Pre Legal Collections Credit Controller

Purpose

• Dealing with High-risk debtors accounts. The Pre-Legal Credit Controller is responsible for managing overdue customer accounts and taking appropriate collection action before matters are escalated to the legal process.
• The role requires proactive engagement with customers, effective negotiation of payment arrangements, accurate account management, and ensuring that qualifying accounts are prepared for legal escalation in accordance with company policies and applicable legislation.

Education Formal Qualification required

• Grade 12 / Matric.
• A qualification in Credit Management, Finance related qualifications, Bookkeeping would be advantageous.

Experience

• Debt collection experience – minimum 3 to 5 years in Pre Legal Collection .

Job specification

• Answering incoming calls
• Manage an allocated portfolio of overdue customer accounts.
• Proactively contact customers via telephone, email, SMS, and other approved communication channels.
• Follow up on outstanding balances and secure payment commitments.
• Negotiate realistic and sustainable payment arrangements with customers.
• Monitor agreed payment arrangements and follow up on missed or broken arrangements.
• Take appropriate action on accounts that remain unpaid despite collection efforts.
• Identify accounts that meet the company's criteria for legal handover.
• Ensure all reasonable pre-legal collection efforts have been exhausted before referral to the legal department.
• Maintain detailed and accurate collection notes on all accounts.
• Prepare qualifying accounts for referral to the legal team or external attorneys.
• Ensure all required documentation and supporting information is complete and accurate before referral.
• Verify outstanding balances and payment histories prior to legal handover.
• Ensure appropriate collection notes and communication records are available.
• Respond to queries from the legal department regarding referred accounts.
• Monitor legal referrals and provide additional information where required.

Key competencies

• Deal with customers diligently, courteously and professionally while collecting payments Excellent telephone manner
• Ability to understand and read a statement, in order to identify overdue account
• Be concise and assertive, although also persuasive an patient
• Excel knowledge
• Customer service orientated, but debt collection comes first and some knowledge of CPA

Expectations

• 8-hour workday 1/2-hour lunch
• Estimated to have 1 hour administration per day
• Minimum of 6 hours on the phone daily
• All calls time spent per call is approximately 1-3 min, on average 1.5 minutes
• Collect at least 90% of target per month – refer debtors incentive document.

Reward

• Incentive for reaching cash collections for each month.

Closing Date 09 September 2026