Choice is inherent in the way we, as 21st century consumers, interact with our world. The choice to eat whatever we want. The choice to take whatever form of transportation we like. The choice to marry whomever we wish. The concept of choice in debt collection isn’t revolutionary; debt collection has always been linked to the consumer experience. Yet, recent crack downs on bad actors in the debt collection space by the CFPB, as well as the July 10th ruling from the FCC feels like an affirmation of how TrueAccord approaches debt collection.
Putting choice firmly in the hands of consumers, the FCC spells out the law by clarifying this aspect of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. In the July 10th ruling, the FCC clarifies the use of explicit consent for all communications via phone or SMS. This ruling (further) protects the consumer by explicitly detailing their right to control how they are being contacted and allows them to revoke consent at any time. In a seemingly one-two-punch, the ruling also expressly prohibits the use of robocalling as a tactic to hound consumers in a bid to collect debt.
So, what does this mean?
Broadly, it means that the FCC believes that all communication related to debt collection deserves transparency and consent. For TrueAccord, it’s an affirmation that we’re moving in the right direction with our sympathetic communications. Beyond our dedication to staff penned relevant content; TrueAccord only uses manual dialing. Since our proprietary technology knows whom to call and when to do it, it makes is easy to cease communication immediately. We’ve found that giving consumers a choice increases cooperation, so asking us to adjust communications has always been straightforward.
It also means this is an exciting time to be working in the debt collection industry. Not only is innovation happening in technology and automation, but conversations about innovation in customer service and consumer rights are increasingly a part of the landscape.
We can’t wait.