PCS Collection Software & Dialers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When configuring a predictive dialer's pacing algorithm, increasing the 'dialing ratio' will most likely:
- Reduce the number of calls placed per agent hour
- Increase agent talk time but also raise the call abandon rate (Correct answer)
- Eliminate dropped calls entirely
- Improve right-party contact rates with no downside
Correct answer: Increase agent talk time but also raise the call abandon rate
A higher dialing ratio places more calls per available agent, increasing talk time utilization but risking more abandoned calls when calls are answered faster than agents become available.
Question 2: Which collection software feature helps ensure FDCPA §805(b) compliance by preventing disclosure of debt information to unauthorized third parties?
- Call recording archiving
- Third-party contact scripting restrictions and call monitoring alerts (Correct answer)
- Automated payment portals
- Account scoring algorithms
Correct answer: Third-party contact scripting restrictions and call monitoring alerts
FDCPA §805(b) prohibits communicating debt details to third parties; scripting restrictions and alerts remind collectors to verify they are speaking with the debtor before disclosing information.
Question 3: An 'agentless' or 'voice broadcast' dialing campaign is most appropriate for:
- Negotiating payment plans on high-balance accounts
- Delivering pre-recorded payment reminder messages to debtors who have provided consent (Correct answer)
- Conducting initial contact calls on newly acquired portfolios
- Performing right-party contact verification
Correct answer: Delivering pre-recorded payment reminder messages to debtors who have provided consent
Voice broadcast campaigns deliver pre-recorded messages and are suitable for reminder calls where the debtor has consented to automated contact.
Question 4: In collection software, 'account scoring' or 'propensity-to-pay' models are primarily used to:
- Determine the legal age of a debt for statute of limitations purposes
- Prioritize which accounts are dialed first based on likelihood of recovery (Correct answer)
- Calculate the settlement discount a debtor should receive
- Assign accounts to specific collectors based on seniority
Correct answer: Prioritize which accounts are dialed first based on likelihood of recovery
Propensity-to-pay scoring ranks accounts by predicted collectibility so that the highest-value, most-likely-to-pay accounts receive priority dialing resources.
Question 5: What is a 'call cadence' strategy in auto-dialer configuration?
- The legal maximum number of calls allowed per debtor per day
- A structured schedule defining how often and at what times accounts are dialed across a campaign (Correct answer)
- The speed at which a predictive dialer detects answering machines
- The sequence in which collectors receive inbound calls from debtors
Correct answer: A structured schedule defining how often and at what times accounts are dialed across a campaign
Call cadence defines the timing, frequency, and channel mix for outreach attempts, balancing contact rates with harassment concerns.
Question 6: Under the CFPB's Regulation F, a debt collector using an automated dialer is limited to how many telephone call attempts per week per debt?
- 3 attempts
- 5 attempts
- 7 attempts (Correct answer)
- 10 attempts
Correct answer: 7 attempts
Regulation F establishes a safe harbor presumption of harassment if a collector attempts to call more than 7 times within 7 consecutive days for a single debt.
Question 7: Which collection software module typically handles electronic payment processing, including ACH and credit card transactions from debtors?
- Skip tracing module
- Payment gateway integration (Correct answer)
- Compliance scrub engine
- Workforce management module
Correct answer: Payment gateway integration
Payment gateway integration connects the collection platform to processors like payment card networks and ACH networks to accept and record debtor payments.
PCS Collection Software & Dialers 3
When configuring a predictive dialer's pacing algorithm, increasing the 'dialing ratio' will most likely: