It was an early morning in the summer of 2012, and my phone rang.
I didn’t recognize the out-of-state number, and didn’t pick up. I don’t usually pick up unless I know who’s calling.
The next day, the same thing happened. In the following week I received a call every morning, each time from a different phone number. Eventually I picked up. We have an important message for you, said a robotic voice, please remain on the line.
Unbelievable, they’re calling me and I need to wait? Still, the calls would just continue. I stayed on the line. Within a minute I was already deep in conversation with a rude, aggressive debt collector who promptly notified that I have a late payment. I then realized why: I had forgotten to pay the balance for a card I had with one of the big retail chains. It happens, and luckily, I could afford to pay it. Not everyone can.
I offered to pay with my credit card. No, said the person aggressively, that is not acceptable. I can use a debit card but that will cost me a $15 “convenience” fee. Heck, I’ll just pay with a check, but I don’t have my checks next to me. I’ll pay later today, I told her. TODAY, she said, with an angry tone. Today, I accepted.
That experience stayed with us when we started thinking about TrueAccord. Why not treat people with respect? Why subject them to robotic callers and hidden fees? Why not offer convenient, flexible ways to pay? That rude collector and the negative experience I underwent simply due to forgetting a payment has spawned a business plan. We can do better. We can help businesses get paid without creating alienation between them and their customers, and we can bring back feedback on what doesn’t work and why disgruntled ex-customers are reluctant to settle a debt. We can help debtors settle without pushing them down more or making them feel disrespected.
The result is what you see here. If you got an email from us, you can count on us to work with you. Debts aren’t fun, but you don’t want to disregard them either. We’ll be fair with you, but walk you in a path that ends with your obligations met. We view it as our mission to make you successful and make sure your voice is heard. Welcome to TrueAccord!