Melissa R. Berzett

Work History

Accounts Receivable/ Collections Team Lead

Linde Gas & Equipment Inc

Ankeny, IA

03.2015 - Current

Managed and supervised diverse portfolio of 2500 accounts, maintaining daily communication with commercial customers through email and phone to ensure prompt payment status updates.
Exercised complete ownership of customer portfolio, demonstrating adaptability to address unique and varying customer situations effectively.
Led and directed daily operations of Accounts Receivable team, providing guidance, support, and leadership to both new hires and seasoned Collectors.
Effectively communicated management objectives and initiatives to AR team, fostering cohesive and goal-oriented work environment.
Cultivated essential and positive relationships with customers, sales teams, operations, and management, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration.
Produced comprehensive reports to apprise leadership of portfolio results and opportunities for reducing outstanding accounts receivable.
Conducted meetings and generated reports for Sales, Operations, and other stakeholders, identifying opportunities to enhance cash flow and collections on designated accounts.
Resolved billing disputes and discrepancies while initiating refunds or credits when necessary, ensuring customer satisfaction and account accuracy.
Collaborated closely with Collections Manager and Controller to support month-end close process and other financial reporting activities.
Collaborated with HR and management to develop goals, targets, and skill development plans aligning with corporate objectives for AR teams.
Worked directly with customers on payment plans, providing invoices, explaining charges, processing payments, and serving as liaison for resolving past-due issues.
Authored and delivered monthly team performance reviews, promoting culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Implemented quality measures by delegating tasks to administrative support staff, enhancing office efficiency, and cultivating highly efficient administrative team through coaching and professional development.
Successfully hired, managed, developed, and trained staff, established and monitored goals, conducted performance reviews, and administered salaries.
Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills by actively listening and utilizing open-ended questioning techniques, escalating major issues to management when necessary.
Documented customer payment interactions and maintained accurate account status records for future reference.
Achieved consistently high success rates in collecting overdue accounts, negotiating payment plans, and resolving customer disputes.
Monitored accounts regularly to identify overdue balances and potential areas of risk, maintaining proactive approach to account management.
Fostered strong customer relationships, resulting in timely payments and effective account resolution.
Collaborated with various departments to ensure customer compliance with payment plans and promote overall account integrity.

Quality Monitor 2

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

West Des Moines, IA

01.2013 - 12.2014

Conducted meticulous evaluation of calls made by Mortgage Collectors, assessing call behavior, regulatory compliance, and adherence to company policies to ensure high-quality interactions.
Delivered valuable internal compliance feedback and generated detailed reports for leadership, facilitating data-driven decision-making and process enhancements.
Collaborated closely with management to develop and deliver training programs aimed at improving processes, while also actively contributing to creation and upkeep of comprehensive quality training materials.
Developed and meticulously maintained quality assurance procedure documentation, ensuring clarity and consistency in quality monitoring processes.
Regularly provided team leadership with informative updates on quality metrics, highlighting any consistency issues or production deficiencies and actively participating in development of solutions.
Recorded and documented inspection findings, collaborating effectively with Collections Management to implement corrective actions and improve overall performance.
Conducted in-depth analysis of quality and performance data to support operational decision-making and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Addressed non-conformance issues in written reports and provided constructive coaching to collectors, fostering professional growth and enhanced performance.
Actively participated in departmental meetings to contribute to establishment of short- and long-term strategies for quality improvement and operational excellence.
Consulted manuals and process documents to investigate procedural inconsistencies, ensuring alignment with established standards and guidelines.
Administered 300 internal quality audits per month and assessed results to inform corrective action measures

Collector/ Peer Coach

Wells Fargo Card Services

West Des Moines, IA

10.2008 - 01.2013

Conducted outbound calls to Account Holders, skillfully resolving overdrafts on customer accounts, demonstrating commitment to financial reconciliation and customer satisfaction.
Employed thorough and detail-oriented approach to ensure accurate and timely recording of all accounts receivable transactions, contributing to organization's financial integrity.
Employed effective negotiation techniques, utilizing collection software system and thoughtful questioning to gain insights into customers' obstacles to payment, facilitating mutually beneficial resolutions.
Assumed leadership role by coaching fellow collectors in effective customer communication and call de-escalation strategies, contributing to more harmonious and productive work environment.
Served as mentor and trainer for new hires, sharing expertise and facilitating their smooth integration into collections team.
Demonstrated outstanding problem-solving skills and positive attitude while interacting with customers, personally achieving remarkable annual collection total of over $1 million.
Negotiated with account holders to develop repayment plans, effectively minimizing collections receivables and preserving organization's financial stability.
Maintained consistently high call volume, effectively meeting demands of busy and productive collections group.
Delivered exceptional customer service on collection calls, consistently maintaining calm and professional demeanor while resolving payment issues.
Proactively reached out to customers with extremely past-due accounts, successfully recovering lost revenue and contributing to organization's financial health.
Provided comprehensive training to new collections representatives, covering collections processes, company services, and effective collection strategies, while motivating team members to achieve production goals.
Achieved and consistently exceeded performance goals, demonstrating commitment to excellence in collections.
Proactively contacted customers to discuss payment schedules and promptly processed payments, ensuring adherence to repayment agreements.
Conducted thorough account reviews to verify compliance with repayment agreements, upholding organizational standards.
Trained new team members in use of scripts, company services, and collection strategies, fostering their development and success within collections team.
Expertly processed payments and accurately applied them to customer balances, maintaining meticulous financial records.
Utilized probing techniques to uncover debtors' reasons for delinquency, facilitating effective debt recovery strategies.
Counseled debtors on payment options and skillfully arranged installment agreements, enhancing likelihood of successful debt resolution.
Leveraged skip tracing and other techniques to locate debtors, ensuring comprehensive and effective collections efforts.
Successfully negotiated for full balance collection, maximizing revenue recovery for organization.
Thrived in call center environment, efficiently handling both manual and automatically dialed outbound calls.
Negotiated repayment plans by identifying root causes of delinquent payments, facilitating timely recovery of debt while accommodating realistic timeframes.
Diligently registered customer information in database, capturing credit history, financial statements, and personal details to maintain accurate and organized records.

Restaurant Manager

Yawbus Inc. DBA Subway

Des Moines, IA

03.2005 - 10.2008

Developed, implemented, and managed business plans to promote profitable food and beverage sales.
Reconciled cash and credit card transactions to maintain accurate records.
Met, greeted, and encouraged feedback from customers and used feedback to implement positive changes within restaurant.
Correctly calculated inventory and ordered appropriate supplies.
Carefully interviewed, selected, trained, and supervised staff.
Conducted health, safety, and sanitation process evaluations to identify and remedy any violations immediately.
Promoted positive atmosphere and went above and beyond to guarantee each customer received exceptional food and service.
Quickly identified problem situations and skillfully resolved incidents to satisfaction of involved parties.
Effectively managed payroll and timekeeping, and paperwork for new hires and terminations.
Led and directed team members on effective methods, operations, and procedures.
Tracked daily sales transactions and invoices for accurate and updated financial reporting.
Assisted in development and implementation of new menus to offer variety and options to customers.
Analyzed sales data to identify trends and adjust purchasing decisions accordingly.
Motivated staff to perform at peak efficiency and quality.
Handled escalated customer concerns with speed and knowledgeable support to achieve optimal satisfaction and maintain long-term loyalty.

Summary

Overview

Work History

Accounts Receivable/ Collections Team Lead

Quality Monitor 2

Collector/ Peer Coach

Restaurant Manager

Education

High School Diploma -

Skills

Software

Timeline

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