Tag Archives: Business

FIRMS: A Better Debt Collection Company

I have always had the type of personality and spirit about em that i want to help people.  I can always remember seeing a product out there or a service offered and almost immediately being able to recognize various ways I could improve on those products and services.  The same is true of the debt collection industry.  I had never given the debt collection industry much thought but once I had started doing some investigating into the industry I quickly realized all the ways I could improve upon the experience and services that were being offered by the industry leaders.

One of the main area’s we researched was finding out the top complaints people had filed against other debt collection companies.  According to a website called ‘Florida Debt Fighters” the top complaints against debt collection companies in the state of Florida are as follows:

  • Falsely represents the character, amount or status of the debt
  • Calls repeatedly or continuously
  • Falsely threatens suit/illegal or unintended act
  • Fails to send written notice of debt
  • Falsely threatens arrest, seizure of property
  • Fails to identify self as a debt collector
  • Calls someone repeatedly to obtain debtor’s location
  • Calls debtor at work knowing debtor can’t take calls
  • Uses obscene, profane or otherwise abusive language

I knew when I started FIRMS that we would make sure to treat our customers and even those we were going to be collecting from in ways that would follow a path opposite of these complaints.  FIRMS makes sure to work with the most integrity and business professionalism as to ensure we will never have such horrible complaints filed against our company.  

When you sign with FIRMS you can be guaranteed that we will collect on those outstanding debts for your business.  We will handle each account with the best customer service and professionalism.  And we will ensure that we handle every situation to the direct guidelines set in place for debt collection companies.

We look forward to earning your business.

  • FIRMS

 

Helping People To Get Results.

Helping People To Get Results.

The world of business and sales has continually developed over the years and successful companies have gone from trying to aggressively sell their products and services to potential customers to realizing and understanding that it is far more important to help their customers find a solution to their problems.  In the world of business we are realizing that it is far more important to help your customer find a solution, to help them through a difficult process in order to earn their business and also earn a customer for life.

FIRMS is a debt collection company that specializes in helping our customer work through difficult situations.  This is our area of expertise in the debt and financial world.  Whether it be helping local companies collect on outstanding debts, helping the customer we call to collect from in assisting them through difficult work related issues such as helping to build their resume or sending it out to assist them in finding new employment, or through this blog in helping you learn about the ins and outs of the financial world and how you can better manage and handle your money.

A lot of people may visit this blog produced by FIRMS and wonder why we write about topics like saving and paying off debt or managing your monthly finances through a budget.  For FIRMS we care about our customers, we care about anyone needing help or advice and education on managing their finances.  We care about local communities, we care about helping more Americans get out of debt and save for their families and their own lives.

FIRMS is a rare breed in the world of debt collection companies for one simple reason; we care about the customers and people we deal with every day.  You will never catch FIRMS focused on the almighty dollar, you will never find FIRMS only interested in collecting from individuals in any way possible.  You will always find FIRMS caring for our customers and helping people find positive solutions.

 

  • FIRMS

Saving For An Emergency

Saving For An Emergency

A great way to get out of debt is to save and pay off your debts.  Right?  Sounds simple enough.  But there is also another step that comes before paying off debts, this is a step that a lot of people do not fully understand and can result in going further into debt.

This is another common principle that a lot of financial experts advise their clients and fan base to pursue.  The principle is establishing an emergency fund prior to paying off your personal debts.  

For some of us, we went into debt in the first place because there was a form of an emergency that we were not prepared or financially equipped to handle at the moment and the way of handling the financial burden was to use a credit card or take out a no-interest loan that later became impossible to pay off in time.

An emergency fund is a great way to, well, prepare for an emergency.  A standard amount that most experts agree on saving is $1,000.  Now this is where things can get a little tricky.

We believe that you should work towards establishing this $1,000 emergency fund BEFORE you begin paying off your debts.  The logic is simple, if you begin paying off your debts and run into an emergency, you will still not be financially equipped to handle the emergency and will go further into debt.  

Despite what your expenses may be or what level your income stands, saving $1,000 into an emergency fund will be enough to handle most issues that may arise in your financial life.  Make sure your emergency fund is located in a liquid form.  You do not want to have the easiest access to your money, unless you have exceptional self-control, but you also need to insure that you have total access in the event there is an emergency.  A savings account is a great example while a CD or stuffing your $1,000 under the mattress may not be the best places to store your money.

Once you have saved the initial $1,000 you can begin paying off your debts little by little.

But the most important aspect to remember is that you are developing a healthier financial intelligence concerning your personal finances.  No matter how difficult it may seem to save the $1,000 remember you can literally do anything you put your time, energy, and thoughts to.  

Here’s to you saving money and paying off debt!

 

FIRMS, FDCPA Compliant

FIRMS

We have talked about this topic before but we feel it is important to remind you about some of the great practices FIRMS has set in place as a premier debt collection agency that sets us apart from other debt collection companies in the industry.

First and foremost FIRMS is a staunch follower of the rules and regulations set in place with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.  FIRMS prides itself in being not only a follower of these practices but also in providing friendly, supportive, and knowledgeable support to our customers and to the individuals we are collecting from.

A quick Google search will show you a complete list of practices that all debt collection companies MUST comply with and there is a comprehensive list of actions that debt collection businesses may never use.  Among this list are rules such as not being allowed to contact a person outside the hours of 8:00AM and 9:00PM, submitting false information to an individual’s credit report, calling repeatedly with intent to annoy or harass, increasing the amount of money owed on the debt, and using harsh or abusive language.  

You know what strikes me most about the few items listed in the paragraph above?  This list was obviously created because at some point a debt collection company used these tactics to collect money from someone.  See, at FIRMS we find this kind of behavior and these actions to be repulsive for a debt collection agency.  We work hard to insure that we treat everyone we contact with most respect and we have policies and practices in place to assist anyone that may need help.  As most of you already know, if FIRMS calls a family to collect on a debt and that person is out of a job, FIRMS will assist them in building a resume and sending that out to help them find work!

FIRMS is changing the way the world views the debt collection industry one customer at a time and we are excited to be on the cutting edge of progressive debt collection companies that are focused on making the lives of those businesses and people we interact with better and better.

Give FIRMS a call today and let us show you how we can help your business collect on those outstanding debts today!

 

  • FIRMS.

FIRMS – Changing the Debt Collection Industry

There was a national article written sometime in 2008 that got a lot of attention for the debt collection industry, a lot of negative attention.  In the article you can read the story of a journalist out of Buffalo New York who went undercover at one of the nation’s largest debt collection agencies.  The article details all of the horrid practices that the debt collection industry is known for.  Harassing customers, making up titles for themselves, in the article the story talks about one employee who masked himself as a “fraud investigator” to make the person he was collecting debt from become scared and hopefully make them settle their debts immediately.  Whatever the practices, the fact remains the industry has some bad eggs out there hurting the people they are collecting from and the businesses they are trying to help grow.

This is one of the main reasons we started FIRMS in the first place.  We wanted to help businesses grow and collect on those outstanding debts but we also wanted to help those average Americans who’d gotten a little behind on their bills or lost their job, we wanted to make sure we were holding true to the best business practices possible.

I cannot begin to tell you how many customers we have that tell us how easy the process is when they are receiving calls from FIRMS.  We make sure that our call specialists are trained to be polite and friendly when contacting individuals who have fallen behind on their bills. We ensure our customers, the local veterinarians or the local optometrist that are working hard to keep their doors open, that we will help them collect on debt and maintain a positive image for their company.

At the end of the day, FIRMS is not just collecting debt from ordinary people, we are making a difference in local communities.  FIRMS is helping solidify the good customer service practices of local businesses we are helping to collect on those outstanding debts.

Contact FIRMS today and let us show you how we can help your business collect and how we can do so with the best practices around!

 

FIRMS Goal for 2016

    Today is the end of a year, 2015, and what a great year it was!  Tomorrow is a new beginning, a new start, a new opportunity for individuals and businesses to grow and to change and to reach the goals and accomplish those tasks that have been on the to-do list for awhile.

At FIRMS we take great pride in being one of the premier debt collection companies in the industry.  Our focus has always been and will continue to be helping doctors office, small businesses, and any other company stay open and profitable by helping to collect on outstanding debts.  FIRMS is very unique and vastly different from other debt collections agencies because we are not just focused on collecting money but on making sure we change the debt collection game in the process.

We have written before about some of the ways FIRMS is unique.  Whether it be our focus on making the account management fast and simple for office managers, or our dedication to helping those individuals we contact to collect from by writing their resume and helping them find work when they are unemployed, or it could be our wanting to change the debt collection industry by offering our clients complete transparency when it comes to the collection process and account updates.

FIRMS is making 2016 a year of growth and change.  We are more committed than ever to help our clients collect on those outstanding debts and to help local communities by collecting in a friendly, uplifting, and effective process.

If you have been reading and are curious as to how FIRMS can help your business, now is the time to contact our offices.  Don’t put off for tomorrow what you should be doing today.

We wish you a very happy New Year and look forward to working with you!
     – FIRMS