Handling Past Due and Non Pay Accounts- Article no. 2033


Introduction

This article provides information on how to assist a customer in Collections status

Update: 12/01/2021 - Washington DC (Co 81 only) residential and small business telephone and data customers



 

California residential and small business telephone customers:

A/R Balance Transfers Handling Past Due Accounts PPV Credit Override
Bankruptcy Medically Necessary Phone Returned Checks / ACH Denials
Collections Schemes MOP Denials Unreturned Equipment
Deferred Arrangements for Phone Overdraft Fees Write Off Accounts
Equipment Returns Non Pay Pending / Keep Phone Service

 

 

Resolution Steps

REMINDER: Do not send hits to equipment that is turned off due to Non Pay status. 

Expand All | Collapse All

Payment reminders go to preferred email when payment is not received at due date, but before the account is past due (31-60)

 

  • Payments are applied in specific order; oldest money owed is paid first
     
  • Payments are applied by AR Code, beginning with Basic Telephone
     
  • This is why some services become disconnected before others
     
  • Bulk accounts with additional services above their agreement:
     
    • Additional services follow normal Collections protocol and may be suspended for non pay and may be written off when the customer is active
       
Category A/R Category Amount Owed Account Aging
Basic Telephone (T) 100 $30 31-60
Telephone Toll (T) 101 $20 31-60
Telephone Features (T) 102 $20 31-60
Long Distance (T) 103 $20 31-60
Cable (C) 200 $30 31-60
VOD (C) 225 $30 31-60
PPV (C) 250 $30 31-60
High Speed Internet (D) 300 $30 31-60
Telephone Equipment-EMTA (D) 310 $30 31-60
Pre-Paid Data (D) 315 $30 31-60
ACP Transfer / Internet (D) 375 NA 31-60
Dial Up Internet 400 $20 31-60
Smart Home 500  $30  31-60 
Mobile Service 600 $30 31-60

 

To avoid further Collections activity, attempt to take a payment for the full past due amount 

  1. Review Financial Services notes: look for notes regarding a returned check / payment denial
     
  2. Review account balance: be sure to deduct equipment charges when quoting balance due
     
  3. Check Collections History: if payment was made at a 3rd Party Payment Agency, follow these steps
     
    • Customer must provide a receipt number for the payment (can take up to 5 bus.days to post to account)
       
    • Create a Payment Arrangement  to ensure account is not disconnected for non-pay (unavailable in sites 91, 92 or 31)
       
      • Payment arrangements made for payment agency payments do not count against the Payment Arrangement extension policy
         
  4. Payment on a soft disconnected account
     
    • To cancel the non pay work order, customer must pay amount owed in 31-60 days and older
       
  5. Payment on a disconnected account (work order status is Completed)
     
      • Customer must pay the entire outstanding balance and reconnect fees (minus equipment fees)

    • Account balance should be at zero except for equipment fees
      • Equipment charges credit once services are assigned and activated
         
    • reconnect work order must be scheduled to roll a truck 
  • When taking a payment close to the new bill cycle, customer should pay the entire balance due
     
    • If customer only pays the past due, when the new bill generates, the account falls past due again
       
  • Review the balance with the customer
     
    • Deduct equipment charges and the associated taxes when quoting balance due
       
  • All payments processed by an agent require the $9.95 convenience fee.  How to Process a Payment
     

    Special Note: There are instances when a pending soft disconnect work order may not cancel automatically after the payment is applied
     

    • When taking a payment with a non pay disconnect order present:
       
      • Select the correct statement when applying payment (statement1, statement2, etc)
         
      • Refrain from opening the Customer Equipment screen in BOLT or ICOMS
         
      • Exit the Work Order Screen before taking a payment
         
      • Take a payment before entering a SRO
  • Review the General Ledger and Payment History to see the most recent payment amount and date of payment
     
  • 3rd party bill pay may be delayed in payment posting
     
    • Some financial institutions are not set up to transmit an electronic payment file and must mail a paper check 
       
      • The customer's payment is removed from their bank account immediately
         
      • Financial institutions will not send a check unless the funds are held available
         
      • The customer may have to wait 7 to 10 days for our lockbox to receive and process the mailed payment
  • Customers with a returned payment are blocked from making payments through self care
     
  • How to identify a blocked account
     
    • BOLT Summary tab or ICOMS Customer Flash : Message displays - Payment Blocking
       
    • BOLT General Ledger / Statement: Mop Denial line item
       
    • BOLT MOP / Payment History displays MOP Status as R indicating Restricted 
       
  • When this occurs, customers cannot make their payment with the same credit / debit card that resulted in the returned payment
      
    • The customer must use another card
       
  • Identifying the credit / debit Card that resulted in the MOP Denial:
     
    • Financial Services comments:  
       
      • Find the entry that says ACH RTN 
         
      • This comment displays the date of the returned payment,  e.g. "ACH RTN R03 031510 101.95 LETTER MLDS NDS RTN"
         
    • Access the MOP / Payment History tab
       
      • Find the Post Date that corresponds with the date listed in the comments
         
      • The last four digits of the card that was denied is listed in the MOP Payment History
         
    • Obtain another card number from the customer to make the payment
  • Payment Processing reviews the account after at least one successful payment was made
     
    • In most instances, blocks are removed within 10 business days from the day the payment is successfully made
       
  • If a customer requests the removal of the self care payment block:
     
      • Review the customer's payment history
         
      • Has payment been made since the self care block was placed?
         
        • No - Inform the customer the block cannot be removed until one successful payment has been processed using a different card
           
        • Yes - 10 business days have passed and the customer still can't make a payment through with self care
           
      • Route a BOLT case to Payment Processing 

         
        Record Type Non Technical
        Reason  Financial, Payments & Refunds
        Reason Detail Payment Issue / Inquiry
        Case Reason Payment Issue / Inquiry
        Destination Queue Payment Processing
        Notes Note all pertinent information and daytime contact number

      • Payment Processing determines if the self care payment block is removed

    • Once removed, make payments through the IVR and MyRCN within 48 hours

    • Cases routed on a Friday will not be processed until the following Monday

Non-Pay Credit Requests

    • Non pay work orders automatically generate credit due for equipment charges and loss of services back to the soft disconnect date

    • Credit is applied in the nightly run after the non pay work order is either completed or cancelled

  • Do not issue credit or escalate for services lost from a non pay work order


Additional Information:


  • A non-pay suspension is also known as a soft disconnect
     
  • Services are not physically disconnected at the home and customer can still make 911 calls
     
  • Billing activity is suspended until account is either restored by payment or hard disconnected, and is pro-rated thereafter
     
  • Suspension activity begins when the pending work order is added to the account:
     
    • Review Collections tab and Collections Scheme
       
      • Work orders typically generate at 10 PM and services are suspended the next afternoon
         
    • Customers are required to pay restoral fees when the work order is entered; fee is charged if services go down or not
       
  • To determine if an account is in non-pay suspension or if it is disconnected for non-pay, review the Work Order [WO] screen:
     
    • Soft Disconnect: Work order status displays Not Coded
       
    • Hard Disconnect: Work order status displays Completed
  • Take a payment equal to or greater than the past due balance to cancel a non pay disconnect work order
     
  • The cancelled work order flows through the system and restores service
     
  • You may also need to do the following:
     
    • Cable Modem/EMTA: power cycle the equipment
       
    • TiVo: If service state 8 (Closed)see troubleshooting steps
       
    • Non-GPON Symmetrical (formerly Wave G):
       
        • During Dispatch/Workforce Management normal business hours, inform the customer that service should be working in about 3 hours

      • After Dispatch/Workforce Management normal business hours, services are restored at the beginning of the next business day
        • Submit a Bolt case if the service is not working after timeframes listed above
           
          Record Type Non-Technical
          Reason Work Order Inquiry/Escalation
          Reason Detail Work Order Follow Up
          Case Reason Work Order not Checked In
          Include in Notes Non-GPON Symmetrical (formerly Wave G) Remote Install Request
          Destination Queue Local Market Support (Dispatch)
  • Non pay work orders sometimes do not cancel when:
     
    • Payment is placed on the wrong statement when multiple statements exist
       
    • Adding a new occupant has been attempted
       
    • When you linger on the Work Order screen while taking a payment
       
    • Someone is locked in the account
       
  • Note: Sometimes a non-pay work order does not cancel after the payment is made:
     
    • Close the Customer Equipment [BX] Screen in ICOMS prior to taking payment
       
    • Do not process an SRO in ICOMS prior to taking payment
       
    • If someone is locked in the account or tried to add a new occupant, the non pay work order may not cancel when payment is made
       
    • Close the Customer Equipment [BX] screen in ICOMS prior to taking a payment
       
  • When a non-pay work order does not cancel after the proper payment is taken, proceed as follows:
     
  • When customer makes a payment or payment arrangement, the non-pay Work Order is auto cancelled and the restoral fee is automatically applied the following day
     
  • $40.00 is charged per account and is divided among each line of business
     
  • One restoral fee per bill cycle is charged when a non-pay is cancelled
     
  • This fee appears on the General Ledger
     
  • Credit for Restoral Fees may only be given one time in a customer's history, follow Credit Negotiation Guidelines
     
  • Restoral fees are not the same as a reconnect fees which are applied to hard disconnected accounts
     
    • Restoral fees are not charged in Site 91
  • Traditional Cable TV: immediately upon work order check in
     
  • IPTV: up to 24 hours upon work order check-in; send another Balance hit and power cycle for sooner restoral
     
  • Cable Modem: immediately after power cycling; 4 hours if not
     
  • GPON/FTTH (except enTouch TX): immediately after power cycling; 4 hours if not
     
    • enTouch TX:  about three hours during normal CSD business hours and after normal business hours non-pay restorals are processed the following business day
       
  • Ethernet: immediately after power cycling; 4 hours if not
     
  • Non-GPON Symmetrical (formerly Wave G) about three hours during normal business hours; after normal business hours, they are processed the following business day
     
  • Email: within a few minutes
     
  • Facilities / Digital Telephone / Broadsoft: 15-30 minutes
     
  • Resale Telephone: 24 to 48 business hours; on Friday after 3:00pm, restoral occurs Monday morning
     
  • Long Distance: 15-30 minutes
     
  • Dial Up: should be immediate:, verify Dial Up is ON
     
    • If a customer reports that service is not restored, verify that the payment was made and posted to the account
       
    • If the payment was received, the non pay work order is cancelled, and it is past the estimated time frame listed, please trouble shoot the service problem


Article ID: 210
Created: February 2, 2024
Last Updated: February 13, 2024
Author: [shekhar.bhanot@teamhgs.com]

Online URL: https://agentx-astound-kb-qa.hgsdigital.com/article.php?id=210