Page:Roy Ralph Hottman - Practical Collection Procedure (1923).pdf/54

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PRACTICAL COLLECTION PROCEDURE

tions. If such debtors are notified that garnishment pro- ceedings will be instituted or that suit is to be started, and they see that business is meant, they will usually pay up.

Where previous experience has been had with the same party of this class, one will know better just how much time to allow him before becoming severe. More often than not, these debtors ignore collection letters, viewing them with contempt, until they receive those just preceding court action. However, the collector generally feels somewhat better for having given them several opportunities of pay- ing before using force. They can hardly be considered as having any credit standing, and ordinarily would not re- ceive credit, but their affluent air and lofty utterances usu- ally befuddle different managers at some time or other. The subsequent requests for credit should be turned down flatly.

Other debtors of this classification are those who will not pay if they can very well escape doing so, such as— journeymen of all mechanical trades, journeymen barbers, agents of all kinds, some traveling men of the less repu- table houses, sometimes actors and the like. Please under- stand that not all of these callings are bad pay, but a good percentage are. The credit man should be wary in grant- ing credit and ascertain how long they have resided in the vicinity. If credit is extended and they misuse the con- fidence reposed in them, it is better to ignore persuasive measures, and adopt decisive, firm measures, garnishing their wages if necessary.

It is frequently their habit to leave a locality after a