COLLECTIONS OFFICER

City of Toronto•t, ON

7d•CA$38 - CA$42•Onsite

About The Position

The Collections Officer performs varied functions related to collecting pre-default fines and recovering outstanding defaulted amounts, adhering to relevant legislation such as the Collection Agencies Act, as well as City of Toronto operating policies and procedures. This role involves initiating pre-collection contact with customers before accounts become delinquent, ensuring database accuracy, and utilizing various communication methods to interact with customers, collection agencies, legal teams, co-workers, and other interested parties. The officer is responsible for making collection contacts, following up on delinquent accounts, establishing payment arrangements, providing information in response to inquiries, and achieving collection forecasts to minimize bad debt. The role also includes maintaining logs, resolving complaints, liaising with Corporate Legal Services, investigating customer credit ratings, generating collection letters, preparing reports, analyzing aging and liquidity reports, and liaising with Collection Agencies regarding write-offs.

Requirements

Considerable experience in collections, database management, investigation and account settlement.
Considerable experience working on and communicating payment terms and generating collection letters.
Considerable experience with Microsoft Office Suites, (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point).
Extensive customer service experience dealing with the public, by phone and mail.
Considerable experience working in a high-volume call/contact centre environment.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to correspond and interact with staff in other Divisions, Collection Agencies, Councillors, and representatives from external agencies and organizations in a clear, efficient, diplomatic, discrete and professional manner.
Good organizational skills, and the ability to work in a high pressure, multitask, high volume team-oriented environment with minimal supervision.
Familiarity with Collection Agencies Act and City policies and procedures to maximize collections.
Ability to set up and accurately maintain manual and computerized filing systems.
Acquired investigative and or tracing techniques coupled with conflict resolution skills.
Familiarity with government legislation.
Ability to work flexible and/or varied work hours.
Ability to work with Third Party Collection Agencies and or Legal Professionals

Responsibilities

Initiates pre-collection contact with customers before accounts become delinquent and ensures customers information in database is kept up-to-date.
Reviews various accounts and reports for accuracy. Requests revisions as necessary.
Utilizes multi-screens, telephones, written communication to respond to customers, collection agencies, legal team, co-workers and other interested parties.
Makes calls and collection contacts with customers to keep customers within the City's payment terms.
Follows up on all accounts, including suspended and delinquent accounts, in order to communicate payment terms and expectations to customers.
Establishes effective payment arrangements by assessing the debtor's financial viability in connection with legal services staff and follows through on individual payment agreements to ensure compliance.
Provides information in response to enquiries/complaints made by clients.
Achieves, maintains and or exceeds collection forecasts to minimize bad debt by working closely with customers, collection agencies and others.
Maintains logs on all outstanding customer issues.
Handles and resolves complaints about payment and accounting issues.
Liaises with Corporate Legal Services and makes recommendations on enforcement action.
Investigates customer credit rating based on various credit reports.
Generates collection letters in an attempt to secure account settlement or resolution.
Work on delinquent accounts in preparation for third party intervention.
Prepares weekly or monthly reports on delinquent accounts and make recommendations to Manager and senior team members on appropriate enforcement action.
Analyzes aging and liquidity reports and advises on appropriate account assignment and collection methods.
Liaises with Collection Agencies and provide recommendations on items eligible for write-off.