Proactive Financial Hardship Management : Supporting Vulnerable Customers Through Face-To- Face Engagement

By Elliott Morey – Head of Field Resolution & Assist

For many vulnerable customers individuals, especially those facing financial hardship, navigating online platforms, completing applications, and/or just trying to work out who to talk to for support can be very overwhelming.

This is where proactive financial hardship management, using field agents for face-to-face customer visits.

The importance of Face-to-Face Engagement ??????????

When customers are experiencing financial difficulties, they are often under intense stress. The very thought of having to complete a hardship application – whether it’s for a utility service, mortgage, or another essential service- can add to the burden. Some may even lack digital literacy or struggle with accessing the technology needed to complete online forms. In these situations, face-to-face engagement offers a personal touch that can significantly improve their experience and the outcomes for both the customer and the service providers.

Field Agents as Key Facilitators

At Access Mercantile Services, we are very proud of the skill and tenure of our exclusive Field Agents. Our agents play a crucial role in bringing the human element to the process. By conducting in person visits, they can offer customers hands on assistance with completing hardship applications. This proactive approach allows agents to:

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1. Build Trust & Rapport: ?Vulnerable customers are more likely to respond positively to someone they meet in person. Field agents can provide reassurance, answer questions on the spot, and guide them through the application process with empathy and understanding.
2. Simplify the Process: Hardship applications can be complex, some customers may struggle with understanding certain terms or documenting correct information. Field agents can simply the process, explaining the steps clearly, ensuring all the critical and necessary paperwork is completed and avoiding back and forth delays linked to inaccurate or incomplete data. At Access Mercantile information is captured in a secure [digital] way through our idebt360 automated CRM that has the latest best of breed cyber and data security controls.
3. Identify Additional support Needs: During face-to- face visits, field agents can assess the customer’s living conditions and identify any additional needs or challenges that the customer may not be facing that is not always evident by phone conversation. This holistic assessment and understanding can lead to better-tailored solutions that go above and beyond just financial relief.
4. Encourage Timely Action: customers facing financial hardship may feel paralysed by their situation. The in-person presence of a field agent helps ensure that important steps, like submitting an application or gathering supporting documents, are completed in a timely manner.

Outside the above, our business has a great opportunity to ‘enhance customer centric service.’ At the core, proactive financial hardship assistance through face-to-face engagement is about placing the customer ‘first. It’s about recognising that no two customers are the same, and tailoring services to meet them where they are – whether on the phone, online or in their own homes! By leveraging the strengths of Access Mercantile Services field agents, you can deliver compassionate, personalised services that goes beyond transactional interactions! ???

You can learn more about our integrated collections model - ACE (Access Credit Ecosystem) at our website www.accessmercantileservices.com.au/services???

Elliott Morey gained extensive experience both as a Field Agent and a Locations Agent. With a proven history of achieving great results for our clients amongst some of the most difficult of situations both in the Field and our Locations Department. As Head of Field Resolution & Assist, Elliott is charged with managing the broader Operations of our entire Field Services function across Operations, Locations and Investigations as well as our Asset Management service.

Experts in the credit management ecosystem, Access Mercantile Services have knowledgeable, dedicated and specialised resources to ensure we keep our clients customer engaged and protect your brand. With a fully integrated end to end credit management model. Underpinned by innovation and technology, we act quickly and with agility to deliver a high success rate for your business. Access Mercantile is ISO accredited, fully compliant and industry affiliated.