TCM Belgium: an international debt collection agency from Belgium

After more than20 years of experience, perhaps it is time to (re)introduce ourselves!

TCM Belgium, global but local

TCM Belgiumis theBelgian branchof aninternational debt collectionagency with some 15 staff of Belgian origin, andlocal partners in over 100 countries via the TCM Group network.

And by local partners we actually mean local lawyers or collection agencies who try to bring an amicable solution for your case. International staff who are perfectly familiar with thelocal cultural and legal rules, and at the same time subscribe to theTCM Group’s code of conduct, values and standards.

We therefore have a large number of committed employees (more than 6,800 in China!), who areselectedon the basis of their empathy, perseverance, knowledge of languages and/or legal background.

What makes TCM Belgium different?

There are many collection agencies active in Belgium and the rest of the world, and in recent years we have also seen a whole variety of ways to collect invoices (e.g. the platforms that promote the IOS procedure).Why should you choose our collection agency?In other words, what makes our approach different? We will try to be concise :

1. We do not follow the trends

Our recipe for successhas not changedin recent years. We keep up with the times and are aware of every change within our sector and the legal side of things, butwe don’t jump on yet another trend. Of course, our process is also beingdigitizedto increase ease of use, transparency and productivity, but our corevalues and standardsremain unchanged.

 We take thosevalues and standardsvery seriously, TCM Belgium is one of the twelve selected members of theBelgian National Network of Collection Agencies(ABR-BVI). This organisation is both the control body (alongside the FPS Economy) and the representative of our sector. As a collection agency, you must meet specific requirements before becoming a member.

2. We have a local presence in more than 100 countries

We do not pretend to beinternationally active, we are actually present in many countries! We do not work from a centralized collection agency in Europe with staff of various nationalities, as is sometimes understood under that label.

In addition, you can rest easy: thanks to the TCM Groupguarantee fund, you are guaranteed that the money collected abroad will actually end up in your account.

3. Unique visitor service

Ourvisitors’ serviceis unique in Belgium. We send a strong team of visitors on the road every day, who areon TCM Belgium’s payrolland are also trained by us. They often makethe ultimate difference in the amicable collection process.

Our visitors are supported by our tailor-madevisitor app, so that information can be consulted immediately before, during and after the visit.

4. Teamwork!

Teamworkmakes the dream work! This counts for all parties involved, both our internal and external employees, as well as our international partners and creditors and debtors. In order to put together the right puzzle for each case, every piece of the puzzle plays an important role. Cross-departmental and cross-country cooperation ensures a very extensive know-how that we can consult immediately.

Thanks to oursecured online system, to which our international partners and creditors also have access, information can be exchanged very quickly (and therefore also up-to-date).

The TCM Group also meets physically every yearto maintain close contact, deal with questions and brainstorm!

We emphasise the amicable solution, in contrast to many initiatives that also want to give the impression but do not envisage an amicable outcome

5. Emphasis on amicable solution

Although we also assist creditors legally if the case has been dealt with amicably (mainly for international cases because of our contacts), theemphasis is on theamicable collection of unpaid invoices. Debtors get this impression immediately, which preventsdamage to the customer relationship.

• Within the sector, we notice that more and more lawyers and bailiffs present themselves as an amicable debt collection partner, but debtors havedifficultydistinguishingbetween the profileof the lawyer or bailiff within the judicial process and the same profile within the amicable process. Debtors therefore feel more easily insulted, partly due to the extra costs that these players seem to pass on despite the legal restrictions in this regard.

• ‘Test Aankoop’ came to the conclusion thatmost complaints about our debt collection sector could in fact be linked to the amicable collection activities of bailiffs. For this reason, Test Aankoop already questioned whether the profile of bailiffs or lawyers could becompatiblewith the amicable collection of unpaid invoices.

• A bill has been introducedthat is supposed to curb malpractice by having every actor in amicable debt collection (including lawyers and bailiffs) inspected by the FPS Economy, as this body already does for debt collection agencies. However, the bailiff sector isn’t yet convinced of this proposal.

The latest hype since the emergence of theIOS(collection of undisputed debts)procedureis the (bailiff)platformsbased on this procedure. These platforms claim to present a free solution for your unpaid invoices, giving the idea that it would not be a judicial procedure.

• That is not the case here, andfree of charge does not exist. An IOS procedure can work as a solution for you (for B2B debts), butbe aware of what you are signing up for. If you prefer an amicable solution because you do not want to damage the customer relationship and the debtor himself (with further costs), then this is not the right way. If there is a problem, you should certainly not opt for an IOS procedure, because the debtor will almost certainly contest, you will end up with the costs and you will still have to recover the debt.

6. Relevant role in society

We are aware of oursocially relevant role, and we take it seriously.

• We enter intodialogueabout the challenges facing our sector and society. We providetrainingandlecturesto organisations and creditors, andtry to make politicians understandthe real issues surrounding povertyand unpaid invoicesfrom our own expertise and experience as a collection agency. We doaway with populist opinionsthat are all too often used by politicians, but which do not result in a concrete solution for the problem.

• We make it clear to debtors that cooperating with us isusually the most expedient course of action for all parties, with the least possible costs for both the creditor and debtor. Very often debtors think that the legal or contractual costs we claim are bailiff fees or other additional costs. This is not the case and is also prohibited by law. We mainly try to keep cases away from the court, thus saving costs and time for every party involved.

• By collecting unpaid invoices, we help reduce the solvency risks of creditors.Cash flow is improved, bankruptcy proceedings and court costs are avoided. In other words, we contribute to the economy.

7. Not a discounter but good value for money

What you see is what you get! And yet much more. We invest heavily in our staff and digitalisation. We are not the discounters in the sector; we believe in the quality we offer, but you don’t have to pay for every extra service either. We think along with you optimally, and each case is givenan individual approach(our employees do not follow a standard route) that leads to the best solution in theshort term(three weeks on average).

We do work according to theno cure no feeprinciple, which assures you that we will do everything to obtain an amicable payment, without the risk of prior investment. All internal actions of our employees are free of charge as long as no collection follows. If, exceptionally, an external payment action is required, we are verytransparentabout this and ask permission beforehand.

What makes TCM Belgium an interesting place to work?

Working at a collection agency does not sound very attractive, and yet TCM Belgium is proud to have a young, talented and motivated team at its disposal!

It takes a lot of investment to create a strong team, because good credit controllers need to havea wide range of skills. Skills that sometimes seem contradictory (e.g. empathic but combative), and therefore often cannot be found in one person. So when we come across such profiles, we don’t let them go!

The most important talent is social skills. Add to that a good dose of curiosity, as well as a sense of structure, interest in and/or knowledge of legal principles, multilingualism, an administrative jack-of-all-trades,… . The list is endless! :) Our current team consists of people with a legal background, from the aviation and hospitality industry, people who have done cultural or economic studies, … . A lot of colleagues have warm personalities, are moms/dads, others are having the time of their lives with their friends after work.

The need – but also the possibility – to use various talents makes TCM Belgiuma challenging place to work. Read here some testimonials of our colleagues:

• “It is a job that cannot be completely digitalizedif we want to do it well. Each specific situation has to be taken into account so that we can respond to it as best as possible.”

• “I liketo think strategicallyin order to arrive at the best possible solution. It’s not about purely collecting money, but about finding a solution that safeguards the interests of both parties.”

• “I find it interesting to bethe lost puzzle piecebetween the creditor and debtor. We also offer debtors a platform to tell their story, to start a conversation again that might have been impossible, and this away from the court and further costs.”

• “The debt collection industry is often seen as a harsh environment, but I feel thatmy work has a direct positive impact and is therefore relevant.Our services often provide a necessary and cost-effective solution.”

We also welcome job students to our workplace every year. What do they think of their work experience in a debt collection agency?

• “The administrative tasks and legal principles I learn here, as well as the human problems I encounter and how to anticipate them,are going to come in handy later in life.”

• “You look at the financial sectorfrom a different point of view. Of course, it is also about numbers here, but never without the human story.”

Would you like to know more about our services or our job offers? Then don’t hesitate to take a look at our website or tocontact usvia s.dereze@tcm.be or 0498292914.

30/05/2022