Collection & Credit Insights
June 2004
SUMMER'S HERE!!!
“Summer’s here, that suits me fine
It may rain today but I don’t mind
It’s my favorite time of the year and
I’m glad that it’s here”
-James Taylor
I love that song and I love summer too.
Last winter, I was putting in some marathon hours on a pretty regular basis. The weather was bad and the skies were ugly, so I would take some time off during the week to do some of the things I was dreaming about. Take the kids fishing for a few hours, sneak out and play with some collector buddies or just go home and grab a beer and sit in the sun and talk to my wife, Marti. After all, look at the hours I’m putting in. I should be able to bank a few. Slip away without feeling like a kid skipping school praying not to get caught.
A couple years ago I befriended a couple of Germans on vacation here in the states, only to learn that in most European countries the work force takes, and in some cases is required to take, from six to ten weeks off each year. They qualified it by saying it makes for a more productive worker. Lazy Europeans, I thought. How possibly could that much time be taken off and it not effect the efficiency of the company? They were just trying to smokescreen the issue. Lazy Europeans.
What brings up this whole issue of taking time off was yesterday, in speaking with an executive at a hospital. He told me with great enthusiasm and a twinkle in his eye how he took the day before off. “What did you do?” I queried. “I did some chores around the house that I had been putting off for way too long, like sharpening the mower blades. You know that kind of stuff.” Not the answer I was expecting. But he was just so pleased he took care of those nagging little things he had been putting off for so long, it inspired me.
So if you think this month’s article is a little short, maybe not as good as the others, you’re right. You see I’m in a bit of a hurry. A hurry to get the article done cause I’m ...Shhhhh… sneaking out early and taking a few hours to goof off. I suggest you try it sometime too.
“Summer’s here, I’m for that
Got my rubber sandals got my straw hat
Got my cold beer, man I’m glad that it’s here.”
-James Taylor
Bob Barden
R.J.. (Bob) Barden, Jr.
Office Location
Ann Arbor Credit Bureau
(734) 665-6173
(800) 710-4821
Upcoming Events
Credit Professional of AA
June 8, 2004
Michigan Tow Rodeo
August 13 - 15, 2004
Collections Seminar
October 15, 2004
Welcome to Our New Clients
- Step Ahead Learning Ctr.
- Pennington Gas - Coopersville
- Pennington Gas - Fenton
- Starting Small Preschool
- Dever, Ewing & Co., CPA
People don't care how much
you know, until they know how much you . . .
collect
Phone Numbers
Client/Sales questions
800-710-4821
Mortgage Dept
800-684-2738
Customers to pay bills
800-741-6955
Report payments
734-665-6173
High Payment of the Month
High payment honors this month go to Jon Kramer. He collected $3178.00 for a local area hospital.
Congratulations Jon!
Summer Hours:
Summer hours-effective from Memorial Day to Labor Day:
Monday-Thursday 8:30 am to 6 pm
Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm
Welcome!!
We want to welcome Shannon Iuni to our “Credit
Bureau family”. Shannon has joined our collection
team and is already doing a great job collecting on your accounts. Welcome Shannon!
Credit Professionals of Ann Arbor Meeting
Credit Professionals of Ann Arbor will meet at Weber’s Inn on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 from 7:30am to 9:00am. The featured speaker will be Mary Dahlke, Vice-President of Marketing and Employee Development at the University of Michigan Credit Union. The topic of discussion will behow to launch a successful project.
Meeting fee is $10.00. Please contact Rebecca Burk at 734-994-6928 for reservations.
Credit Counselors Victimizing Debt-Ridden Consumers
Consumers drowning in credit-card debt increasingly are being victimized by poor service, hidden charges and high fees charged by some credit counseling agencies that often leave them even deeper in debt, Senate investigators have found. Consumer complaints are on the rise as new companies come into the counseling business and abuses proliferate, according to a report released today by the bipartisan investigative panel of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The investigators found a pattern of abuse among some counseling agencies, especially new entrants to the field.
With personal bankruptcies surging to record levels in this country, there is a deep pool of customers for credit counseling companies often the last stop before a bankruptcy filing. Credit counselors historically have been financed by banks that issue credit cards but those contributions have been declining, forcing credit agencies to charge fees.
One of the agencies is industry giant AmeriDebt Inc., which has been sued by the Federal Trade Commission and five states, plus consumers. The FTC alleged that the company used deceptive marketing to bilk hundreds of thousands of customers and failed to educate people about how to get out of debt.
Jackson Citizen Patriot
And the Winner is...
This past weekend Carol, “Harley” (Bob’s motorcycle, our convention companion) and I attended the Michigan Dental Association Convention at Cobo Conference Center in Detroit. (Where we are unfortunately not playing hockey anymore this year!) As usual, Harley was just glowing with all the attention he received.
We would like to thank all our clients that stopped by our booth to say hello and announce the winner of the $200 Harley-Davidson gift certificate. The winner is:
Sandi Hammond from Dr. RM Arnett’s office in Saline
Congratulations to our lucky winner! Hope to see you all next year.
Debbie Hundersmarck
Client Consultant
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