You've probably asked yourself:
"When is the right time to send accounts to collections?"
But here's the thing. If you're asking that question, you might already be there.
Most businesses don't realize they've crossed that line until they look back. The emails have been sent. The calls have been made. And nothing has changed.
The pattern
Here's what we typically see
Normal follow-up. Things are moving. Responses come in.
Replies slow down. Promises get made but not kept. The debtor said "next week." That was three weeks ago.
Radio silence. Your leverage starts to disappear. Internal follow-up isn't changing anything.
The issue isn’t effort. It’s that the conversation has gone stale. And once that happens, continuing the same approach rarely changes the outcome.
The hidden cost
Have you calculated your hourly production?
Not your hourly paycheck. Your hourly production.
Few company owners, controllers, or credit managers take the time to evaluate what they produce for their company versus what they receive in pay. That gap is what you lose every hour spent chasing a debtor who stopped responding weeks ago.
You have someone on your team sending follow-up emails. Maybe making calls. They're spending real time on accounts that haven't moved.
Time spent recovering past-due accounts is time no longer spent creating value.
The question nobody asks
How do you budget for failed recovery?
What percentage of your profit goes toward collections?
Verifying bankruptcy. Confirming business closure. Sorting out misapplied payments. Working through corporate structures that limit liability. These all take time, even when nothing is recovered.
In man-hours and cost, this is an in-house expense that often goes unaccounted for.
Already have an agency?
That's fine. This might still be relevant.
Maybe there are accounts you haven't placed yet because you're unsure about them. Maybe your current agency focuses on a different type of collection. Maybe you have accounts that came back unresolved.
We're not here to replace anyone.
But if you have accounts sitting in limbo, accounts that feel too complicated, or accounts that just never got placed, those are the ones we tend to work best with.
Most agencies are built for volume.
We're brought in when accounts fall outside that structure.
B2B commercial collections is all we do. No consumer debt. No medical. Just business-to-business, which means we understand the nuance of preserving relationships while still getting to resolution.
What changes
When we step in
We find the right person. The actual decision-maker who can authorize payment.
We restart the conversation. A new voice often gets responses that internal follow-up couldn't.
We get to resolution. Payment, payment plan, or confirmation that the business is closed. Either way, you have clarity.
Your customers can still be your customers after this is resolved.
From post-collection debtor surveys
"Friendly and understanding. Progressed through the issue in a positive manner."
"Wasn't pushy or sarcastic... always patient."
Both respondents said their situation was understood, and the process helped preserve the working relationship.
Bringing in a third party can feel like an escalation. In most cases, it's simply the next step in a process internal follow-up was never designed to finish.
How it works
Contingent only. No recovery, no fee.
You're already spending money on follow-up that isn't working. This costs you nothing unless recovered.
No setup fees. No monthly minimums. No contracts.
We recently resolved a batch of accounts that had been sitting for 120+ days. Most moved within 45 days of placement.
Before you go
Most internal collection efforts rely heavily on email. It's efficient and easy to maintain. But as accounts age, responses slow, conversations drop off, and follow-ups begin to stretch.
At that point, the issue is usually not effort, but structure.
When communication isn't reinforced across channels, visibility fades and accounts begin to drift.
Effective processes coordinate calls, emails, and written correspondence at each stage to maintain presence and control.
The guide below outlines how that structure is typically built.
Worth a conversation?
We'd like to learn about your situation before moving forward. A quick call to understand what you're dealing with, no commitment required.
Start a conversationor reply to the email that brought you here
JSD Management Inc. | Commercial Collections Since 1997