A year ago, if you had asked members of the accounts receivable management industry about the number of conferences, they may have likely told you there were too many of them. Now, everyone is itching to get out of the house or office and get a chance to see friends and colleagues that they have not seen in a year. What else are people looking forward to in 2021? AccountsRecovery.net put forth that question to Melissa Nash, Manny Newburger, Eric Troutman, Gordon Beck, LaDonna Bohling, and Harry Strausser and here is what they said.
Melissa Nash, Checkmark Collections
2021 approaches and we are days away from a new decade. 2021 will start with a pandemic and vaccine, a new administration in the White House, industry rule changes and of course, newer technologies.
On top of that, I have a new business venture: CC Franchise Group, Inc. What I am looking forward to is creating the change, being a solution and bringing to the market place a system designed to support small and local businesses in a way not yet imagined.
And TRAVEL … I have six airline ticket credits that are dying (is that politically correct? LOL) to be used.
Gordon Beck, Valor Intelligent Processing
In 2021 I am looking forward to the opportunity to operate our business under the new CFPB rules that provide a more defined road to compliance than we have seen under the out-dated FDCPA. The good news about the New Year is that it can only go up from 2020 and with a vaccine in play we can hope to get back to a level of normalcy in our industry where we can begin networking in person at the various conferences, we can visit current and potential clients and begin growing our businesses the way that we all remember and slowly build up the head of steam our industry had prior to the pandemic. We have all been blessed to keep our doors open and operating during these difficult times, but our circle of the financial world is resilient and has always been able to bounce back in the face of adversity. I’m looking forward to seeing us all do that again.
Harry Strausser, Applied Innovation
I am most looking forward to engaging with friends and colleagues once again on a face-to-face basis at industry meetings. I believe 2020, although one of the most tumultuous years in our country’s and the world’s history, has forced us to reflect on what is important in our lives. Ironically the 20/20 reference provides us with clarity relative to what really matters. We take too much for granted. Who would have thought we would long for a nice dinner in our favorite restaurant. Miss gathering with friends at our local tavern for a party. Lament the loss of celebrating special occasions with family. I am looking forward to the reconnection with those we care about and helping members of the ARM industry move forward toward the success that is in store for our future as we learn from the hard lessons of this unprecedented year.
LaDonna Bohling, Receivable Solutions
In 2021 I am looking forward to traveling and reconnecting with my peers. ZOOM has served its purpose – Can you hear me? I never thought I would miss the Atlanta airport. At this point (those of you who know me – know I am NOT a hugger), I will hug the first TSA agent I see.
Manny Newburger, Barron & Newburger
In 2021, what I am looking forward to the most is getting to see people I didn’t get to see in 2020. I am accustomed to traveling most weeks of the year, seeing friends at conferences, in court, or at their offices when I do witness prep or on-site consulting. There are so many great people in the industry whom I am looking forward to seeing in 2021. Life is better when we get to spend time with valued friends.
Eric Troutman, Squire Patton Boggs
I suspect 2021 will bring a lot of clarity that TCPA has needed for years. We know the Supreme Court will give us a clean answer on the TCPA’s ATDS definition in Facebook and I am looking forward to the Ramirez ruling as well — which I suspect will start to gut the Rule 23 class action as a tool in federal court.
The new conservative-leaning supreme court and Trump’s impact on the judiciary overall should really have a great impact in terms of cutting down on frivolous lawsuits and giving defendants an opportunity to put an end to some of the more abusive lawsuits out there. Maybe we’ll start to see Defendants recouping some of their attorneys’ fees in egregious cases.
Still, it will be a year of challenges for the industry with new call restrictions imposed by both the CFPB and the FCC (remember folks — the commercial call TCPA exemption is now much much weaker) and we don’t know what to expect from a split or democratic leaning Congress, even if the Supremes give us a great ruling on the ATDS issue.
Shantanu Gangal, Prodigal
2021 in many ways will be the opposite of 2020. It might start slow but as the vaccination picks up, it will be a strong summer in 2021. We will soon be social without being socially-distant and very much looking forward to it.
Personally I am excited about the advances in technology that will let us provide personalization at scale to our customers while also letting the collection associates focus on the human-to-human connection. Increasingly the legal setup is warming up to the idea that technology is a force of good and will supercharge the well intentioned associates while minimizing any inadvertent errors.