However, a quarter of Belgian consumers are still unable to pay their bills structurally and on time. This year, the main reason given for these late payments is simply “forgetting” (40%). Other reasons include “lack of funds” (28%) and “technical problems” (28%).
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“This shift from payment problems to oblivion shows that there remains potential to improve the customer payment experience. Proactive communication, starting with the invoice, is crucial. Two steps are essential to support consumers: facilitating a fast and secure payment initially, then, in case of forgetting, follow up with a friendly and personalized reminder. With our ‘Inio’ solution, businesses invoice and follow up with their customers at the right time, via the right channel, for a simple and seamless payment experience. This significantly increases our customers’ on-time payment rate,” explains Guy Colpaert, Director General of Intrum Benelux
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Intrum’s European Consumer Payment Report also shows that the way payment requests are made strongly influences payment behavior. More than 80% of consumers report intentionally delaying a payment in the event of a persistent reminder or neglected bill.
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“When consumers feel under pressure, they often prefer to postpone payment. Communication makes all the difference. While personalization used to be complex, today, with few resources, empathetic collection is possible, even at scale Thanks to our AI and Machine Learning technology ‘Intrum-Ophelos’, Belgian companies can make their collection process more personal and subtle. Age, financial situation of the consumer, time of contact, and much more. other factors are taken into account to personalized communication. Consumers feel understood, which encourages them to pay more quickly. concludes Guy Colpaert.
