Credit Assistant

Accounts Receivable And Collection Specialist

The purpose of this classification is to perform work functions associated with assisting the credit manager in coordinating, overseeing and managing accounts receivable and collection duties. The person in this position will assist in approving or declining and issuing lines of credit to customers; conducting credit investigations; and following proper credit approval procedures that limit losses while growing the store's accounts receivable. This person would also ensure that customers with delinquent accounts are contacted and proper collection procedures are followed.

Essential Functions

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Leads assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, disciplining, and provides general guidance as to attain efficient office and credit operations.
• Helps manage and oversee the activities and operations of the accounts receivable and collection areas.
• Reviews and evaluates applications; investigates and verifies financial status and reputation of prospective customers applying for credit; prepares documents to substantiate findings; recommends rejection or approval of credit applications to the credit manager; establishes credit limitations on customer's account.
• Contacts customers by telephone and/or text to determine reason for overdue payment, reviewing terms of sales, service, or credit contract with customer in an attempt to gain payment; mails form letters, texts, and/or late charge notices to customers to encourage payment of delinquent accounts; travels to customers' homes to collect on late payments; assists with repossessions of merchandise as necessary; ensures payments are posted to customer's account.
• Ensures all correspondence and attempted correspondence with customers concerning accounts is properly documented.
• Sends text messages, mails form letters and/or late charge notices to customers to encourage payment of delinquent accounts.
• Confers with customers by text or telephone attempting to determine reason for overdue payment, reviewing terms of sales, service, or credit contract with customer in an attempt to gain payment.
• Documents all correspondence and attempted correspondence with customers concerning accounts.
• Receives payments and posts amount paid to customer's account.
• Reviews and analyzes collection reports to ascertain status of collections and balances outstanding and to evaluate effectiveness of current collection policies and procedures.
• Reviews delinquent account records to determine which customers must be contacted for collection of overdue accounts; organizes collection workload according to degree and amount of delinquency; determines which accounts to delegate to assigned staff for collection.
• Prepares paperwork prior to legal action to be initiated against severely late-paying customers; Submits delinquent accounts to attorney or outside agency for collection with prior approval of the credit manager.
• Collects on returned checks and delinquent accounts.
• Maintains a work environment free of legally prohibited discriminatory practices and sexual harassment.
• Completes, prepares, reviews, and/or approves a variety of forms, logs, requests, records, reports, correspondence, and other documents associated with daily responsibilities of this position; oversees maintenance of accurate files and administrative records.
• Operates a calculator, copy machine, telephone, or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions.
• Logs customer service requests into PQA and schedules merchandise repairs for customers.
• Assist customers on the sales floor as assigned by management to include participation in the sales floor rotation, greeting customers, demonstrating products, completing sales write ups, and updating CRM.
• Maintains an acceptable sales quota as established in weekly, monthly, and annual store goals as assigned by the Store Manager.
• Complies with Store Operations Customer Service Counter and Telephone Standards.
• Upholds and promotes our H.O.M.E. values: Helping others, developing Ordinary people to do extraordinary things, being a Motivated owner that cares, and Ensuring that excellence is a habit personally and for those entrusted to them to lead.

Additional Functions

• Performs the duties of the Store Manager as required
• Assists in other store departments as required.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

High School Diploma or GED required; three (3) years experience in accounting/bookkeeping, loan processing, and/or collections; or any combination of training, experience and education which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position. Must possess and maintain a valid State Driver's License.

Performance Aptitudes

Data Utilization : Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or access data using established criteria. Includes exercising discretion in determining actual or probable consequences and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.

Human Interaction : Requires the ability to function in a managerial capacity for a division or organizational unit. Includes the ability to make decisions on procedural and technical levels.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization : Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude : Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude : Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; the ability to apply principles of rational systems; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning : Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, in addition to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

Farmers Furniture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company is committed to maintaining an environment free of harassment and discrimination.

ADA Compliance

Physical Ability : Tasks require the ability to exert moderate physical effort, though not constant physical effort, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12-50 pounds).

Sensory Requirements : Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, depth, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

Environmental Factors : Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, temperature extremes, electric currents or toxic agents/chemicals.

Farmers Furniture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Company will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.