by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 7, 2022 | Feature Article
I have to tell you an interesting story that occurred over the holidays. I bought a personal computer last year and to be on the safe side, I decided to sign up for one those 24-hour tech support services. Since I’m a very active nighttime computer user, being able to...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 4, 2022 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby,I wish I could tell you that I had a nice holiday and new year, but something was gnawing at me dampening my holiday spirit. Let me explain. I have been the credit and collection manager at a mid-size industrial electronics part distributor for the...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 4, 2022 | Feature Article
You can probably forecast winning at Monopoly if you are able to buy Park Place and Boardwalk early in the game. If you have the cash and can build hotels, before long, the other players who land on your expensive properties will be paying you big bucks. I wish...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 4, 2022 | Uncategorized
What’s your credit and collection goal for 2022?Collect more dollars with less resources.Improve on existing credit controls or implement new ones.Keep customers and sales reps happy. Minimize the risk of selling on creditGoing to just keep things on an...
by Nancy Seiverd | Dec 7, 2021 | Feature Article
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by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 9, 2021 | Feature Article
As credit professionals, most likely we are rarely thinking in terms of global supply chains. Conversely, our natural focus is on how much credit to approve and are customers adhering to our credit and payment terms. That said, if you were trying to buy a car...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 9, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! It’s Hector and over the past couple of months I’ve been hearing from you regarding more than the usual share of short pays on your invoices. Let me take a moment to recap the Short Pay problem and offer some solutions. Short Pays, Short...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
Are you still sending invoices out by snail mail?Yes, and we don’t see any change coming to electronic invoices.Yes, but perhaps we should be changing this over to e-invoices.Yes & No, as we have customers who still want the hard copy.No, all of our customers...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 4, 2021 | Feature Article
One of the nice things about my day-to-day activities is lending an open ear to my clients and staff. Recently, I was talking with the credit manager of a new client who was placing some claims with our office. One of the claims, a sizable amount, was...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 4, 2021 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I’m the credit and collection manager at a mid-sized fragrance manufacturer and like many managers, beyond the usual credit and collections challenges, I also deal with a myriad of human relations issues. So, it’s that time of year again when...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Have you ever been called about a Zombie Debt?No, and I’ve never heard of such a thingOnce and it was many years agoOn occasion I’ll get a callYes, and sad to say, I’m often getting contacted for theseChoose You may be asking, what on earth is a Zombie debt? Like the...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 8, 2021 | Feature Article
One of the most uncomfortable situations for many SME’s has to do with divulging their detailed financial information, whether it be to a credit information and reporting bureau (CRB) or directly to their supplier. A colleague of mine and I were talking the...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 8, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful summer and took some badly needed vacations. I was informed from one collector, Ms. A, at a mid-size stationery company, about a very interesting summer vacation planned by one of her team members, Mr. B. Here’s what...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
How often do you need to renegotiate a past due payment agreement? Not very oftenSomewhatA fair amount, especially in an unstable economyIt seems like all the timeChoose It’s frustrating when payment agreements are not upheld but it’s also important to recognize that...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 9, 2021 | Feature Article
From majestic entertainment giants to world famous department stores, the coronavirus devastated certain parts of the U.S. economy. Falling consumer demand and reduced pleasure spending took its toll on many areas of the retail industry, along with its endless...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 9, 2021 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I’m the credit and collection manager at a small scrap and metals processing company. We basically buy old industrial electric motors and disassemble them for the copper, silver, titanium, and other precious metals. We’ve had a long-term client, who...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
To what extent do you help a customer to resolve the reason(s) for non-payment?Almost never as I don’t want to get involved and send the wrong messageI listen and I'm empathetic and very lightly make some suggestions.A fair amount and try to advise them as best...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jul 14, 2021 | Feature Article
For many credit professionals, LinkedIn and Facebook may not be usually viewed as sources of important credit risk management information. When it comes to LinkedIn, it is often perceived as being mostly about finding new clients, a new job, or prospective employees....
by Nancy Seiverd | Jul 14, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! Although most people are having fun in the warm weather, I heard from one colleague about how the excessive heat and the lack of air conditioning at their office resulted in exacerbating an already difficult collection situation. Let me recant the...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jul 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
How often do you use statistics to analyze your work?Never - not even sure what they areOn occasion - just the basic measurements Sometimes - we find them useful for improving our operationAlways - they help us immensely in understanding all aspects of our business...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jun 8, 2021 | Feature Article
A colleague of mine who is a credit professional at a mid-sized beverage wholesale distribution company was recently asking me for some advice about requesting a raise from his employer. He felt that since his job duties were considerably increased during the...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jun 8, 2021 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I have an interesting scenario to share with you. A month ago, I received a new credit application with an unusual looking company name. At first blush, the company looked good as I began the credit risk evaluation. This new customer was requesting...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jun 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
At what point should Sales get involved in a collection situation?Never - as they usually give in to unfounded excusesAs necessary - when you as the credit/collection professional are trying to resolve a dispute against the product or serviceFrequently - as we work in...
by Nancy Seiverd | May 4, 2021 | Feature Article
When a debtor has his funds in a bank account at an institution to which they owe money, for example on a working capital loan, that institution may have the right under state law to seize any funds from the debtor’s checking account, money market, or other...
by Nancy Seiverd | May 4, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hello Everyone! I hope all is well and that your businesses are turning around. Like you, I’ve been watching many of the economic indicators and with the unemployment rate trending downward, I suppose one can start to feel encouraged that we are slowly...
by Nancy Seiverd | May 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Does it help or hurt one’s credit career when being assigned to a different position within the company? Very helpfulSomewhat helpfulNot helpful at allPossibly detrimentalChoose I’ve been hearing from some credit professionals informing me they have been assigned to...
by Nancy Seiverd | Apr 6, 2021 | Feature Article
Over the years when we receive claims, I’m always delighted to see a signed credit application attached and completely filled out. As we know full well, the credit application is the initial contractual document by which the terms and conditions are established. It...
by Nancy Seiverd | Apr 6, 2021 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I’m glad there’s someone like you to talk to right now because I have a touchy problem at work and I’m not sure how to manage this delicately. First, a little background. We’re a small business of about thirty employees with a long history in our...
by Nancy Seiverd | Apr 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
What's the most important thing for you when doing your credit & collection job?Collecting a large outstanding account.Helping sales to get the new client.Making sure you stay motivated.Keeping a tight lid on past due accounts.Working with past due accounts...
by Nancy Seiverd | Mar 9, 2021 | Feature Article
One of the most difficult parts of being a global credit manager is that trying to find an overseas collection agency or law firm can be daunting. The biggest question that often comes to mind is, “Can this entity be trusted.” Unfortunately, there are many unsavory...
by Nancy Seiverd | Mar 9, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! Normally, March and April are kind of quiet collection months. If a lot of snow has fallen up north and the weather has been nice down south, most businesses, especially seasonal ones, have managed to do fairly well. Unfortunately, this year we’ve been...
by Nancy Seiverd | Mar 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
What’s the range of the average salary for a credit risk manager in the U.S.? $60K – $80K$80K – $100K$100K – $120KOver $120K According to the website, Salary.com, the average Credit Risk Manager salary in the United States...
by Nancy Seiverd | Feb 8, 2021 | Feature Article
I periodically speak to credit and collection professionals who are heading towards retirement and wondering, “What do I do now with my life?” For starters, the longer we credit professionals work in our field, the deeper and more diverse our expertise...
by Nancy Seiverd | Feb 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
How valuable would it be to serve on the Committee of Unsecured Creditors? ExtremelySomewhat Not so muchNot at all With bankruptcy filings up by more than 25% during this past year, and surely with many more to come in the near future, an increasing number...
by Nancy Seiverd | Feb 8, 2021 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, Like many companies, ours has also had to let people go during these tough times, and several departments are now running on a skeleton crew. Up until around mid-summer of last year, I was carrying out credit functions and some high dollar collection...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 11, 2021 | Feature Article
I received a call in early December from a client who wanted my feedback on a new sales terms arrangement they were discussing with one of their customers for this new year. Our client is a mid-sized manufacturer of a unique plastic...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 11, 2021 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! It’s Hector and I hope you had a nice New Year holiday. No question that last year turned out to be “annus horribilis,” but I hope you’re raring to tackle all the challenges and achieve many great things throughout this coming year. Over the past few...
by Nancy Seiverd | Jan 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
How valuable is an MBA these days? ExtremelySomewhat Not so muchNot at all I read an interesting article recently on whether or not a Master’s in Business degree is really as lucrative or as educational as it used to be. Certainly, there’s always great...
by Nancy Seiverd | Dec 15, 2020 | Feature Article
Happy Holidays From...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 10, 2020 | Feature Article
One of the things I enjoy doing is sharing the challenges that some of our clients are experiencing. By learning from their issues is how we continue to be a work in progress, avoid the same mistakes, and improve on the performance of our credit risk management...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 10, 2020 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I’ve been reading your column now for the past few years and as a credit & collection professional at a small distribution company, I’ve always found your advice to be spot on. That said, I never thought I’d actually be writing to you. Recently...
by Nancy Seiverd | Nov 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
In 2019, what was the average per capital consumption of turkey in the U.S.? 5.5 pounds11.2 pounds16.1 pounds7.8 pounds21.3 pounds Today’s consumer recognizes turkey’s nutritional value and enjoys turkey year-round – not just during the holidays. The turkey...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 13, 2020 | Feature Article
Last year after I wrote the article, What I Look for in Choosing a New Credit Manager, I have continued to receive inquiries from credit professionals asking for my thoughts, especially in this economy, about changing jobs. Bearing in mind that I’m not...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 13, 2020 | Hector the Collector
HI Everyone! It’s Hector and I’m always pleased to hear from credit professionals out there. I’m glad that many of you are adjusting to your new home offices and that your work is continuing to move along. Regretfully, I’ve also been hearing from some of you who...
by Nancy Seiverd | Oct 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
Which financial ratio is the most important to you in analyzing financial statements? Working Capital RatioQuick Ratio Gross Margin PercentageProfit Margin PercentageInventory Turnover Rate We credit professionals are finding that in these tough times it...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 9, 2020 | Feature Article
I received a call the other day from the president of one of our clients to get my thoughts from a credit and collection perspective on what to do with a shipment that their customer put on hold. Our client, a specialty plastics film manufacturer, received an order...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 9, 2020 | Dear Crabby
Dear Crabby, I’ve been reading your column for a long time and I can’t believe I’m actually writing to you. But here I am and I’ve got a big problem. As the credit and collection manager for a small wholesale distributor (there are only six of us at the company), it...
by Nancy Seiverd | Sep 9, 2020 | Uncategorized
How much can a company save per year when letting an employee work from home? $3,000$6,500$7,500$9,000$11,000 According to current data compiled and published by the marketing firm, Review42, $11,000 is how much companies can save annually for each employee that...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 11, 2020 | Feature Article
As most of you have already noticed, bankruptcies are on a dramatic rise. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, it’s estimated that in 2020 there will be about 7,300 total commercial filings. This is a 30% increase over 2019, in which there were 5,519...
by Nancy Seiverd | Aug 11, 2020 | Hector the Collector
Hi Everyone! It’s Hector and I’ve been hearing from a few of you regarding what to do with onsite visits to your customers during this pandemic. During our pre-pandemic days, from time to time when a commercial customer became delinquent, the sales or...
