Emotional Engagement partnership with Samaritans
In June 2010, Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), Ltd. became the founding member of Samaritans’ Academy, a training academy aimed at developing best practices in emotional engagement with consumers and in supporting both distressed customers and colleagues. The academy is designed to help businesses equip colleagues with the skills to manage customers in emotional distress and to build emotional resilience and thereby reduce stress in their own workplace.
Samaritans are an established workplace training provider, with a long track record of designing and delivering bespoke, tailor-made courses. Areas of expertise include effective communication through listening and questioning skills, how to manage difficult contacts, managing traumatic events and stress in the workplace. The charity’s clients have included: HM Prison Service, Department of Health, Accenture, Legal and General, Norwich Union and the Police.
Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), Ltd. are the UK’s only dedicated deceased account management business and specialises in handling cases with sensitivity and in assisting vulnerable consumers. The company has invested with Samaritans to re-train all colleagues on key listening skills and on the sensitivities around managing distressed customers towards a positive outcome.
Upon helping found the Academy, Adam Cohen, CEO at Phillips & Cohen Associates said: “The economic climate has caused a significant increase in the levels of financial hardship experienced across the UK. Treating customers with respect and compassion are fundamental principles of our business, and we recognise becoming the founding member of the Samaritans’ Academy as a way of re-emphasising this commitment. We specialise in assisting vulnerable consumers and it is essential that our colleagues possess the necessary tool kit to enable them to deal with people, and in an environment where consumers are not only in financial trouble but also significant emotional distress.
“We want to take the industry lead and demonstrate that it is possible to take a positive approach to debt recovery and also ensure that we manage the stress levels of our own colleagues. By becoming the founding members of the Samaritans’ Academy we are confident we are getting the right training and expertise to provide emotional support to those that need it”.
Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), Ltd., enhance the service offered to its clients by actively signposting callers to Samaritans where customers are particularly distressed, ensuring that customers are provided with the contact details they need to connect them to the specialist help they require. “This sets a new benchmark in customer service” Cohen adds.
Peter Wallwork, CEO, CSA commented: “The Samaritans’ Academy is an initiative that has the full support of the Credit Services Association (CSA) and professional collections community. The move by Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), Ltd. to become the founding member reflects well on the individual business and our industry as being genuinely committed to working with debtors with respect and compassion wherever we can.”
The business is also delighted to have confirmed the expansion of our long-standing training partnership with the Samaritans to cover New Zealand.
For more information on Samaritans, please visit www.samaritans.org
Nick Cherry, Phillips & Cohen Associates (UK), Ltd. – 0161 413 4895
or email [email protected]
