"Getting debtors to pick up the phone..."

[sosumi]

CCR Mag

Qire Launch Local Caller ID - getting debtors to pick up the phone

Wednesday, 05 August 2009

 

As part of their suite of debt collection offerings Qire have introduced Local Caller ID.

 

The biggest problem for debt collection companies trying to contact their debtors by telephone is starting a dialogue with the debtor; to assist in this, Qire have launched their Local Caller ID service. When the system makes an automated outbound call it will appear to the debtor to come from a local number.

 

It is both intuitive and proven that a person is more likely to answer a call from a local phone number on their caller ID. Using a Local Caller ID on the first call attempt substantially increases the likelihood of starting a dialogue, resulting in more contacts and more payments.

 

Mr Guy Cooper (CEO Qire) said “Qire are pleased to add this service to their ‘Collect’ suite of services which are specifically designed for the debt collection industry. This is another example of how at Qire we focus on developing our Interactive Voice Messaging (IVM) services to help our clients become more efficient”.

 

The service will also increase the number of call backs. If the debtor uses 1471 they will hear the local number, when they return the call they are put through to the client’s call centre. Alternatively, using a Local Caller ID on the final call attempt provides a Caller ID that has not been seen by the debtor on previous call attempts.

 

Qire’s service will also match a mobile telephone number to a postcode and generate the appropriate local caller ID.

[sosumi]

I'm a bit tipsy but have just seen this - so they're using a machine to con people into thinking it's a local call???

[noomill060]

Deceptive and therefore breach of OFT debt collection guidelines.

 

Ofcom would be interested.

[mr.ton]

Resulting in more contacts? maybe - more payments, not sure about that

[Rooster-UK]

All very well, but I don't talk to anyone who is not prepared to tell who they are.

Once I have that info, I have at my disposal an even more sophisticated device...... It's called hanging up.

Mind you, I always say goodbye first..... after all, politeness costs nothing.

[noomill060]

Indeed.

 

Manners maketh the rooster.

[cerberusalert]

Ofcom might be interested in their new toy too.

 

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/contactus/

[Huff&Puff]

A timely reminder to everyone, that if you do get conned into picking up the phone, all you have to do is to refuse to answer any security questions. It may be a phishing attempt after all! That also has the added bonus of winding up a threat monkey like nothing else

[mr.ton]

Yes...the more people know that they dont have to answer security questions, then this will be nothing more than a waste time on their part quite frankly...

[Rooster-UK]

Something which is just as effective as not answering security questions and can be more fun..... Deliberately give wrong or unrelated answers.

[Bazooka Boo]

Something which is just as effective as not answering security questions and can be more fun..... Deliberately give wrong or unrelated answers.

 

Oh yes!! Just like picking your favourite childhood cartoon character, or even something along the lines of Bagpuss, Windy Miller, Trumpton, or my favourite Orinoco..

 

And because they go off a script, so long as you answer them, they have no idea! :lol:

[ScarletPimpernel]

Noomill has it.

 

OFT Guidance s.2:

 

It is unfair to communicate, in whatever form, with consumers in an unclear,

inaccurate or misleading manner.

 

...and specifically para 2.2b:

 

leaving out or presenting information in such a way that it

creates a false or misleading impression

[zazen.warrior]

Well it might get you to pick up the phone - it wouldn't in my case because I would not answer even a local number if I didn't recognise it - but you can just as easily put it straight back down again.

 

Or play along with them refusing to answer security questions depending upon your mood.

 

This speaks of desperation.

[lickthewallfatboy]

got the buggers

 

nice one Scarlet

[lickthewallfatboy]

some eejits rang my wife's mother the other day,asking for my wife under her maiden name

 

eejit-does **** ***** live there?

W.M. no

eejit-could you tell me where she is living now?

W.M.-no

eejit-do you have a phone number for her?

W.M.-yes

eejit-could I have it?

W.M.-no

 

eejit-I'll just have to go on the internet and look then

W.M.-ok,bye!!

 

yeah-good luck with that:lol:

probably the Hull halfwits getting really desperate due to their threatograms not having the desired effect

[Alphageek]

QIRE - Qire

 

Legal information

 

Registered offce Direct Data Services Ltd, 25 Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, LL11 1BT.

 

Registered No 04680925 in England and Wales

 

Qire™ 7th Floor The Cotton Exchange Old Hall Street L3 9LQ

 

 

Tel: 0844 414 2194

Fax: 0844 414 2196

Email: [email protected]

 

Some info you might need for your complaints fellow CAGers

[Undercover-Elsa]

If they are posing as a local call but if the debtor calls it back it's in reality on a higher call rate..isn't that fraud?

[PGH7447]

Something which is just as effective as not answering security questions and can be more fun..... Deliberately give wrong or unrelated answers.

 

My favourite is asking how did you get my number, considering its X directory, at which point they usual bluster then hang up, work a treat, if they persist I then become the broken record

 

How did you get my number

 

and on and on and on

[PGH7447]

dont you just love em

------------

Ofcom’s Statement on Persistent Misuse

 

 

The long-awaited Ofcom statement on persistent misuse finally arrived on the 10th of September.

 

Although it is fairly self-explanatory, we are providing our interpretation of its effect to help managers to comply with the latest rulings.

 

Ofcom’s Statement on Persistent Misuse: an interpretation by Qire

 

---------

 

Sorry your interpretating the rule to suit you - I am sure ofcom would love this

 

and this is highly interesting

----------

 

Ofcom has not exempted debt collection calls from the requirement to provide a company name, but it has accepted that the recipient of the call only has the right to decline further marketing calls. Our interpretation of this is that whilst a number must be provided, and the customer has the right not to receive future marketing calls, this does not prevent the caller from making further debt collection calls.

[teaboy2]

The cheeck of it. how can they refer to people as existing customers when no prior dealings or trading have taken place prior to them making such calls.

 

Am not certain but i got a feeling that leaving Automated messages, Instant voice messages and SMS messages can also be deemed as harrassment. for exapmle, if such calls or messages are left in the same manner that they make phone calls to you on daily basis etc

 

Am not certain so it worth while looking into further

[someone_else]

A timely reminder to everyone, that if you do get conned into picking up the phone, all you have to do is to refuse to answer any security questions. It may be a phishing attempt after all! That also has the added bonus of winding up a threat monkey like nothing else

 

That won't work with MBNA as they don't feel they need to ask any security questions...

[ODC]

Im glad to see that the fact that people do not answer DCA calls means the pond life have had to resort to this childish new ploy. As Rooster rightly says the easiest answer if you are caught by one of these calls is just to hang up. Personally speaking I do not use his polite response. I prefer the more direct FECKOFF method.