What You'll Do

  • Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts.
  • Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
  • Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
  • Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
  • Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts.
  • Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
  • Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.
  • Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
  • Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.
  • Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.88/5
Speaking 3.88/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.38/5
Persuasion 3.38/5
Writing 3.25/5
Reading Comprehension 3.12/5
Critical Thinking 3.12/5
Monitoring 3.0/5
Negotiation 3.0/5
Service Orientation 3.0/5
Time Management 3.0/5
Active Learning 2.88/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.

Common styles

Dependability, Attention to Detail, Self-Control, Integrity, Perseverance

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 3.75/5
Oral Expression 3.75/5
Written Comprehension 3.62/5
Speech Recognition 3.62/5
Speech Clarity 3.62/5
Written Expression 3.5/5
Near Vision 3.25/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Accounting software ADP Drive DMS for Accounting ADS Advantage Adtec Agency Manager Austin Logistics CallSelect Collection Data Systems CollectOne-Tiger Columbia Ultimate Archive Columbia Ultimate Remit Columbia Ultimate RPCS CU Connect processing software Data-Tel Ceasar Debt account management and collection software Diagnostic and procedural coding software Document management system software Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS HMS Internet browser software Intuit QuickBooks LexisNexis LexisNexis Banko

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.52/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 4.41/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Account Receivable Associate Account Representative Account Service Representative Accounts Collector Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist) Bad Credit Collector Bill Collector Billing Representative Car Repossessor Chaser Claims Collector Collection Agent Collection Clerk Collection Representative Collection Specialist Collections Agent Collections Analyst Collections Associate Collections Clerk Collections Coordinator Collections Officer Collections Representative Collections Specialist Collector Credit and Collections Analyst Credit Coordinator Credit Specialist Customer Account Specialist Data Collector Debt Collector Dunner Field Collector Installment Agent Installment Loan Collector Insurance Collector Medical Collections Specialist Medical Collector Patient Access Specialist Patient Account Representative Patient Financial Service Representative Payment Collector Rent Collector Repossession Agent Repossessor Telephone Collector

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.