The typical / user's day goes about like the scenario we are now going to describe. If you follow this scenario, it will produce an efficient collection operation. The scenario assumes that you collect bills every day, but it can be equally well applied less often. It is automatically followed by / if you type `Daily' from the / prompt to run /.
First we `open the mail'. Any new cases should be entered into the system using the / menu, while payments, disputes, returns, or other things that arrive in the mail are entered into / using the / menus. This tells the tiny experts about the day's activities. Any calls that have come in should be handled as they come in, and any call-backs from incoming calls not yet handled should be handled now using ///.
If you use the `Daily' command to run /, you are asked if there are any new cases, payments, disputes, returns, etc. in the proper order. In cases where you answer in the affirmative, proper procedures are invoked to reflect these events. `Daily then proceeds through automatic processing as follows.
Once the mail has been handled, all of /'s tiny experts should be up-to-date. The next step is to allow the tiny experts to perform their automatic functions. Rather than having the tiny experts operate in any way at any time, we limit their actions and control the times they can do various functions. This keeps operations orderly and timely. For example, it's convenient to print all of the pending outgoing letters at one time so that a person can supervise the operation of the printer. It is also convenient to make all of the telephone calls at one time, to check on unsettled disputes at one time, etc.
The automatic processing system facilitates orderly processing by loading information on what operations to perform and awakening each tiny expert in sequence. As each tiny expert wakes up, it replicates and evolves to suit the changing status of its case, and takes action if appropriate to the case status. The process of setting up orderly processing and awakening each tiny expert in turn is done by a set of `engines' provided with /.
Although any engine can be operated at any time by selecting from ///, for day-to-day activities, we suggest using ///, which adds interest, then settles disputes, then sends letters, and finally makes calls. The advantage of this particular order is that interest, if appropriate, is charged to the debtor before billing; disputes are settled before sending any wrong letters or making wrong phone calls; letters sent to reflect the new status of cases; and finally, calls are performed.
All of these operations are highly automated, but some of them still require human action. Printing letters requires that the printer be kept in operation; settling disputes requires user input; and making calls is a highly interactive process.
It is good practice to check each letter and count the letters printed in case some problem caused a letter to go unprinted. / automatically forces you to press / to continue after a letter has been generated. It is all right to continue even before the letter is finished printing, but it is not a good idea to allow a large number of letters to go by before the printer catches up, because / often loses output to the printer if the list of pending printouts grows too large. When printing is done, / will prompt you to indicate when the last letter is completed so it can delete the temporary files created during the printout process.
The best way to settle disputes is with documentation. For example, when a purchase is made on credit, there is usually a paper signed by the debtor that indicates the amount of the transaction. If a payment has been made, the debtor should have either a receipt or a canceled check as proof of payment. The letters /'s tiny experts send out with each payment update the debtor's account information and provide proof of payment for the debtor.
When there is no paper trail, it is customary to assume that the debt is legitimate. If the dispute cannot be settled amicably by the user, a decision should be made about moving the case into legal collections.
After disputes are settled, the tiny experts may generate additional letters to assure that these are handled right away.
We have spent a substantial amount of time interviewing expert human collectors and customizing collection systems for large agencies, and as a result, we have developed a set of collection scripts that cover the typical collection spectrum. The built-in call scripting system also keeps historical records reflecting what happened on each call and automatically informs the tiny experts. This helps track behavior and improve the collection process over time.
Interrupting Automatic Processing
If a call comes in that requires computer use during automatic processing, press / repeatedly to stop processing, handle the call, and then invoke automatic processing again. Only entries still pending for today will be worked on, and if we are performing collections regularly, we should not encounter any entries we have already processed today except for calls requeued for later in the day.