Making a Payment Arrangement (Promise to Pay)-1631

Introduction

 

Always enter Payment Arrangements using BOLT

 

    • Prepaid Data service - all sites

    • Unreturned equipment

    • Dial up service in site 91 and 92

    • FORMER Customers (Already fully disconnected)

    • Customer with us under six months 

    • Customer never made a payment

    • A payment arrangement was entered in the last 90 days

  • Returned payment(s) occurred in the last 90 days

      • Must pay the full balance over 60 days for a payment arrangement

    • Past due balance (31-60) gets paid in FULL by the extension date

Customer needs more time to pay their bill

Qualify the customer by reviewing the account and the guidelines above

    • Do not promise a payment arrangement until you qualify the customer

    • Check to see if customer is in jeopardy of being disconnected for nonpayment

    • Agents may grant an extension of up to 11 days past the suspension date to allow the customer to pay the past due balance. With supervisor assistance, it can be extended up to 14 days.
       
        • Promise to Pays are handled on a case-by-case basis; based on your customer's needs, the extension may be for a much lower number of days

        • 11 days remains an exception, and at no time should become the default option for a Promise to Pay

        • See your lead or supervisor if more than 11 days is warranted

        • If you enter an extension in error, email the account information and the extension details to FSBO@astound.com
    • Full payment must be made by the extension date or service will be suspended

 

Payment was Made by a 3rd Party and a Payment Processing Grace Period

Amount needs to meet or exceed past due balance
 
  • Customer must provide receipt number, and location of payment center
     
      • Extend service out 5 days to allow for processing of payment

 

Missing payment issue:

  • Amount needs to meet or exceed past due balance. If not, customer must make payment of past due minus the missing payment amount
     
      • You may extend service out 5 days to research missing payment

 

Requesting an Adjustment Processing Grace Period payment arrangement

Only used when an agent requests a credit amount to be processed that is equal to or greater than the past due balance
 
  • You may extend service out 5 days to research missing payment
    • Payment promises expire when billing runs in the evening of the promise day. Advise customers to pay before 10pm ET of the promise day to avoid suspension

    • If promise to pay extends into the next bill cycle: Money in the 1-30 day bucket will become delinquent and worked into the promise to pay amount

        • When a customer is not soft disconnected, a promise to pay cannot fall on the same date the soft disconnect is scheduled

      • When a customer is soft disconnected, a promise can be setup for the soft disco date, if they meet previous guidelines in sections above

          • For example, the customer may have cash to pay later in the day at the local office or need the service restored to make payment online
    • Payment arrangements under $499.00 can be entered by an agent. (Amounts over $499.00 can be entered by Leads/Supervisors)

    • A payment arrangement cannot be deleted after it is entered into the billing system

    • Try to get the customer to make a payment before making arrangements for the remaining balance due on the account

  • If the customer requests to only keep phone service active, inform the customer they will be downgraded and lose cable, data, features and ld/regional calling:

      • Do not offer this option; the customer must request it

    • Take a Payment for at least 25% of the balance, enter a grace period payment arrangement and route a case to Financial Services

      • Advise the customer they will receive a call back within 48 business hours

Resolution Steps

    1. Access the Collections Tab and determine past due amounts
    2. Review Collections Comments (Collections History section)

 

    • Customers are only allowed one promise to pay arrangement every 90 days.

 

    • This does not apply to promise to pay arrangements that are made as a result of payments made at a Payment Agency

 

3.Review the Collections Events listed in the Scheme ID area to see if customer is in jeopardy of being disconnected for non payment
 

    • Review the dates of collections activities for each line of business to determine if payment arrangements are necessary

 

    • Verify if the collections activities are Completed, Cancelled, or Pending

 

4.Monies moving to the 31-60 day bucket must also be added to amount needed for the payment arrangement


5.Check the Bill Run (Statement) Date


6.Proceed to the following steps to enter a payment arrangement

Important: Once a payment arrangement is completed, a reboot command is sent automatically to the customer's Modem/EMTA. Digital Phone customers calls will drop. Let the customer know!

If multiple statements, select the statement that requires a Promise to Pay arrangement

If both statements are past due separate Promise to Pay arrangements will be necessary for each statement

Click on the Create Payment Arrangement button from the Collections tab

    • Choose the processing option Payment Arrangement or applicable scenario

        • The correct date format is mm/dd/year (using the slashes 06/13/2013)
    • Populate all necessary fields

    • When adding a receipt number, use the AP number on the customers receipt. The receipt field has 6-15 character limit

    • Add comments

Note: If a payment arrangement request is denied, a message will pop-up with the reason

 

    1. Access the Billing Tab and review past due amounts
    2. Review Display Collections and Display Collection Events section
    3. Type CE in the Task field (Display Collections)
    4. In the left, click History to reach the Collections Customer History screen

 

  • Review the notes to determine it the customer had recent payment arrangements

      • Customers are only allowed one promise to pay arrangement every 90 days

      • Promise to Pay Arrangements will be in the Act field designated with a letter F
    5.Review Display Collections; click on History to see if the customer is in jeopardy of being disconnected for non payment

      • Review collections activities to determine if payment arrangements are necessary

      • Review pending work orders for non pay activity

      • Verify if the collections activities are completed, cancelled, or pending
    6..Review the Customer Collections Status by entering AR into the Cust Info task bar. This screen provides you with:

      • A detailed history of non-pay activity on the account

      • Broken Payment Arrangement information, if applicable

      • Click Crdt Hist Matrix to the left for additional information on the non-pay history over the last six to twelve months

      • To review the last 12 months click on 6/12 months to the left
    7..Monies moving to the 31-60 day bucket must also be calculated into the amount needed for the payment arrangement.

8.Check the Bill Run (Statement) Date


9.Proceed to the following steps to enter a payment arrangement

Important: When a payment arrangement is complete, a reboot command is sent automatically to the customer's Modem/EMTA


Digital Phone customers calls will drop. Let the customer know!

    1. Access the Billing tab
    2. Select Display Collections Events

 

    • If multiple statements, select the statement that requires a Promise to Pay arrangement

 

    • If both statements are past due separate Promise to Pay arrangements will be necessary for each statement

 

3.Select the Wrap function to the left


4.In the payment arrangement History window, Select only Activity Code F


5.Promise Date (mmddyy)


6.Promised Amount - Amount must be the entire past due amount


7.In comments enter reason for payment arrangement, date, amount of payment. If the customer has a receipt number, enter it here.

Example:

031511- AGREES TO PAY $100 BY 032011

8.Click OK to lock in the arrangement


9.On the Promise to Pay Extension screen:
 

    • Click on the NPD Events button

 

10.Remove the check mark from the Spread box


11.Click OK to the left


12.The information from the payment arrangement will display on the Comments and History tabs. Add appropriate comments

    • Call Financial Services via Alvaria

  • Outside of FS hours, seek assistance from a Lead / Coach / Supervisor

Article ID: 308
Created: February 2, 2024
Last Updated: February 15, 2024
Author: [shekhar.bhanot@teamhgs.com]

Online URL: https://agentx-astound-kb-qa.hgsdigital.com/article.php?id=308