Published: September 10, 2024 - The Credit and Collections Specialist responsible for the timely collection of customer and vendor payments, this role meticulously monitors and resolves payment discrepancies, including short payments and disputed variances. Efforts include conducting outbound collection calls, maintaining professional communication, and managing client billing issues to uphold high standards of customer service. The position also involves generating aging reports to prioritize delinquent accounts and maintaining robust relationships with sales and station staff to meet departmental goals and metrics.
An Introduction to Professional Skills and Functions for Credit and Collections Specialist with a Cover Letter
1. Details for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Review and collection of delinquent accounts
- Review and approval of credit limits for new and current customers
- Generation of internal collection progress reports
- Identification and implementation of new ways to improve collections
- Build strong relationships and lines of communication with all departments within the company
- Responsible for all aspects of credit and collection for assigned groups of customers
- Prepare and submit lien waiver documents
- Conduct credit investigations and make recommendations for new and existing accounts
- Establish and maintain account files and computer records
- Written and verbal correspondence with internal and external customers
Skills: Credit Management, Collections Strategy, Reporting and Analysis, Process Improvement, Interdepartmental Communication, Documentation and Compliance, Credit Investigations, Record Management
2. Roles for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Manage customer relationships by collecting past due receivables and resolving delinquent accounts in an assigned geographical territory
- Analyze customer information such as equipment usage and value, crop planting cycles, income stream, weather conditions and economic data to determine the viability of alternative payment arrangements while protecting company assets
- Utilize all available collection tools to resolve past due accounts and promote customer retention
- Provide best-in-class service on incoming calls from CNH Industrial Customers and CNH Industrial dealers
- Maintain assigned performance objectives for daily/monthly call volumes, phone availability, quality assessments, monthly delinquency targets and collection tool utilization
- Work within the framework of established CNH Industrial Capital policies, procedures and approval authorities to ensure compliance with federal, state and local requirements
- Responsible for working with customers to collect on complex and large dollar accounts
- Reports on progress to Sales and AR leadership
- Responsible for implementing guardrails to prevent customers from falling behind again, tracking and monitoring accounts
- Maintains promissory notes for the region
- Responsible for mentoring new hires for the team
Skills: Customer Relationship Management, Data Analysis, Collection Tools, Customer Service, Performance Targets, Compliance, Reporting, Mentoring
3. Responsibilities for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Process credit applications by verifying trade and bank references.
- Provide information to the Director of Accounting and CFO for account set-up
- Set up new accounts by Director of Accounting - Create and mail welcome letters to new accounts
- Research payment discrepancies and work with A/R to have corrections posted as necessary
- Responsible for maintaining customer files by ensuring that all files have complete information including credit application, sales tax exemption or resale certificates.
- Files should be separated by status active, closed, collection agency, bankruptcies and write-offs
- Contact accounts regarding past due invoices and secure payments or payment commitments
- Maintain detailed record of all collections efforts – phone calls, faxes, e-mails, letters, honored and dishonored payment commitments - online where possible.
- When an online comment is not possible, documentation is to be maintained in the customer account files
- Work closely with the Director of Accounting in managing account credit limits and payment terms to minimize exposure to bad debt
Skills: Credit Application Processing, Account Setup, Payment Discrepancy Resolution, Customer File Management, Collections, Detailed Record-Keeping, Credit Limit Management, Effective Communication
4. Functions for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Review and approve/disapprove requests for credit limit increases within Company policy.
- Confer with the Director or CFO when necessary
- Receive NSF and other rejected checks from the A/R supervisor for appropriate collection efforts
- Provide documentation to the Director of Accounting to determine if legal action or a write-off is appropriate when collection efforts have been unsuccessful
- Provide recommendations for A/R write-offs to the Director or CFO
- Assist with the monthly mail-out of A/R statements, and provide invoice copies to customers upon request
- Run and distribute salesman reports and past due account reports including reports for individual stores
- Resolution of disputed items
- Reconciliation of payment deductions from customers
- Manage relations with credit reporting agencies
Skills: Credit Limit Analysis, Financial Documentation, Collection Management, Dispute Resolution, Write-Off Recommendations, Reporting and Distribution, Customer Service, Credit Reporting Relations
5. Accountabilities for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Conduct daily collection activity to resolve discrepancies on past due invoices and document accounts accordingly including collections calls, emails, etc.
- Follow up on payments, ensuring customer obligations are met
- Research billing disputes and issues (returns, discounts, sales tax, etc) and reconcile accounts
- Analyze aging reports daily
- Review customers on credit hold, determining the best course of action, daily order releases
- Assist in setting credit limits for new customers
- Print and distribute customer statements, cross-train to create invoices, issue credits, post cash and handle sales tax
- Process credit card payments
- Oversee and monitor performance of outsourced collections function
- Perform collection responsibilities for domestic customers
- Provides credit references to other companies.
- Manages invoice distribution including updating customer portals.
Skills: Collections Management, Accounts Reconciliation, Aging Report Analysis, Credit Management, Customer Statement Management, Payment Processing, Outsourced Collections Oversight, Cross-Training and Versatility
6. Tasks for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Monthly reporting & quarterly reporting
- Performs credit and collection duties for large and moderately complex customer accounts, including telephone collections, account authorization, and account management.
- Collect past due accounts, utilizing available technology and collection strategies.
- Assist with account resolutions for misapplied cash and refers problem accounts to supervisors.
- Manage assigned accounts to maintain low levels of delinquency
- Oversee domestic customer accounts receivable
- Review and post cash application
- Attend weekly meetings with Operations and Customer Service/Order Entry
- Input on weekly cash forecast and Dispute chargebacks
- Partner with sales and distribution departments on a regular basis to communicate credit decisions, timely review of new customers, manage orders on credit hold, expedited orders, and to find solutions to customer issues
- Manage customer credit files and ensure maintenance of accurate credit files and collection files
Skills: Credit and Collection Duties, Accounts Receivable Management, Cash Forecasting and Reporting, Account Resolution, Dispute Chargebacks, Cross-Departmental Communication, Credit File Management, Meeting Coordination
7. Expectations for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Perform comprehensive analyses of customers’ financial histories to ascertain whether such entities qualify for lines of credit.
- Negotiate credit lines and repayment options.
- Monitor and maintain assigned accounts to reduce delinquency, collection issues, client discrepancies, and short payments
- Manage payment applications to customer accounts, including account adjustments and processing refunds
- Determine the creditworthiness of new and existing customers including determining appropriate credit limits
- Investigate customer deductions for proper authorization and aggressively pursue claims with customers that are not approved or unsupported.
- Manage lien rights on contractor business
- Establish effective and cooperative working relationships with customers and the sales department
- Enlist the efforts of the sales and/or senior management to accelerate the collection process when necessary
- Create weekly and monthly aging reports highlighting action steps on past-due customers
- Meet defined department goals and activity metrics
Skills: Credit Analysis, Negotiation, Account Monitoring, Payment Management, Dispute Resolution, Lien Management, Relationship Building, Reporting
8. Competencies for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Review documents to ensure completion and accuracy.
- Complete collection calls and/or correspondence related to delinquent balances.
- Contacts business customers/clients by phone, email, or mail regarding accounts and is responsible for ensuring the collection of past-due accounts.
- Proactively manage customer accounts to ensure timely collection of past due balances.
- Implement procedures for timely resolution of exceptions caused by short payments, deductions, disputed charges, cash receipt application discrepancies, etc.
- Responsible for researching, analyzing, root cause analysis, and problem-solving of customer disputes.
- Ensures barriers to payment, such as proper approvals, expired POs, and disputes are quickly identified and mediated.
- Works closely with customers, sales, customer service, and other external and internal teams to the business to reconcile accounts.
- Analyze financial statements, credit reports, and references, to establish or maintain credit limit.
- Ensure timely and accurate completion of all month, quarter, and year-end AR-related close items.
- Maintain accurate credit files and collection files.
Skills: Document Accuracy, Debt Collection, Account Management, Dispute Resolution, Root Cause Analysis, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Financial Analysis, AR Close Management
9. Capabilities for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Analyze new credit applications, which will include credit investigations and limit recommendations
- Monitor and adjust credit limits for the existing customer base
- Determine when additional security to mitigate risk
- Make collection calls to follow up on past-due or exceeding credit limit customers
- Work closely with the Cash Application Dept. to accurately process payments as well as communicate with customers on the various payment platforms available to them
- Meet Company and Department goals to ensure the portfolio maintains a high level of success
- Provide a professional, courteous customer service experience to internal & external customers
- Communicate frequently with internal partners to aid in dispute resolution, account concerns, etc.
- Complete account reconciliations
- Prepare monthly aging reports and concern reports within established timelines.
- Provide customer service regarding collection issues, process, and review account adjustments, and resolve discrepancies and short payments.
Skills: Credit Risk Analysis, Credit Limit Management, Risk Mitigation, Collections Management, Payment Processing Coordination, Customer Service, Account Reconciliation, Dispute Resolution
10. Performance Metrics for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Collect customer/vendor payments in accordance with payment due dates
- Monitor, research, and resolve short payments/disputed variances to determine the cause for the discrepancy
- Identify and resolve issues attributing to account delinquency
- Review open accounts for collection efforts
- Run Aging reports to determine which delinquent accounts to collect on
- Make outbound collection calls and communicate in a professional customer service-oriented manner
- Resolve client billing problems and answer customer/vendor inquiries
- Maintain a forecast of anticipated collection for all invoices
- Resolves invalid or unauthorized deductions including short payments and rate discrepancies by following the company deductions procedure
- Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with sales and station staff.
- Meet defined department goals and activity metrics.
Skills: Accounts Receivable Management, Dispute Resolution, Delinquency Management, Aging Report Analysis, Effective Communication, Billing Problem Resolution, Forecasting and Planning, Interdepartmental Collaboration
What Are the Qualifications and Requirements for Credit and Collections Specialist in a Cover Letter?
1. Knowledge And Abilities for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Strong Verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail, customer service skills and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently and manage one’s time
- Experience with computer applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and any other related data entry or accounting software
- Ability to work collaboratively with all departments, management levels within the company
- SAP experience is a plus
- Experience working in a Credit, Collections, or Accounts Receivable position
- Experience in a Customer Facing role
- Proficiency in Math and Accounting skills
- Proficiency in Financial Analysis
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word Products, particularly Word and Excel
Qualifications: BA in Finance with 2 years of Experience
2. Experience and Requirements for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Experience with the Apparel Industry
- Experience with credit scoring systems preferred
- Knowledge of credit-related laws
- Experience with customer negotiations
- Experience with Trade credit
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel and Word is essential.
- Excellent communication, problem-solving and analytical skills
- Experience with SAP, SharePoint and Salesforce
- Capable of identifying and completing critical tasks independently with a sense of urgency.
- Experience in the high-tech industry
Qualifications: BA in Accounting with 1 year of Experience
3. Skills, Knowledge, and Experience for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Experience in a business-to-business environment, with proven ability to reduce overdue accounts for an assigned portfolio
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Excellent customer service skills with the ability to handle difficult customer situations
- Excellent time management and problem-solving skills
- Strong knowledge of MS Excel, including pivot tables and Vlookups
- Experience with ERP systems (Visual Manufacturing and SAP experience a plus)
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent attention to detail to ensure accuracy
- Action orientation with a strong sense of urgency
- Ability to learn new systems and processes in a timely manner and adapt to changing processes and procedures
- Ability to work well independently as well as part of a team
Qualifications: BA in Business Administration with 5 years of Experience
4. Requirements and Experience for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Experience in a credit role, with direct industry experience within a business-to-business, retail service or wholesale industry focusing on tangible merchandise.
- Experience in Setting limits and negotiation of payments.
- Experience with Accounts receivable and reconciliation.
- Basic proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Experience in an inbound/outbound call center environment.
- Experience in credit, collections, or customer service environments.
- Experience with SAP
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Effective oral and written communication skills, organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative and handle multiple tasks.
- Ability to handle sensitive situations and maintain customer loyalty while working through the resolution process
Qualifications: BA in Economics with 4 years of Experience
5. Education and Experience for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Strong Bilingual such as fluent in English & French
- Very good understanding of the freight forwarding industry
- Good knowledge of regulatory and legal requirements
- Experience in used accounting systems
- Solid experience in MS Excel (e.g. Pivot Tables, charts, etc.)
- High degree of conceptual and analytical skills
- Strong communication skills (verbal and written)
- Strong results and customer-focused
- Good understanding of the local market both at the macroeconomic and industry level.
- Experience working with an outsourced team
Qualifications: BS in Financial Management with 3 years of Experience
6. Professional Background for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Strong verbal and written communication skills (make complex ideas easy to understand)
- Strong analytical, problem solving and presentation skills
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines under pressure
- Have a willingness to provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers
- Skilled user in MS Office software and Cloud base technology
- Experience in the credit and collections field
- Advanced Excel skills (formulas, formatting, charting, pivot tables and reporting).
- Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills with clear diction, confidence, and a friendly vocal image.
- Ability to collaborate and work well in a team-oriented environment.
- Detail and deadline-oriented
- Experience dealing with Vendors
Qualifications: BS in Business Management with 4 years of Experience
7. Education and Qualifications for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Exceptional communication and amazing people skills with the ability to build and maintain trusted relationships
- Ability and drive to deliver high-quality results with a strong attention to detail
- Ability to juggle multiple priorities and problem-solving skills to support a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated project management skills across a wide range of disciplines with an emphasis on customer service
- Flexible with the ability to multi-task, efficient, timely and reliable
- Experience with strong account reconciliation
- General understanding of accounting principles
- Working knowledge of MS Outlook, Excel (vertical lookups, pivot tables, etc.) and Word
- Demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment
- Strong decision-making, judgment and organizational skills
Qualifications: BS in Accounting with 3 years of Experience
8. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for Account Manager Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Proficient in MS Office product suite with a strong working knowledge of Outlook, Excel and Word.
- Experience with Aderant and/or related accounting systems
- Ability to be results/target oriented both in the individual portfolio, within a collection team environment as well as contributing results to the overall success on a company-wide basis
- Strong client service orientation and ability to manage multiple client requirements at the same time
- Ability to interact with senior members of the Firm, including the Partners and Senior Management
- Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written), attention to detail, efficient and organized
- Time management and organizational skills in order to efficiently multi-task and prioritize among many demands
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment and ability to multitask
- Ability to communicate effectively with customers and salespeople
- Ability to take detailed directions and follow through as instructed.
- Ability to handle large quantities of work with minimal mistakes
Qualifications: BS in Economics with 5 years of Experience
9. Accomplishments for Account Manager Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Ability to set up new customers, review credit
- Ability to make daily collection calls
- Ability to conduct account research and analysis
- Ability to prepare and maintain various reports
- Ability to send statements to customers
- Ability to interact with customers to resolve outstanding issues
- Ability to prepare collection letters, notice of intent to lien, and lien documents
- Experience in verifying credit history information for new accounts
- Experience in recommending customer credit limits and credit status
- Experience in monitoring customer creditworthiness and changing status on customer master accordingly
- Experience in responding to all customer inquiries relating to credit
- Experience in inquiring as to problems or delays with the payment of delinquent invoices
Qualifications: BA in Risk Management with 4 years of Experience
10. Key Qualifications for Credit and Collections Specialist Cover Letter
- Knowledge of Mac OS X
- Proficiency in any accounting system
- Knowledge of Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot tables)
- A problem solver with an analytical mind
- A strong Critical thinker and skilled negotiator
- Able to work independently and adapt to a fast-changing environment
- Ability to maintain and resolve Email requests. (waivers, billing issues, short pays, references, etc)
- Ability to work with attorneys on collection issues
- Ability to prepare weekly meetings with Finance & General Managers to review AR and discuss new business
- Experience in reconciling customer A/R accounts
Qualifications: BA in Business Finance with 3 years of Experience