I am thrilled to announce that the “Getting to Know” series is now being sponsored by TCN. TCN is a leading provider of cloud-based call center technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide. Founded in 1999, TCN combines a deep understanding of the needs of call center users with a highly affordable delivery model, ensuring immediate access to robust call center technology, such as SMS, email, predictive dialer, IVR, call recording, and business analytics required to optimize operations while adhering to callers requests. Its “always-on” cloud-based delivery model provides customers with immediate access to the latest version of the TCN solution, as well as the ability to quickly and easily scale and adjust to evolving business needs. TCN serves various Fortune 500 companies and enterprises in multiple industries, including newspaper, collection, education, healthcare, automotive, political, customer service, and marketing.
Sheila Monroe has collected debts all across the globe and she’s come a long way from making bad check calls from the basement of a department store. Her rise in the industry is a testament to her hard work and her ability to handle stressful situations. Read on to learn more about Sheila and her advice to help you get a cab in even the busiest of rush hours.
Name: Sheila Monroe
Company: TrueAccord
Length of time at current position: 13 months.
Length of time in industry: A lady never tells!
How did you get your start in the industry?
I was working undercover security in a department store, spending my time filming and busting shoplifters with an off duty firefighter and a retired undercover narcotics agent (loads of fun!). One day I was asked to see if I could pick up some extra hours and help out “Gretchen” collecting some bad checks. “Gretchen” was off sick so I went in her little basement office, found some bad checks, which used to have phone numbers on them back in the day, and started calling people. I am sure I violated every law there was because I had no training and left some dubious messages with children about mommy’s bounced checks. However, I had the confidence that comes with youth and figured that experience now qualified me to apply for my first real collection job. I collected medical bills for a small agency, and later went on to make a career in the industry on the creditor side of the equation, from Collector to Chief Operating Officer. Now, I’m full circle and back on the agency side in a much different capacity.
What is your career highlight so far?
Having the opportunity to move to the UK and lead operational teams across the US, UK, Europe, and South Africa. I not only learned a lot about the industry during this time, but I was exposed to different cultures and points of view that changed my perspective about people, politics, world events and corporate responsibility. I also got to work with many talented people and help develop their careers further.
When or how are you most productive?
When I can avoid having too many meetings! In more practical terms, I actually add more value when I am spending quality time helping people think through solutions, break down roadblocks, and empowering them to get on with what they are good at. Helping others be productive brings much more return than me being productive alone.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Ohad Samet, cofounder of TrueAccord, for having enough passion to create a real disruption in this industry that was driven by a desire to help people and improve an experience rather than a desire to beat emerging regulations.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
Perhaps not necessarily better than everyone, but I do handle stress well. I actually get into a certain level of zen mode under circumstances that might make others uncomfortable or stressed out. This enables me to quickly shift focus to recovery, remediation, problem solving, or whatever action is required to move people or an organization to a happier place.
What do you like most about this industry?
I enjoy finding new ways to connect with and influence consumers. I’ve always felt that consumers get into debt problems by accident rather than bad intentions, and there is always a certain amount of apprehension and anxiety felt when payments are missed. Optimizing for personal connection and positive, compassionate engagement with consumers in debt is a winning strategy both for clients and their customers. Being on the forefront of consumer contact channel preferences is a challenge that I enjoy. There is also a healthy amount of commeradary amongst those in our industry that I have always enjoyed as well.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
I would ensure that all debt collectors dealt with consumers in a non-threatening, non-aggressive manner so that the industry could earn a different reputation — one in which consumers didn’t fear and avoid talking to their creditors to resolve their debts. I would eliminate unwanted phone calls, and ensure that commissions and bonuses paid to collectors did not in any way make them feel pressure to be anything but helpful and supportive to those in debt.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
Golfing more. If there was another career it would likely be in interior design, construction, or real estate.
Describe a typical work day.
My time is broadly split between two types of stakeholders — our clients and the end consumer. I spend a good deal of time on business development, whether that is working with our sales team or meeting with potential clients, or working with our client success team to ensure we are meeting the current and future needs of our existing clients. The other chunk of time is spread across consumer-facing activities. I work with the product managers who ensure that we continue to innovate around contact channels, effectiveness of content, and ease of self-serving. And I pay close attention to our service operations, making sure that our colleagues are well trained and well supported to provide the best service to our end customers as possible. That includes the joy of reading the constant stream of customer compliments coming across our TrueCompliments Slack channel throughout the day!
What is your guilty pleasure?
Taco Bell and good tequila served neat. Not necessarily consumed together, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it!
The Getting to Know Series is Sponsored By:
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Background: I was stranded in a busy part of London because the tube was down when 8,000 – 10,000 people just got off work in the banking district. The advice: “Walk down to the Four Seasons, order a martini at the bar, and ask the concierge to order you a cab.” It’s solid advice in any city where you can’t get a ride!
What are you currently reading?
“The Book of Gutsy Women” by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I don’t care for status quo. If you’ve got innovative ideas about the industry, operations, partnerships, product pricing or any other topic I’d love to hear from you.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Janet Broz, VP of Business Development at Penn Credit.
I am thrilled to announce that the “Getting to Know” series is now being sponsored by TCN. TCN is a leading provider of cloud-based call center technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide. Founded in 1999, TCN combines a deep understanding of the needs of call center users with a highly affordable delivery model, ensuring immediate access to robust call center technology, such as SMS, email, predictive dialer, IVR, call recording, and business analytics required to optimize operations while adhering to callers requests. Its “always-on” cloud-based delivery model provides customers with immediate access to the latest version of the TCN solution, as well as the ability to quickly and easily scale and adjust to evolving business needs. TCN serves various Fortune 500 companies and enterprises in multiple industries, including newspaper, collection, education, healthcare, automotive, political, customer service, and marketing.