we do with the names you provide? Nothing
without contacting you first! Let’s work together to better
leverage relationships that can help our businesses in the face
of increasing regulations. Our legislative efforts are enhanced
when government officials are contacted by people they know.
What else can you do? Follow the example of Tom Stockton
who opened up his office (The CMI Group) to Congressman
Burgess (see page 29). Or Darlene Mead, who hosted a meeting
at her offices (CSI) in Fort Worth with state representative
Matt Krause and a separate meeting with her Congressman,
Marc Veasey. By inviting these legislators into their offices,
the legislators get to see first-hand that we are the good guys.
And, you have a chance to tell the story of how our industry
benefits not only the national economy but the state and local
economies as well. Try inviting a legislator, they will come and
you will have a chance to make a friend for our industry (and
even for yourself ). The better they understand our industry the
better our chances for avoiding legislation that is harmful not
only to us but to our clients as well (and ultimately harmful to
consumers as well).
While the primary elections are very important, so will be the
general election in November. Your assistance early in this
election process will be invaluable through the election cycle
and on into the legislative session beginning in January, 2015.
Contact the association office should you have any questions or
need additional information regarding the legislative process.
The American Collectors Association of Texas is proud to support
ARMing Heroes, a new, non-profit orginization dedicated to helping
U.S. Military Veterans
arMing Heroes’ mission is to serve the needs of u.s. military veterans and their
families by providing employment opportunities and other resources uniquely
available through the accounts receivable management industry.
Find out how you can help at www.armingheroes.org
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 19
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
Three Words to Change Your Year
by Jon Mertz Takeaway
try some new eating habits. Folded into my
healthy theme is also meditation. Healthy
minds produce healthy actions. • Focusing on three key words
during the year can help focus on
doing something new, leading in
a better way and living in a more
meaningful manner.
• Each year the three words can
change to meet the challenge.
• What are your three words for
2014?
And, finally, I want to increase my engagement in social conversations on #healthyhabits. I included a hashtag for a reason. In social
media circles, we need to expand the conversation and share ideas and information on
how to be healthier citizens. Part of the
solution to our healthcare challenges is
raising health literacy.
Publisher Chris Brogan begins each
year with three words. The three words
provide a focus for the next 12 months.
While some record resolutions, others
may compose intentions for the new
year.
What Are Your Three Words?
Different approaches may work for different people, but the
thing I like about the three word approach is you can remember them. Three words serve as a trigger point each week, each
month to ensure we are on our selected new path forward.
My Three Words
As I look at the new year ahead, my three words are: Tempo,
Refresh, and Healthy. Tempo: Work-Life balance is a myth. Balance means everything is equal between two sides. Today, we have more than two
sides to what we do. For me, tempo is the direction because I
want to find the right rhythm to work, family, extra-curricular
interests, personal development, and community engagement.
Tempo also implies a good beat and I want to have a reasonable movement to what I do, meaning decent crescendos of
achievement and progress.
Refresh: In my life and leadership practices, I want to refresh
what I do and how I do it. Continued learning is a key part of
this but it also includes putting the new learnings into practice. At this point in my life, I am not necessarily ready for
a remodel. I am ready for a refresh. My “refresh” focus areas
include key relationships, essential leadership ideas, and community activities. Healthy: Although I consider myself a relatively healthy person, I know there is room for improvement. This past year, I
placed a greater emphasis on strength and weight training, an
essential thing to do as we age. I plan to build on this but also
want to explore more on the healthy eating side of the equation. From fresh vegetables to farmer’s market, I am ready to
Winter 2014
We are all leaders, and we need
to lead from where we are. We
need to lead in our personal lives as well as in our workplaces
and neighborhoods. To start anew, three words can help guide
us, inspire us, and ignite new habits to drive big impacts.
Maybe this is what Charles Duhigg had in mind when he wrote
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and
Business. A key thought:
As people strengthened their willpower muscles in one part of
their lives – in the gym, or a money management program – that
strength spilled over into what they ate or how hard they worked.
Once willpower became stronger, it touched everything.
Doing something new. Leading in a better way. Living in a
more meaningful manner. It may just take the spark of three
words. So, what are your three words for the new year?
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily The University
of Texas at Austin.
Jon Mertz is the Vice President of Marketing at Corepoint Health,
a leading healthcare integration software company. Jon has extensive
experience in the technology industry through his work at BMC
Software, IBM, and Deloitte. Prior to this, he worked in Washington,
DC, in various political appointee positions. Jon graduated from
The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, in
1993. He frequently writes on healthcare and technology topics at
HL7Standards.com. Reprinted with permission. This article was
originally published in Texas Enterprise (www.texasenterprise.utexas.
edu), a publication of McCombs School of Business at The University
of Texas at Austin.
Southwest Collector Connector 21
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22
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND THE
67th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION
We are going back to San Antonio and the Menger Hotel!
September 22 - 24, 2014
Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
“Built in 1859, the Menger Hotel is located immediately adjacent to the historic Alamo,
San Antonio Riverwalk and the Rivercenter Mall. The Menger Hotel remains true to
its origins. Although much has changed at the Menger, much remains the same, most
especially the attentive services performed with obvious pride by dedicated employees.
In addition to its significance as a historical landmark, the Menger offers unparalleled
amenities including: The famous Colonial Room Restaurant, the Menger Bar (where
Teddy Roosevelt recruited the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War),
downtown San Antonio's largest heated swimming pool, a full service spa, fitness room,
and jacuzzi, just to name a few. We are pleased to advise you that all of our 316 guestrooms
are 100% non-smoking. And, the entire hotel is now wireless!”
Program and Speaker information will be available in about three months.
If you attended the record breaking Conference here in 2011,
You know you want to be here again!
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 23
Meet Your
Executive Committee
ACA of Texas is a strong and vibrant organization; actively promoting our industry,
engaging in the legislative process, and effectively working with consumers and regulators,
because of the dedication of the men and women who volunteer to serve as our officers and directors
and who freely give of their time, talents and resources.
Mike Ryalls (President) is the President of RGS Financial located in Richardson TX.
RGS has been in business since 2005 and services national and regional clients in the
areas of automotive, credit card, medical, utility, commercial and student loan debt.
Mike has 25 years in the credit and collections industry having held executive positions
with several banks and finance companies. Throughout his career he has been responsible
for the operations side of collections for start-up ventures. In addition, he has extensive
subprime collection experience working and consulting for various issuers prior to cofounding RGS. Mike is actively involved in ACA affairs. Besides serving as the current
President of ACA Texas, he previously served on the Ethics and Interstate Committees
for ACA International and currently serves on the Judicial Committee. He is married
with 3 young boys who are involved in sports and scouting. He is a Den Leader for Pack
290 in Frisco and enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, traveling, and racing cars
in the amateur Chump Car series.
Jeff Hurt (President Elect) is CEO at Southwest Credit Systems, LP, in Carrollton
and has been on the board of directors for ACA of Texas since 2009. Jeff has a BBA in
Accounting from Baylor University and is a CPA. His background includes extensive
experience in the financial services and collections industry, including more than eighteen
years as an executive in the collections industry. Prior to joining SWC over ten years
ago, he served eight years as the Chief Financial Officer and later as the President for a
successful collection agency specializing in the communications industry. Jeff also spent
more than eight years as a Certified Public Accountant providing financial services for
many Fortune 500 clients. He served as a manager for the international accounting firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
24
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
Larry (Ron) Nunley (Vice President) is the President of Certified Recovery Systems,
Inc (CRSI) located in Houston. Ron has been a member of the board of directors since
2009. As president of Certified Recovery Systems, Inc (CRSI), an Accounts Receivable
Management (ARM) Company and a 3rd party collection agency headquartered in
Houston, Texas, he oversees the ongoing operations of an agency with more than 26
years of experience. Prior to purchasing CRSI, Ron worked in the financial advisory
industry with an emphasis on estate planning and business succession planning. He
received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration-Economics from the University
of Alaska, Fairbanks where he played basketball. In 1996 he obtained a Master’s
degree in International Business Management from the Executive MBA program at
the University of Houston.
Andrew (Andy) Marancik, Esq. (Treasurer) received his Bachelor
of Science degree in 1989 from the Pennsylvania State University
and his J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing,
Michigan in 1994. Currently, Andy is Chief Compliance Officer
and Counsel, for LTD Financial Services, LP, in Houston. He was
previously General Counsel for Pentagroup Financial, LLC and
Redline Recovery Services, LLC. Mr. Marancik is a member of
the ACA International’s Member Attorney Program, the National
Association of Retail Collection Attorneys and, since 2010) a member
of the Board of Directors for ACA of Texas.
Greg Mason (Immediate Past President) was raised in Lubbock, Texas. He attended
Texas Tech University, where he received a B.B.A in Accounting and a B.B.A. in
Management Information Systems. Greg is a CPA, who practiced public accounting
for 15 years, and then subsequently worked for 5 years as a CFO in the manufacturing
industry, where he managed facilities in the United States and Mexico. Greg is the
owner and CEO of Service Bureau, Inc., in Lubbock, Texas, which he purchased in
2007. Service Bureau specializes primarily in healthcare collections and serves a regional
client base. Greg is married, has 2 sons and 2 daughters, and outside of watching his
kid’s sports activities, enjoys snow skiing, wakeboarding, riding motorcycles, and an
occasional round of golf.
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 25
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
DUES REMINDER
FOR ALL ACA MEMBER AGENCIES
If you have not renewed your ACA membership (state and national) for 2014, now is the time to do so. Membership
is even more important in the coming years as we need to speak with one voice for our industry. ACA International
and the many state Units are most able to be effective when we all stand together. Please renew as soon as possible.
Thank You.
OFFICIAL NOTICE
Regarding the Upcoming 2014 Spring
Meeting of the Board of Directors
President Michael Ryalls has called for the Spring meeting of the American Collectors Association of Texas Board
of Directors to convene at 11:00am on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at the Frisco Gun Club, located at 6565 Eldorado
Parkway, Frisco, Texas. The Board of Directors meeting is open to all ACA of Texas members.
Your Association needs and welcomes the active participation of all of its members. Please consider how you can help
your Association through volunteering to serve as an officer, director or committee member. For further information,
please contact our Executive Director, Tom Morgan. He can be reached at either (512) 458-8666 or email at
[email protected] .
Scholarships for Graduating High School Seniors
ACA of Texas Educational Foundation to Award $2,000 Scholarships
The American Collectors Association of Texas Educational Foundation is again sponsoring a scholarship contest that
is open to 2014 graduating high school seniors who are children, legal dependents or grandchildren of employees of
agency members of ACA of Texas. The Foundation will award up to three (3) $2,000 scholarships to winning applicants.
Applications are available at www.acaoftexas.com, by calling 512-458-8666 or emailing [email protected].
Completed applications and the required essay must be received by April 7, 2014.
26
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
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ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
The CMI Group Hosts Rep. Michael Burgess
Tom Stockton, The CMI Group CEO, recently welcomed a member of Congress to the
company’s holiday luncheon.
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) recently visited and toured The CMI Group, an ACA
International member agency in Carrollton, Texas. During the company’s holiday luncheon,
Burgess congratulated The CMI Group team on a successful year keeping the economy healthy
by helping consumer resolve their debt challenges.
Burgess’s medical background as a physician for nearly three decades in Texas gives him a better
understanding of the challenges and impact health care reform will have on the American people.
He was happy to answer questions and provide insights into this and other burning issues The
CMI Group team had regarding to possible future legislation.
The CMI Group also welcomed David‘Leal, executive director for the Children’s Advocacy
Center for Denton County, to the company’s holiday party. The CMI Group supports CACD in
its fight against child abuse. Leal shared with CMI Group employees the effect of their donations
and efforts to in the lives of local families.
Tom Stockton, CEO of The CMI Group (I) thanks Rep. Michael Burgess after the congressman ‘s address
commending CMI Group employees for their community involvement and for their significant role in
keeping our credit economy healthy.
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 29
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
CollectPAC NEEDS YOUR HELP
The primary purpose of this column is to encourage our members to participate in providing the funds needed to allow us to make
campaign contributions that help to elect pro-business, conservative legislators who will work to make the Texas business climate better
for all businesses. To that end, we want to always recognize and give thanks to those members (below) who have been faithful to support
our PAC.
2013 - 2014 MEMBER HONOR ROLL
Contributors shown below make a significant contribution to our efforts for this upcoming election cycle.
$1,000+
Diamond
$500+
Platinum
$250+
$100+
Gold
Silver
$100+
Silver
$50+
Bronze
Tom Stockton
Loraine Lyons
Carrie Finney
Paul Nagy
Bil Edwards
Paul Gauerke
Todd Langusch
Stephanie Rifenberg
Greg Mason
Sharon Morgan Ron Nunley
Kevin Haire
Darlene Mead
Cliff Stephens
Rich Turner
Vic York
Bonnie Finley
Sherri Engberg Terry Simonds
Tim Britt
Chad Probst
Tom Morgan
Jean Bryant
Mike Ryalls
Under $50
Friends
11 Employees
- The CMI Group
Brad Odom
GOOD NEWS: Between funds raised at the Bottle Auction during the recent conference and other fund raising activities, over $9,300
was raised for CollectPAC during 2013. BIGGER NEWS: In case you missed it, we are in the beginning stage of the 2014 Election
Cycle. The primaries will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Now is the time to introduce yourself (and your company and our
industry) to your state representatives and senators and other candidates for those offices. They are looking for your vote and will take
the time to listen; invite them to your office, volunteer in their campaign, the time for action is NOW!
Please consider your renewal right now or, if you’re not listed above you may have been on the contributors list for the previous
election cycle, and if, you have not previously contributed, please consider doing so now. Just take a minute right now and fill
out the form provided below and send it to our Association office. You may also call the office (512-458-8666) with your pledge and
credit card information. Contributions can be scheduled on either a monthly or a quarterly basis by calling the Association office.
Only personal checks or credit cards can be accepted. If contributing by credit card, fax this form to 512-458-8740. Thank you for
supporting the efforts of your business’ Trade Association and those who volunteer to maintain a pro-business climate. Your support
makes a difference.
Please give what you can and Thank You for making a difference!
Vic C. York, IFCCE, MCE.
Chair, CollectPAC Trustees
#
American Collectors Association of Texas Political Action Committee
CollectPAC Contribution & Pledge Card
Member Contribution Levels
Diamond-$1,000
Platinum-$500
Gold-$250
Silver-$100
Bronze-$50
Add my name to CollectPAC’s Honor Roll!
Name: _________________________________________ Agency: ___________________________________
Personal Check for $ ___________ enclosed
Charge $_________ to my ___ Visa ___ MC ___ Am Ex
Name on card: _ _________________________________ Card #: _________________________________
Expiration date: ______________ Security Code ___________ Authorized signature: _________________________
For more information or to establish a monthly or quarterly payment schedule, contact Tom Morgan at 512-4588666 or [email protected] State law prohibits corporate checks. Mail your check and this pledge
card to: ACA of Texas CollectPAC, 18604 Interstate 20 West, Lindale, TX 75771
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 31
The following members achieved the
Professional Collection Specialist (PCS) Designation
Shelly Akerly, Bonafide Asset Recovery, Coppell
Zachary Boone, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Patricia Vega, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Patricia Bridges, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Tim Fairbanks, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Michael Havrilla, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Michael Listermann, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Shari McCoy, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Patricia Mucha, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Scott Nurczyk, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Susan Reyland, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Aubrey Ritchie, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Crystal Rodriguez, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Matthew Sabo, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
Alexander Zushchuk, Account Control Technology, Inc., San Angelo
These individuals received the Scholar Designation
Tiffanie Tribble, TRS Recovery Services, Inc., Houston
Peggy Lyle, Credit Systems International, Inc., Fort Worth
Darlene Mead, Credit Systems International, Inc., Fort Worth
Norma Valverde, Amron Professional Services, Inc., San Benito
Kudos to the following members who achieved their
Certified Credit and Collection Compliance Officer (CCCO) Designation
Stacey Kelsey, Credit Systems International, Inc., Fort Worth
Peggy Lyle, Credit Systems International, Inc., Fort Worth
James Wingard, Texas Guarantee Student Loan Corp., Round Rock
Lesley Beale, Receivable Management, Inc., Arlington
We salute our latest member to obtain the Fellow Designation
L. Ron Nunley, Certified Recovery Systems, Inc., Houston
Erin Harness, RGS Financial, Inc., Richardson
Stefanie Ratcliff, RGS Financial, Inc., Richardson
Congratulate Our Newest Certified Trainer (TSP) Designee
Kimberly Lynch, MVBA, P.C., Round Rock
32
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
Professional Education & Development
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING A BETTER DEFENSE AGAINST COSTLY LAWSUITS?
Lawsuits have consistently proven two facts: A well-documented training program, which provides thorough education
of all appropriate staff, is the best way to prevent becoming a defendant in a lawsuit, and it also is the best defense against
a lawsuit!
The ACA of Texas Professional Education Committee is committed to assisting members with training issues, and with
coordinating professional skills development training programs sponsored by ACA International. Examples of the training
programs, courses, and services available from ACA include:
•
Unit Training Library – members may check out the unit’s “FDCPA Essentials for Collectors” and
the “Essential Collection Skills & Techniques for Collectors” [CD-ROM] Training programs. This
service is provided free to our members (just pay the shipping to return the CDs)!
•
Assistance in scheduling ACA Seminars in specific cities, or in-house training for members. Contact
either our state office (512-458-8666) or the committee chair for more information, or to arrange
a seminar.
Campus ACA is the umbrella organization for ACA International’s diverse professional and educational certification programs
for collectors and agencies. Resources include local and in-house seminars, on-line seminars and teleseminars, web
courses, conferences and conventions, training materials and the Professional Practices Management System (PPMS).
Some upcoming educational opportunities:
Date
2/4
2/5-6
2/11-13
2/11
2/18
3/11
3/18
3/19-21
3/25
4/9-10
7/23-25
Event
NMLS Training & Troubleshooting
Skiptracing & Cybertracking Techniques
Health Care Collection Management
Motivating Employees Thru Dialing Fatigue & Burnout
UDAAP & the CFPB: What it is & How it applies
CFPB Update
Foundational Training on PPMS
Spring Forum and Expo
Driving Organizational Goals with Dashboards
FDCPA: Essentials for Collectors
ACA International 75th Annual Convention & Expo
Location/Type
Teleseminar
On-line
On-line
Teleseminar
Teleseminar
Teleseminar
Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale, AZ
Teleseminar
On-line
Chicago, IL
For more information and a complete listing of these educational opportunities,
visit www.acainternational.org or contact the Education Department at 952.928.8000.
Please let us know how we can better serve your education and training needs!
Education Committee Chair:
Ron Nunley, Houston
713-464-8219
[email protected]
Area Coordinator Info:
(Houston) Jason Bryant
936-756-7741
[email protected]
(Austin/Central TX) Open
(West Texas/Panhandle) Open
(Dallas/Ft. Worth)
Daron Ratcliff, Carrollton
972-406-6704
[email protected]
(North/Northeast Texas) Open
(San Antonio/South Texas)
Julie Goforth-Osantowski
210-410-6061
[email protected]
Please contact Ron Nunley if you would be willing to serve as an Area Coordinator.
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector 33
As We Start 2014
Please Give a Sincere “Thanks” to our
Associate Members
Automated Voice & Data Solutions – Luke Johnson and Walt Doyle
BillingTree – Chad Probst and Rob Kennedy
Business Ink – Reid Kuhn
CDS Software – Jeff Hieber
Columbia Ultimate – Bonnie Finley and Nancy McLaughlin
CompuMail – Jason Rhodes
DAKCS Software – Deb Kilroy and Ashlee Hyden
eBureau – Sherri Engberg, Lera McGerty and Kevin Haire
EFT Network – Tanya Seip and Trista Siltman
Global Connect – Alma Clark
Information Access Technology – Paul Lowry
LexisNexis – Alex Selma and Eric Lutsch
LiveVox, Inc. – Travis Morgan, Tom Saratella and Julian Varga
Merchant Solutions International – Roxanne Franks and Brian Ward
Ontario Systems – Rozanne Andersen and Rachel Marsh
Pathfinder LL&D – Tom Clark
Renkim – Cliff Stephens
RevSpring – Frank Calderone, Rich Turner and Tim Schriner
Silicon Benefits, Inc. – Don Canada, Jr. and Angie Martin
Source HOV Services – Harry Vasquez and Ivan Trejos
Thomson Reuters – John Cosenza, Esq. and Ben Campbell
We sincerely appreciate the support of each of these companies and their representatives. To learn more about
each of these companies and their products and services, go to our website at www.acaoftexas.com where you can
find a link to their website. Also, make your plans to meet them at our 67th Annual Conference at the Menger Hotel
in San Antonio, September 22-24, 2014.
34
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
ACA OF TEXAS
ASSOCIATE
MEMBER
Continued from page 5
stories, and make your voice heard in every way possible. Even
if you have nothing to say, take the time to meet those men and
woman who you have trusted with your future. Make sure that
they understand the issues affecting your business. The CFPB,
TCPA, state regulations, taxes, DOL issues, Affordable Care
Act, and frivolous law suits all come to mind, but yours might
be very different.
To retreat or to simply be a bystander perpetuates the false
‘government as God’ maxim. We can and do make a difference
when we actively and diligently participate in the process. With
over 5,000 ACA businesses, a 100% participation rate would
Continued from page 15
choice of a course of action – among them the company’s
strategic objectives, which need to be clearly defined, well
founded, and widely communicated internally. In addition, the
corporate culture and management skills have to be compatible
with the selected strategy – the availability of resources, financial
and other, will also be a critical factor in the decision. Finally,
an analysis of the internal rate of return of each option under
consideration will offer an objective way to measure the efficiency
of the invested capital in each case. This commonly utilized
management tool evaluates the desirability of an investment or
project by ranking it against cost of capital. The premise being
an investment whose internal rate of return exceeds its cost of
capital is profitable and adds value to the company.
The Pros & Cons
Normally, companies in the lower middle-market tend to rely on
organic growth to reach maturity before they will venture into
the rapid and more sizeable growth available to them through
acquisitions. This is in part due to some misconceptions that exist
around the adoption of an M&A strategy. Key among them is
the belief that financial resources are harder to come by to buy
a company than to fund modest and less demanding traditional
growth. This is not necessarily true, as the financial benefits
of a substantial and sudden increase in size (revenues, profits,
assets) is rarely overlooked by lenders or investors, especially
when acquirers have a solid plan and possess the management
skills to execute it. A common way to fund acquisitions is
through additional equity contributions made by a growthrecapitalization partner such as a private equity group with
industry-specific interests. In fact, these partnerships usually add
an important synergistic component by bringing to the table
their existing industry-relationships. Another commonly held
Winter 2014
make us one of the most powerful associations in the country.
Protect your priorities and get involved.
Michael Ryalls, President
ACA of Texas
belief is that acquisitions are only for larger companies. Evidence
increasingly points in the opposite direction as a growing number
of business owners approach retirement age and become willing
sellers to competitors of similar or even smaller size. Finally,
there is the notion that acquisitions are riskier by their very
nature, when in fact their riskiness, as that of any growth strategy
adopted, can be managed with proper planning. Execution of
an acquisition strategy can indeed be more demanding, but it
can also be more rewarding.
As desirable as corporate growth may be, managers have the
obligation to frame it within the long-term strategic objectives
of the company taking into account the full range of stakeholders
involved. Shareholders must demand from managers that
their decision to pursue one growth strategy instead of others
produce clear and tangible benefits beyond increased revenues.
The sustainability of most businesses in today’s complex and
highly interconnected corporate environment is less related to
the pursuit of growth, and more related to the reasons behind
the strategic decision to grow.
Roy Graham and Eduardo Berdegué are Managing Directors of the
San Antonio-Austin office of Corporate Finance Associates. CFA is
a middle-market investment banking firm specializing in assisting
business owners and corporations seeking to buy or sell a business,
or recapitalize. CFA also has Texas offices in Dallas, Houston and
Midland. www.cfaw.com
Southwest Collector Connector 39
INDUSTRY NEWS
Kaulkin Ginsberg Announces the Launch of
Research Fellows Program
Kaulkin Ginsberg announced recently that it has launched a research fellows program in conjunction with the University of Maryland. Students will investigate specific aspects of the
accounts receivable management industry. “I am thrilled with the student’s research capabilities
and presentation skills,” said Mike Ginsberg, President and CEO. “It is critical for executives to
have the highest level of authoritative information available to make informed decisions about
the growth and direction of their business.” Each semester, students will be carefully selected
and assembled into groups to gather information related to specific aspects of accounts receivable management. They will prepare and present report level information which will be made
available to owners of ARM companies and other industry participants.
ACA Member Obituary:
Kent L. Green
Kent L. Green, founder of ACA of Texas Associate Member DAKCS Software Systems in
Ogden, Utah, passed away on Nov. 30, 2013. He was 74 years old. After attending Weber
State University in Ogden in the 1950s, Green moved to Idaho and managed several finance
offices. In 1961, he partnered with his father Wayne to form Green & Son’s, a debt collection
agency in Ogden. In the early 1980s, Green founded DAKCS Software Systems. DAKCS,
the pioneer company of the debt collection software industry, now services more than 300
collection agencies, hospitals and utility companies nationwide.
The CMI Group Announces
New Director of Collections
The CMI Group of Carrollton, TX is proud to announce the addition of Jim Lynch to the
Company’s 3rd party and Debt Purchase Recovery team. Mr. Lynch comes to CMI with nearly
15 years of ARM industry experience. Having held previous leadership positions within the
industry, Jim will bring valuable insight and knowledge to our 3rd party and Debt Purchase
Recovery operations. In his new role as Director of Collections, Mr. Lynch will be responsible
for all daily and ongoing collection functions and will report directly to the VP of Operations,
Bethan Cross.
40
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
Continued from page 11
In Summary
NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
knowledge can help lower customer acquisition costs, shorten
sales cycles and increase the predictability of sales forecasts.
FTC Proposes New Policy Statement on Collecting
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debt collectors
Thisenforcement
is importantaction
because
technology
is oftenwho
a bigcommunicate
investment
with
a
decedent’s
spouse
or
executor,
administrator
and it
persons
for companies, both in hard and soft dollar costs. Getting
right
authorized
to
handle
a
deceased
person’s
estate.
But
the
the first time will save significantly in the long run throughagency
more
said the proposed
policy
clearquickly
that misleading
streamlined
operations
and guidelines
the abilitymake
to scale
without
consumers about their personal obligation in paying a deceased
the need to dramatically increase headcount.
person’s debt is a violation of FDCPA.
When choosing systems, it doesn’t need to be bleeding edge or
The FTC’s proposal also provides specific guidance on how
even leading edge, but every investment does need to support
collectors must communicate with authorized estate payers.
business growth in the short- and long-term. Some companies
optThe
to create
their own system, reasoning that they can create
proposed policy statement will be published in the
a solution
that
is tailored
to public
their specific
needs.
In theory,
this
Federal Register
and the
has until
November
8, 2010
sounds
great, but while a home-grown system may work exactly
to comment.
as a business does today, they often don’t scale well.
Asking the right questions of the team and fostering a candid
“Celebrity”about
FDCPA
Litigant
by Texas
conversation
where
the Slapped
company
standsJudge
today is
paramount to stay competitive in today’s economic environment.
A Federal Magistrate Judge in Texas said this week that a plaintiff
Top performing CEOs aren’t afraid to ask the tough questions
suing a collection agency for FDCPA violations filed the case
– they will provide critical data that can be leveraged to create a
in bad faith and that not only should his case be dismissed, but
cohesive strategy involving people, execution, and money, all of
he should be found liable for the attorney’s fees accrued by the
which is essential to exceed revenue and profitability goals.
debt collection agency over the course of its defense.
Christa Kleinhans Tuttle is the Founder of Launch Marketing, a
The judge wrote that Craig Cunningham’s case against The CMI
boutique marketing services firm who helps B2B companies generate
Group,
hadIn“no
of side-by-side
material fact”
leads
andCarrollton,
drive revenue.
hergenuine
role, she’sissues
worked
with
and
should
be
dismissed.
Cunningham
sued
CMI
Augustone
countless entrepreneurs and CEOs on their company’s in
number
2009 alleging
thatrevenue
in theand
course
of attenpting
to collect a debt
objective:
growing
profits.
Reach her at [email protected]
originating with Time Warner, the ARM firm had violated the
FDCPA, the TCPA, the Texas Debt Collection Act and the Texas
Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
“We’re obviously very pleased with the way the case has gone so
far,” said Tom Stockton, Chairman and CEO of CMI.
“I hope this case further exposes the cottage industry of suing
debt collection firms for profit,” said Mike Ginsberg, President
and CEO of ARM advisory firm Kaulkin Ginsberg.
3414 East 5th Street | Austin, TX 78702 | 512.389.1747 | Fax: 512.389.1753
email: [email protected]
46
Winter 2014
Southwest Collector Connector
Southwest Collector Connector Fall 2010
41
Business Address
Changed?
New Website or
E-mail Address?
Help us keep our membership records
c u r re n t s o t h a t y o u re c e i v e t h e m o s t
up-to-date information possible. This will
become especially important during the
upcoming year. Contact tmorgan@texascollectors.
com or call 512-458-8666 with updated mailing
and e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Also, be
sure to send us your website address for posting to
www.texascollectors.com.
Index to Advertisers
ACA International . .....................................44
Arming Heroes.............................................19
ArtJam Productions......................................41
AVDS ............................................................10
Billing Tree ...................................................18
Business Ink .................................................14
CDS Software ..............................................35
Columbia Ultimate ......................................20
CompuMail....................................................30
DAKCS ..........................................................4
eBureau...........................................................27
EFT Network................................................12
Global Connect ...........................................43
HOV Services................................................37
IAT ..................................................................6
Lexis Nexis .....................................................6
LiveVox............................................................8
Merchant Solutions International .............28
Ontario Systems............................................17
Pathfinder/LL&D........................................13
Renkin.............................................................16
RevSpring.........................................................2
Silicon Benefits Insurance ..........................38
Thomson Reuters ........................................36
Membership Event Postings
The ACA of Texas’ Southwest Collector Connector will post member
announcements for anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, weddings or
other significant events that occur in the lives of our members. Since
this is a quarterly publication, the announcements can be in the recent
past or in the future.
Please send all announcements to [email protected] and, if
possible, they will be published in the next issue to be published. Include
your name and a contact phone number.Membership Event Postings
42
Southwest Collector Connector
Winter 2014
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