Handing an Account to a Collector

Gather the essentials

A collector can only act as fast as the information you provide. Before you refer an account, pull together the core facts: the debtor's full legal and trading name, current contact details, the invoices and amounts owed, the dates they fell due, and your trading terms. Include any signed agreement, purchase order, or proof the work was delivered. A complete, organised file lets a collector verify the debt and begin immediately, while a half-built one stalls at the first question. The quality of your handover directly shapes how quickly the matter moves.

Hand over your contact history

The record you have built throughout your own follow-up is gold to a collector. Provide the trail of reminders sent, calls made, promises given and broken, and any disputes raised and resolved. This history shows the debt has been properly pursued and fairly noticed, and it tells the collector exactly which approaches have already failed — so they do not waste time repeating them. A documented sequence of fair, escalating contact also strengthens the position considerably. This is precisely why diligent record-keeping during in-house collections pays off at handover.

Know what happens next

Once an account is referred, a good collector typically reviews the file, verifies the debt, and opens contact with the debtor under a fresh, professional voice — and that change of voice alone often shifts a dynamic that had become stuck with you. You should expect to be kept informed of progress and consulted before any major step is taken in your name. Handing over does not mean losing visibility or control; it means transferring the day-to-day chasing to people who do it constantly and have seen every excuse before. Agreeing upfront how and when you will hear about progress keeps you comfortable and avoids surprises while the recovery runs, so the handover feels like delegation rather than abandonment.

Understand commission-only recovery

With a commission-only agency, the cost equation is simple: you pay a fee only on what is actually recovered, so there is no upfront outlay and no cost at all if a debt cannot be collected. That structure also aligns the agency's incentive squarely with collecting your money — they are paid when you are paid, not before. For an ageing account where your own time already has a real cost, that makes referral a genuinely low-risk decision rather than a gamble. There is little downside to letting a specialist attempt what your own follow-up could not. When an account has reached the end of your in-house process and the file is ready, you can refer a debt to start recovery.