August 14, 1920 



[i <• K'T I (• r \/y II i{ K 



111 



RESURRECTING DEAD DEBTS 



Some Suggestions for rhc Fl 

 Collecting 



Where Is the florist having a busi- 

 ness of any proportions who does not 

 possess a private graveyard wherein 

 are buried an assortment of dead ac- 

 counts which he has charged off to 

 profit and loss? Like any other busi- 

 ness man, the florist is bound to be 

 stung. Perhaps, in fact, he is more 

 apt to be stung than the average man 

 in business because he deals in what 

 the public terms luxuries, and the or- 

 dinary man does not fed verj' badly 

 if he strains his account at a florist's 

 shop. 



Still a large proportion of the 

 florists' losses might be obviated if 

 the right methods were followed. Of 

 course, the bill collector is a familiar 

 gentleman, and is employed to a large 

 extent. Sometimes, however, he costs 

 more than the value of the collection 

 to be made, and it is quite possible to 

 do a large amount of collecting in a 

 very successful way through the aid 

 of Uncle Sam's mall service. A sys- 

 tem has been worked out very fully 

 by a Charleston concern and is de- 

 scribed in the Retail Public I.,edKer. 

 From the moment the debt is con- 

 tracted, the concern holds, the debtor 

 is a prospect — that is, a prospective 

 payer. 



"Never let the prospective payer 

 forget that he or she cvos." is the 



orist Who Has Difficulty in 

 Accounts 



guiding principle. "Persist in adver- 

 tising the debt until the prospect is 

 won over." 



Instead of waiting until the first of 

 the following months, as many stores 

 do, bills for purchases are mailed 

 Avithin a few days after the transac- 

 tion. By this method prompt payment 

 is secured from that blessed class of 

 customers wlio pay their bills 

 promptly and who would otherwise 

 wait until the first. 



In the IVIails Promptly 



Promptly on the first of the month 

 statements of accounts are mailed to 

 all customers on the books, the state- 

 ments showing all balances and debits 

 and credits of the preceding month. 

 Most stores, of course, send out state- 

 ments on the first, but the Charleston 

 store makes it a point to mail the 

 statements on the first day of the 

 month and not on the second, the 

 third, the fourth or the fifth day. In 

 this way it keeps ahead of the compe- 

 tition of the statements that are 

 mailed out later. It advertises the 

 customer's debt before other creditors 

 advertise. 



Thenceforth the debtors are regu- 

 larly reminded of their debts until 

 the accounts are paid, or it is realized 

 that they are so hopeless and worth- 

 less that a boll weevil seems like a 

 silk worm in comparison. This does 

 not mean that indiscriminate and in- 

 cessant dunning is employed. Not at 



all. CuBtomeys' are given ample time 

 to pay and only i)erfunctory reminders, 

 such as regular statements or polite, 

 meaningless letters, are sent at 

 healthy intervals. This advertislns 

 tor pajTuents must be as unobjection- 

 able as dunning cjn possibly be. 



It Is not until the account shows 

 signs of neslect that special efforts are 

 made. The problem then resolves 

 itself into one of writing individual 

 letters that will do the work. Here the 

 fascinating part of the "advertsing" 

 campaign commences. The debtor is 

 titckled first from one angle and then 

 another, and it will be discovered by 

 all creditors who persist that it is a 

 terrifically hard-boiled customer who 

 cannot be in some manner reached. 

 The vulnerable spot is there except in 

 very unusual cases. It may be in a 

 hidden recess in the conscience, or it 

 may lodge in the debtor's sense of 

 pride or dignity. 



Perhaps a unique attempt at rea- 

 soning may achieve the desired effect 

 or a subtle appeal to the temperament 

 may do the work. Even the customer 

 who has been so indul.sred by other 

 careless creditors that ordinarily he is 

 impenious to requests for payment, 

 can be won over. That weak spot 

 must be discovered by the collection 

 man. Persistence, combined with an 

 inquiry into the occupation, general 

 circumstances and nature of the cus- 

 tomer, will eventually perform the 

 miracle. 



The secret may lie in a campaign 

 of attrition. Here is a letter that suc- 

 ceeded after several other letters had 

 failed to bring a favorable response 

 from a customer who disputed a por- 

 tion of the account, but had made n(. 

 effort to pay any of it: 



<.K(>K(.K .V.sMl s 



! hilimiiin. Nntlonal Flower .show 



Coniniitt-ee 



U II.I.IAM r. (,l l>K 

 M'li'-liinfcton KrprpNpntative 



HENRY TKXX 

 Chairman, FobUcity Conunittee 



