By Rufus Mudsucker
Rent to Own Maven

Robert Frost said, "Wit is a form of evasiveness". When stress occurs in my life, I instinctively turn to humor in an effort to lighten things up. My sister says I have issues, my shrink says I have an 'ism' I can't pronounce, and my wife just rolls her eyes.

This propensity for easing confrontation through humor carries over to my work. A phone call or a visit to an expired account is, by its very nature, confrontational. It's natural for us to want to ease the pain so to speak, but we don't do our customer any favors by minimizing the importance of renewing the agreement on time.

• Set clear expectations
• Be consistent
• Never give the impression that it's acceptable to allow a rental agreement to expire without returning the merchandise

If you wait until a customer is past due to discuss on time renewal expectations...you have already lost. Expectations of renewal payment timing must be made before the agreement is signed.

Be Consistent
One of the most common consumer comments I hear is "Joe let me go late, why won't you." Enforcing strict renewal expectations may cause you to lose the occasional agreement, but inconsistency will lose the customer and that is infinitely worse.

Never give the impression that it's acceptable
This is where the inappropriate use of humor can get you in trouble. Remember; Perception is reality. Renewal payment expectations are meaningless if they are accompanied by a wink and a nod.

Bottom line, there is a time and place for humor...working late accounts and laying out renewal payment expectations is not one of them.

5 things you should never say to delinquent customers

1. Is that a payment in your pocket or are you just glad to see me
    
2. It's more important to 'make' your renewal payment than to 'make it on time'
    
3. I appreciate you calling, I'll put your commitment down for next January
    
4. Don't worry about it, I'm glad you called
    
5. 'Good Joe' doesn't work here anymore...I'm his evil twin brother skippy