TINA AUSTIN
Solon,OH
Summary
Lead Collections Specialist with over 10 years of experience collecting in various financial sectors. Strong negotiator able to work in a very fast-paced environment and adapt to situations. Collects accounts in compliance with all applicable regulations and internal performance standards in order to meet personal and team goal objectives. Thorough legal and business economics acumen and excellent interpersonal skills. Top performer experienced in all banking processes, complaint handling and resolution, 1st and 3rd party collections, foreclosure, bankruptcy protocols, and mortgage debt. Top performer in current role with vast FDCPA/ AML/ BSA experience and solid knowledge of general banking regulations and principles (e.g., BSA, Patriot ACT, CIP, KYC etc.) Conflict resolution. Strong time management and organizational skills. Superior work ethic and attention to detail; highly proficient leading collector that demonstrates adaptability, dependability, and flexibility in current role by balancing changing work assignments, work schedule, and responsibilities
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Specialist
Discover Financial Services, DFS
10.2023 - 12.2024
- Established trust with clients through clear communication, patience, and understanding their unique challenges fully before offering solutions tailored to their needs.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by resolving issues promptly and professionally.
- Reduced outstanding balances by consistently following up on overdue payments and negotiating payment arrangements.
- Proficiently managed a high-volume workload of inbound calls from customers seeking assistance with their past-due balances.
- Exceeded monthly targets for both individual collections results and team performance consistently, demonstrating a strong commitment to achieving organizational goals.
- Educated customers on their financial obligations, offering guidance on budgeting and repayment options tailored to their individual circumstances.
- Maximized recovery rates by implementing innovative collection techniques that balanced customer needs with company goals.
Advocate
Farmers Insurance Company
03.2023 - 09.2023
- Responded to customer calls swiftly to resolve issues and answer questions.
- Spent ample time with each customer, verbally reviewing and explaining documents for client comprehension.
- Displayed consistent, positive attitude towards customers, peers and other personnel, even during high-stress situations.
- Provided clients with information on audit classifications, settlements and computations.
- Contacted underwriter and submitted appropriate forms to obtain binder coverage.
- Maintained high standards of customer service by building relationships with clients.
- Obtained underwriting approval by completing the application for coverage.
Lead Specialist
Key Bank
02.2017 - 12.2022
- Conducts, as appropriate due diligence/enhanced due diligence and recommends appropriate risk-based business actions to be taken concerning client’s ongoing relationship
- Moderate procedures, analysis, tasks and reporting, filing, recording, processing, servicing, recording, and/or organization of documentation associated with client’s needs
- Identifies and resolves moderate issues by following established guidelines
- Advises and consults lines of business in order to ensure full AML compliance, keeps abreast of Reg E/FDCPA/AML/BSA/OFAC legal and regulatory matters affecting compliance
- Demonstrates leadership by being an active participant in new hire training and well-being
- Demonstrates strong dependability as the current Go-To Lead for high level Que assignments and tasks
- Actively contributes to the daily Recovery Chat
- Using independent judgment, provides accurate documentation of customer account activity and formulates resolutions that are both helpful to the client and meet internal and all regulatory standards.
Collections Specialist
Revenue Group
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Routinely answered customer questions regarding past due medical bills
- Reviewed accounts holders, financial records, credit reports to determine consumers repayment plan
- Corrected billing errors
- Recovered over 70% of all debts assigned by providing win-win compromises with debtors in financial hardship
- Provided support to customers in understanding billing statements and charges.
Claims Representative
CMS
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Claims processing for auto, rental, homeowner’s, boat and motorcycle damage claims as covered per their policy
- Follow-up regarding claims details, handle incoming calls regarding insurance coverage benefits provided
- Provided various written correspondences
- Internet claims processing
- Negotiation of balances LOU, admin fees etc
- Subrogation of third party’s insurance as it pertains to the coverage
- Arbitration, requesting documents needed to settle claim
- Partnered with support teams to exceed department service level goals
- Performed complex and detailed analysis of accounts to determine appropriate plans to minimize incidents of fraud or loss by conducting in-depth reviews of all pertinent claim related information in accordance with regulatory and organizational compliance guidelines
- Maintained ongoing written and verbal communications with insureds, attorneys, all other insurance representatives and company personnel
- Acted as a liaison for clients to provide first call resolution by coordinating and following up with other departments
- Utilized by management to assist with projects identified as high-risk
- Claims Adjusting assistance
- Subrogation
- Claims intake and determination
- Liability determination, approval and denial
- Insurance fraud investigation
- Maintains excellent customer and agent claims experience
- Loss Prevention
Collections Specialist
NES
01.2010 - 01.2015
- Started as third-party collector making outbound calls via dialer to customers at various stages of delinquency/ charge-off
- Then promoted to Lead Collector quickly after
- There, very useful in wage garnishments / establishing a relationship with customers in efforts to save their assets from garnishments and other misfortunes, and come up with payment plans comfortable for them thus lowering the company’s debt ratio
- Responsible for entire queue maintenance per day
- Created urgency techniques causing more customers to return calls
- Bankruptcy practices
- Sensitivity Training
- Garnishment filings
- Bankruptcies
Education
Bachelor’s degree - Southern
New Hampshire University
03.2027
Skills
- Knowledge and experience of
- Support systems including, but not limited to, ALS, ASF, Bridger, CACS, CAS, CE Desktop, CLS, DARQ, DOS, ESS, Falcon, FDR, FDWC, Field Scape, GMCA, Hogan, Key Forms, Keystone, Key View Deluxe, Lexis Nexis, LPS, all Microsoft Office Applications including Excel, MCA, OLDS, Open Span, Outlook, Pacer, Passport, Portfolio Viewer, Quest, SAS, Secure code, Spend trend, SPOT, TGS2, TSYS, View Direct and related banking systems
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Maintaining Client Records
- Customer Service
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Customer Inquiries
- Problem Resolution
- Customer Relationship Management
- Speaking
- Problem-Solving
- Monitoring
- Troubleshooting
Timeline
Lead Specialist
Discover Financial Services, DFS
10.2023 - 12.2024
Advocate
Farmers Insurance Company
03.2023 - 09.2023
Lead Specialist
Key Bank
02.2017 - 12.2022
Collections Specialist
Revenue Group
01.2016 - 01.2017
Claims Representative
CMS
01.2015 - 01.2016
Collections Specialist
NES
01.2010 - 01.2015
Bachelor’s degree - Southern
New Hampshire University
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