Do you have outstanding business invoices?  If your debtor isn’t paying, you’re probably doing your research on debt collection agencies. But how do you know who is the best and which one should you choose?

Of course, every agency will claim they are the best, but is there any way you can check?

Yes, there is but firstly, you need to decide what criteria you think makes a debt collection agency the best. Is it their success rate? What about their costs or their customer testimonials? How about how easy it is to work with them? Or is it all of these?

Once you have clarified what’s most important to you, you can start to do your research. But be aware, the answers aren’t always in the same place.

1. Ask others

When it comes to obtaining credible information, there’s nobody better than your peers. Reach out to customers or other suppliers and ascertain if they have experienced similar problems. If so, did they engage a debt recovery agency? What were they like? Would they recommend them? Gaining this insight can really help when deciding which agency to use.

2. Online markets

Like everything, you can even compare debt collection agencies online. If you’re looking for debt collection solutions, there are companies who will compare rates and services for you. These comparisons often also rank the agencies. However, be aware that these rankings are likely to be based on the marketing efforts, advertising or membership spend of the agency rather than their success rate, costs or ease of working with.

3. Google search

Type in variations of what you’re looking for to give you different results. For example, if you’re looking for international debt collection try cross border debt recovery, international debt recovery or cross border debt collection. If you’re looking for debt collection solutions nearby, try debt collection and then add in your location e.g. if you’re based in Rome try, debt collection Rome, debt recovery in Rome, Italian debt collection agencies Rome.

By doing your research, you’ll see what companies recurrently appear in your searches. From there, you can start to google search specific companies e.g. Bierens European Collection Attorneys.

4. Review sites

Take a look at review sites such as Kiyoh, Google and Trustpilot. On these sites you can view actual customer testimonials and discover what people really think of the company and their performance. For example, we have a 9.1 Kiyoh rating and a 5-star Google rating.

5. Check websites and social media

An agency may not appear in a ranking list but that doesn’t mean you should write them off. If you have been recommended an agency or one keeps appearing in your google search, then you should check out their website. Read through their promises, look at their claimed success rate and check the physical location of the company. Also take a look at their social media pages and see what content they post, how many employees they have and who else they are connected with.

For example, if you check us out, you will see we’re not just about recovering debt. We believe in justice and integrity and our customers are happy with our results.

6. See what others have to say about them

Through their website, you can check customer testimonials and see what their customers say about them. However, no-one is going to put a bad review on their own website so once again take to the internet and do some digging. There are plenty of chat forums but also check social media once more. See if the company is affiliated with other networks and if they strive to make a difference in their community. At Bierens, we pride ourselves on our corporate and social responsibility. We look after and support our local community.

7. Call them

Speak to their customer service agent and put them to the test. Ask them details about their pricing structure, how they recover debt and what happens if you need to go to court.

Here at Bierens for example, our sales representatives speak multiple languages and are fully knowledgeable of the debt collection process. We can normally recover your debt during the pre-legal process however, if necessary we can go to court. Before we do so, we always consult with you in advance, so you know what the costs will be and the likelihood of success. This way you can make an informed decision.

If you have an outstanding business invoice or are looking for a debt collection solution, then get in touch. We will be happy to help.