Collection calls are the most important phase within the pre-legal collection process. It is during these calls that we have direct contact with the debtor and approach him in his own language. The first step is always to try to reach through to any financial director or the person responsible to approve of payments. The most common hurdle are secretaries which have been instructed or are unable to redirect a call to the person in charge of payments. However, we have different methods to persuade reluctant persons as to why a call has to be put through.

When finally talking to the responsible person, we often receive surprised reactions. As said before, debt collection is not a very well known profession in Turkey, and it is for this reason that we first have to clearly explain our role in the debt conflict. After this it is not at all unrare that they show relief saying they are glad to finally be able to discuss the issue in their own language. Most often we hear that a conflict situation has gotten out of hand or ended up in a deadlock due to language problems and total misunderstanding from both sides. The result had been frustration which had frustrated a healthy discussion, and caused both debtor and creditor not to talk to eachother at all anymore.

It is of key importance in Turkey to gain trust and to build up an informal relationship with the debtor.†We inform the debtor that our goal is not solely to help our client, the creditor, to recover the overdue account, but moreover to do all we can to prevent legal proceedings against him.†We always let the debtor elaborate on his version of the debt conflict, thereby showing modest understanding for the predicament he allegedly is in. We inform them that as much as we are there to help our client, we will do our utmost not to let things escalate further and bring further damage to the client/debtor relationship. In this way we often create a bond and a feeling of mutual trust. it is our experience that this approach is very effective in order to bring the debtor back to the negotiation table.

Within the six weeks before a case would eventually have to go to Court, we gradually intensify the number of collection calls to the debtor. In case there is sufficient willingness of the debtor, this has proven to be ample time to arrange a debt settlement. If this does not happen we have to advise our client to start legal proceedings for which we will continue being their representative party.

NEW: an instant collection call on demand

Normally clients are sending us their collection cases by which we start a collection process in which we ace on the basis of no cure no fee and take a commission. As we are aware that many especially small businesses do not have the luxury to pay commission on overdue accounts, we offer to merely make a one-off collection calls. These collection calls are made by a lawyer, and in this way will convey the urgency of the matter. This is for any creditor a cost-efficient and quick way to put pressure on your non-paying client. An extra advantage is that you as creditor can send us your instructions as to the preferred tone and the level of pressure you wish to utter. Despite not paying for the moment, the debtor may still wish to remain your client again for the future, and you do thus wish to preserve some benign relations.