Debra Burgess
Griffin,GA
Summary
Highly-qualified Collections Specialist adept at helping customers develop effective payment plans using persuasive communication skills and knowledge of financial options. Bringing more than 20 years of billing-related experience. Meticulous Collections professional offering exceptional communication combined with assertive yet personable demeanor. Leverages strong organizational, technical and interpersonal skills to address and resolve delinquent accounts. Seasoned Collections Specialist well-versed in collections procedures, payment plans and regulatory compliance. Financially literate and sympathetic manager of corporate-hired collections and debt acquisition operations with tact in customer persuasion and empathy. Supportive and emotionally aware team member, providing guidance to employees throughout stressful and confrontational interactions with public. Hardworking Job Title familiar with scripted interactions and collections guidelines. Proficient in both business and personal credit areas. Accomplished Collections Specialist enthusiastic about streamlining collections processes and improving billing procedures. Knowledgeable about non-payments, short pays, errors and reporting requirements.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Credit/Collections
Maxim Technologies
01.2007 - 06.2023
- Responsible for setting up and structuring of the Credit and collections department
- In charge of managing the customer accounts for a privately owned computer software company
- Manager over credit/collections, A/R and A/P
- With a department of seven agents
- Involved in all departmental policy and procedures
- Involved in the interviewing, hiring and firing of employees
- Reconciliation on accounts, posting payments, skip-tracing, ability to multi-tasked, collection of delinquent receivables
- Negotiations on past dues and remaining balances of accounts, work with D&B reports setting credit limits, research of discrepancies (pricing, shortages, and term disputes
- Respond to customer inquiries and maintain customer relationships, implement receivables in company A/R systems, post daily notes on account
- Experience working from home
- Analysis of assigned portfolio focusing on risk minimization, work with SAP and Microsoft Word, Excel and companies personal owned software.
- Maintained accurate records of customer accounts, payments and payment plans.
- Contacted customers to discuss past-due accounts and negotiated payment plans.
- Responded to customer inquiries and provided detailed account information.
- Worked with customer to create debt repayment plan based on current financial condition.
- Listened to customers and negotiated solutions that met creditor and debtor needs.
Credit/Collections Manager
Petit Bateau USA
04.2004 - 01.2007
- Manager of Credit/Collection and A/R Department managed the setup and maintenance of customer credit files
- Approved and denied customers for credit extension
- Review past due accounts and took appropriate action for collection, submitted monthly account report to the Director of Finance
- Recommend and submit delinquent accounts to collection agencies and attorney when necessary
- Assist cash application to ensure proper payment posting
- Evaluated departmental employees for their yearly annual review
- Released hold orders, monitored accounts to ensure invoices are current
- Negotiations on past dues and remaining balances of accounts
- Coordinate with shipping department daily to ensure acceptable time constraints
- Monitor back orders and credit holds, review aging reports weekly to ensure past dues and cash receipts are within target projections
- Responsible for analyzing and resolving major department stores charge backs on returns; freight, billing and vendor compliance code regulations Saks, Neiman & Marcus, Barneys, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s
- Knowledge of billing activities, order-tor-cash activities, credit, cash applications collections and customer service experience, dealing with billing issues for key accounts, work with AS-400 system
- Set accounts credit limits, worked with D&B reports, submitted dun letters to customers
- Interacted and assisted the sales representatives in account discrepancies.
Medical Credit/Collections Specialist
Plainfield HealthCare Center
09.1999 - 04.2004
- Medical billing and collection specialist is responsible for ensuring accurate billing, timely submission of electronic and/or paper claims, monitoring claim status, researching rejections and denials, documenting related account activities, posting adjustments and collections of Medicare, Medicaid
- Registered patients for Charity Care services
- Covered for all medical departments and front desk receptionist staffing on breaks, lunches and absentees
- Handled collections on patients past due balance
- Posted and reconciled patient’s account
- Worked with major medical insurances followed HIPAA laws and regulations.
- Reviewed files to select delinquent accounts for collection efforts.
- Called customers by telephone to collect past due invoices, verify accuracy of charges or to correct account errors.
- Negotiated to collect balance in full.
- Processed payments and applied to customer balances.
- Negotiated re-payment plans by identifying causes of delinquent payments to assist in recovery of debt and meet realistic timeframes.
- Worked with customer to create debt repayment plan based on current financial condition.
- Generated and distributed monthly customer statements.
- Delivered exceptional customer service on collection calls and maintained calm and professional demeanor.
- Contacted customers to discuss past-due accounts and negotiated payment plans.
- Maintained accurate records of customer accounts, payments and payment plans.
- Researched accounts and completed due diligence to resolve collection problems.
Skills
- EXCEL
- MICROSOFT OFFICE
- SAP
- OUTLOOK
- Decision Making Competence
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Team Leadership Experience
- Attention to Detail
- Interpersonal Skills
- Account Reconciliation Abilities
- Problem Solving Aptitude
- Credit Analysis Proficiency
- Willing to Learn
- Customer Service
- Organizational Abilities
- Account Investigation
- Skip Tracing
- Negotiation and Resolution
- Damage Claims
- Conflict Resolution
- Payment Scheduling
Timeline
Senior Credit/Collections
Maxim Technologies
01.2007 - 06.2023
Credit/Collections Manager
Petit Bateau USA
04.2004 - 01.2007
Medical Credit/Collections Specialist
Plainfield HealthCare Center
09.1999 - 04.2004