Debt Collection to Get Reality TV Treatment; Bad Times Ahead
Patrick Lunsford
A reality TV show about debt collection is currently being shopped around to networks, according to an article in the New York Daily News. Produced by a reality TV veteran of sorts, the show will feature a small crew confronting debtors.
If red flags aren’t immediately going up, allow me to continue.
The people doing the confronting will be riding around in a hearse with a license plate reading “PAYUPNOW.” Two of the crew will be “tough guys.” The man behind the show previously starred on “JUNKies,” a reality TV show aired on cable network Science that featured dumpster diving. The name of the show is “Dead Beat Busters.”
This is going to be bad; bad for viewers, and certainly bad for the ARM industry.
Notice that I haven’t called these men debt collectors. That’s because they aren’t. The show was the brainchild of a man named Hale Storm (yeah), the one that was previously on JUNKies. He got the idea because his small business typically had to deal with non-paying customers. OK, that seems legit. But he told the Daily News that he had revenge on his mind when he came up with the idea.
Oh no.
So this show will feature three guys rolling around in a hearse with the intention of harassing and shaming debtors into paying. How on Earth are they going to get around the third-party disclosure provisions of the FDCPA?
You know what, it doesn’t matter. Reality TV is fake, after all. But the optics of these guys pursuing debtors is going to be a nightmare for the legitimate debt collection industry.
Our most avid readers might remember our previous coverage of a possible ARM-focused reality TV show. Two years ago, we were contacted by a producer looking to make a show about debt collectors. We got some positive response from our readers, who generally viewed it as an opportunity to shed some light on day-to-day collection operations. The producer asked for some input, and I gave it to him.
But it appears that this is not the same group. After all, would calmly discussing options with a consumer who wants to settle his debt make for good TV? Probably not.
There is a good chance this show won’t get picked up at all. That should help. But the production company behind it also owns an online content distribution network, meaning the show might run online as a web series. There will still be plenty of embarrassment for all.
So brace yourselves, ARM professionals. The industry is about to face a new challenged in the never-ending public relations battle between debtors and legitimate debt collection agencies.
This can not be Good…in any way.
I wonder if the executive producer might be Al Franken…
I imagine it will be like Lizard Lick Towing and Operation Repo-alot of re-enactment and exaggeration. Aren’t those shows debt collection as well?
This will not be good no matter what kind of spin is on it. The only thing we can hope for is that it sheds some light on how antiquated the FDCPA really is…
This sounds like that network show several seasons back which was set in a call center in India. Just another ‘nail in the coffin’ for the issue of collecting – never easy- getting tougher.
This will be very good for debt collectors because it will shed light on the low life deadbeat consumers how they avoid the bill collector.
Unfortunately – it wil glorify the ‘low-life deadbeat consumers’ and make them sympathetic instead of pushing the sympathy to the poor agent’s out there who try to collect from these people.
This garbage will be construed as ‘reality’ and we know that is not how it works. This will be similar to the chucklehead process server in NYC chasing the people he is trying to serve and then confronting them with the reason for the service. It just isn’t done this way. Another nail in our coffin.
I’ll take a totally contrarian view – the more these negative stereotypes persist, the easier it is to flip them on their head and score positive PR as a result for your debt collection agency!
Journalists love pitches/stories that go contrary to popular belief or are unusual. Well, what’s more unusual than a debt collection agency filled with soccer moms, college students and other normal people? What’s more unusual than a debt collection agency that wins BBB Integrity Awards or gets an A+ BBB Rating? Or an agency that gets asked by an area college to teach and share case studies on business ethics in the workplace and the positive impact it has on revenues? What’s more unusual than a consumer thanking a debt collector by bringing flowers to the office?
These stories are like catnip to journalists! You just have to have the guts to put yourself and your agency out there!
Now, I get the risk-averse nature of many in our industry, and that this hasn’t come about by chance. I know there’s this belief that if your agency is “too” visible in the media, you’ll be inviting unscrupulous consumer attorneys or other predators looking to slap frivolous lawsuits and complaints against your agency in hopes of making a quick buck or sullying your name.
I get that, but at the same time, if you’re not willing to proactively tell your own story, do you really have a right to complain? It’s like complaining about the government but refusing to vote.
Sure, there’s risk in telling your own story and being proactive in promoting the great work you do. There’s also huge opportunity!
To me, it’s become a tiresome lament to complain about negative stereotypes or unfair coverage of the industry. If you don’t like it, then do something about it! Get out there and tell your story!
In my experience, if you know what you’re doing PR-wise, you’ll find that the vast majority of journalists do want to give you a fair shake and let you tell your side of the story. You just have to know how to tell it well!
And I think the more your debt collection agency can humanize itself and the people who make your agency the success it is, the more success you’ll have when it comes to winning new clients, increasing revenue and protecting/enhancing your brand online!
So what do you think? Why won’t more agencies take a shot at doing this?
John, I agree it would help if the reality show would let the collection agency show to the world some of the letters they get from the deadbeat consumers and with all the garbage the consumers put in the letters asking for things that knowing the collection agency do not have to provide and asking the collection agency to jump through hoops. If that happen the world will see the collection agency is not that bad.
Just a quick comment.. We were actively involved in the first 4 episodes. The series will be on Netflix and I will attempt to upload the full pilot that BRAVO is looking at for you all to see. It is a very realistic view of the antiquated debt collection industry, and it is going to get the attention of the American Public.
Regards
Robert Paisola
robert@mycollector.com
CEO
http://www.MyCollector.com
http://www.WesternCapitalMultimedia.com
When members of the ARM industry use terms such as ” deadbeat consumers” or chukleheads it does nothing to change the image of the collection industry. It is my opinion that if that is how you continually refer to consumers or debtors then you are the impetus to our continued bad reputation