ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

August 19, 2014

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Want to Improve Internal Collection Results? Stay in Contact with Your Customers

Setting Aside a Few Hours Each Week Could Mean Big Results.
In today’s sagging economy, the business that stays in constant contact with its customers is the one most likely to get paid first. By creating an internal system that allows you to contact your customers weekly when they fall behind on their utility bill, you’ll be able to increase your collections and reduce your bad debt write-offs.
A contact management software that allows you to schedule calls and merge the data into letters is the most effective way to handle past due accounts in the first 30-90 days before you refer them to collections.
Like most utilities, we know that you’re probably overworked and understaffed, but setting aside 2-3 hours each week that is solely dedicated to collections is a small price to pay to make sure your receivables continue to pay on time.
Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

May 6, 2014

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ONLINE Follows “The Golden Rule.” Does Your Agency?

It’s how we conduct business every day, treating everyone we contact as we would want to be treated. In the debt collections industry, it’s definitely the exception rather than the rule.

ONLINE treats your debtors with dignity and respect. We don’t believe in fear and intimidation tactics. It’s the way we’ve operated since our inception in 1956.

“The Golden Rule” philosophy is also incorporated into our training program – a training program that has been recognized by the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA) as the industry standard. 

“Nice” has worked at ONLINE for almost 60 years.

Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

April 29, 2014

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The Final Word on Demand Letters

We’re often asked whether a utility should send one final demand letter before turning a file over to collections. The answer: absolutely.

It’s certainly in your own financial interests to make a last, best attempt to recover your own debts before turning them over to a third-party agency.

They key here is LAST. Your final demand letter should include a hard deadline, whether it be 30, 60, or 90 days outstanding. Give your customer one LAST chance to deal with you, but also make sure they understand that the deadline is just that: their final opportunity to work things out.

Set a hard deadline and stick to it. It’s extremely important that you show that you mean business—that if the deadline is not met the account WILL be turned over to a collection agency.

Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

April 22, 2014

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What is the Main Advantage of Performance-Based Fees?

In the past, it was quite common for a collection agency to charge per account placed, along with sign-up, monthly or annual fees. A few agencies still operate this way, but today, such a fee structure is considered archaic and unproductive. Why? Upfront fees remove a major portion of the motivation to collect an account.
Logic dictates who would be more motivated to collect your overdue accounts: the company that has already been paid in advance or the contingency-based company that has to perform and collect in order to be compensated?
Obviously, the contingency fee structure lends itself to a considerably more motivated workforce, which is why the most productive agencies, including ONLINE, choose to do business this way.
Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

April 15, 2014

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The Bad Debt Challenge from the ONLINE Utility Exchange

In 2013, consumer debt in the United States reached almost $3 trillion. Billions are owed to utilities across the nation. Why? The inability to locate debtors who disconnect service and move out of town, never to be heard from again.
Yet, ONLINE Information Services knows exactly where they are as soon as they apply for utility service or rental property in their new city and state. While other agencies are still trying to locate your debtors, ONLINE is busy collecting your money.
That means more of your money in your pocket faster. Call us today to learn how we can help you.
Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
Collections, ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

April 15, 2014

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Visit ONLINE Collections at the 2014 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference & Expo.

During the 2014 AGA/EEI Customer Service Conference & Expo at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, CA,  be sure to visit ONLINE April 22-23 at Booth 704 to learn why utilities across the nation are choosing ONLINE Collections to eliminate their bad debt.
An industry leader for almost 60 years, ONLINE Collections offers a total approach to eliminating your bad debt. With our exclusive Exchange Advantage and cutting-edge predictive dialer technology, ONLINE is the industry leader in utility collections, contacting more debtors more frequently than any other service.
One of the biggest benefits of working with ONLINE Collections is our proprietary “Exchange Network” comprised of utility service providers and property managers throughout the nation. Designed specifically to overcome the most difficult obstacles in the recovery process, our “Exchange Advantage” helps us avoid common stopping points, such as outdated phone numbers and addresses, when locating debtors.

Be sure to visit Booth 704 to learn why utilities throughout the US have chosen ONLINE Collections!

Sincerely,
ONLINE Collections
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange |

April 15, 2014

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Visit the ONLINE Utility Exchange at the 2014 Springbrook Annual Client Conference.

During the 2014 Springbrook Customer Conference at the Downtown Hilton Hotel in Portland, be sure to visit ONLINE April 15-17 to learn why Springbrook users across the US have chosen the ONLINE Utility Exchange for all their applicant screening and collection needs.
Springbrook and ONLINE: Partners in Eliminating Bad Debt
ONLINE Information Services, Inc. and Springbrook have partnered together to provide you with seamless access to the ONLINE Utility Exchange: the premier credit risk assessment and bad-debt elimination tool for the utility industry. As industry leaders, both Springbrook and ONLINE recognized the importance of eliminating bad debt and have worked closely together to offer you this service within your Springbrook software.
Integrated fully within Springbrook, the ONLINE Utility Exchange allows you to assess the delinquency risk applicants pose, charge an appropriate deposit, and verify applicant identity instantly to protect your organization. The ONLINE Utility Exchange gives you real-time access to the payment experiences of utilities nationwide, and with no need to enter applicant information twice, your workflow remains intact.
Be sure to visit us our booth to learn more!
Sincerely,
The ONLINE Utility Exchange
Collections, Mortgage Reports, ONLINE Information Services, Rental Exchange, Utility Exchange, Web Credit Bureau |

April 11, 2014

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ONLINE’s Systems Unaffected by “Heartbleed” Security Flaw

As you may have read in the news, a new security vulnerability nicknamed “Heartbleed” was recently discovered.  Heartbleed is a serious flaw in a feature of a popular SSL software package called OpenSSL.  This package is used on almost all Linux servers to secure transmissions.

Please be aware that ONLINE’s systems are not affected by Heartbleed because we use Microsoft servers, which do not use OpenSSL.  This means they are not vulnerable to this threat, and our client and consumer data remains secure. In addition, ONLINE employs IP address restrictions and two-factor user authentication, and we require users to change passwords regularly, all of which help mitigate security threats.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
ONLINE Information Services, Inc.
CustomerService@ONLINEis.com
ONLINE Information Services, Utility Exchange, What's New Utility Exchange, Whats New |

April 8, 2014

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Holland BPW Chooses the ONLINE Utility Exchange to Determine Deposit Requirements for Applicants.

We are pleased to announce that Holland BPW in Michigan has chosen the ONLINE Utility Exchange to determine deposits for new applicants.  By screening applicants through the ONLINE Utility Exchange, Holland will be able to prevent bad debt before it starts by assessing an appropriate deposit based on the applicant’s credit risk.  To view the press release, click here or visit http://images.onlineis.com/holland-bpw-deals-wit.pdf.
The ONLINE Utility Exchange