Note:Collections is the way of identifying the defaulter customers and making repeated efforts to receive payment.
The collections process includes a set of events that are scheduled to occur in a certain order, over a period of time. Generally, these events are set up keeping an eye on the organization's prior experience with the customer's payment profile. Scheduling an event results in moving the customer contract numbers to certain collection stage. Depending on the nature of the default, stage wise sequence of moderate to extreme actions is taken on the customer account.
If the customer contract is moved to certain stage for which provisioning action is mapped, provisioning request is generated towards such movement. Provision is also given to send reminder OSD messages or STB mails intimating the customer about the payment due. On confirmation, the customer contract status is changed and services are terminated/suspended/reactivated accordingly.
Collection process also supports moving the contracts to various collection stages batch wise for a group of customers.
The customer contracts are moved back to the normal stages (original ACTIVE status) once payments are received.
In Receivables module, collections related features are available.
For Example:
Let's assume following three stages and corresponding actions are configured in the system:
Collections Stage Names |
Corresponding status of the Contract |
Corresponding Actions to be taken |
Stage 1 |
Defaulted status |
Action1: Generate Work Order to send the collection boy to receive payments Action2: Send Reminder Request through Email and STB Message Action3: Give reminder phone call |
Stage 2 |
Suspend status |
Action1: Late Penalty Charge Action2: Suspend Provisioning Action3: Hold Bill |
Stage 3 |
Disconnect status |
Action1: Disconnect Provisioning |
If a customer in ACTIVE status is having payment due date on10th of August.
On 1st of August the contract is moved to Stage 1 and the corresponding actions as mentioned above are taken place one by one. This stage results in moving the contracts to Defaulted status.
On 2nd of August, a collection boy may be sent to collect the due amount.
On 4th of August, reminder requests may be sent to his Email ID and Set Top Box (through STB Mail).
On 10th of August another phone call may be given informing him about the last date of payment.
On 11th of August the contract is moved from Stage 1 to Stage 2 and the corresponding actions as mentioned above are taken one by one. This stage results in moving the contract to Suspend status.
On 11th of August, late penalty charges may be imposed towards the late payment.
On 12th of August, suspend provisioning request may be generated to suspend the services.
Bill suppress activity may be taken place to stop billing the customer while the contract is in suspend status.
On 15th of August the contract may be moved from Stage 2 to Stage 3. This stage results in moving the contracts to Disconnected status. A disconnect provisioning request may be generated to disconnect all the services from the customer's account.
If the customer pays the due amount in between any stage, then his contract is reactivated and moved back to the ACTIVE status. On moving back, some of the actions like Disconnection, Bill Suppress etc. are reversed. In such cases,
if bill generation process is disabled at Suspend status (Stage 2), it is enabled again.
if services are disconnected, a reconnection provisioning request is generated to reconnect the services.
Note:
Various Message Templates are be defined in the system for sending customized mails (reminders) to the customer for payment dues.
If a customer contract is moved to certain stage where disconnection action is taken place, then all the services under that contract are terminated. Towards such disconnection, Disconnection Credit may be posted to the customer account.