Honoring Fallen Agents and Advancing Safety: A Commitment to Protecting Our Industry

By Heather Ford

Agents are the backbone of the recovery industry. Every day, they risk their safety to ensure the process of repossession runs smoothly and effectively. Without these dedicated professionals, our jobs would not be possible, and the industry would not function as it does today. On Fallen Agents Day, we take a moment to reflect on the lives lost while serving in the line of duty. It is a day to honor their memory, recognize their bravery, and reaffirm our commitment to the safety of our agents.

MBSi’s Dedication to Recovery Agents

At MBSi, we are deeply committed to helping our clients succeed while ensuring agents remain safe when performing their essential work. We understand the risks agents face daily, and we strive to provide them with the support they need to navigate dangerous situations.

Over the past few years, we have donated over $10,000 to the Recovery Agent Benefit Fund (RABF), which supports the families of agents who lose their lives in the line of duty. Additionally, we look for opportunities every year to help raise more money by donating to RABF fundraisers and partnering with state associations to help increase this fund.

As recoveries reach an all-time high and the risks grow more severe, we felt it was essential to take action. Through RecoveryConnect, we have the opportunity to streamline the communication process and create a feature to help protect agents in dangerous situations. Our goal is to make it easier for agents to alert lenders when they are facing potential threats and ensure that appropriate action is taken swiftly.

How the Violent Borrowers Tool Works

In our discovery on how violent borrower cases are handled, we found the current communication chain from agents to lenders is often long and complicated. When lives are at stake, this can be a dangerous flaw. Every lender we spoke with wishes to place the case on hold immediately and cease repossession activities.

There should not be multiple email chains, phone calls, or delays in notifying lenders about violent borrowers. That’s why we set out to develop a more direct, efficient system that would put a stop to case activity as soon as violence is detected, preventing other agents from unknowingly walking into harm’s way.

Our new violent borrower feature will help safeguard the lives of recovery agents. Through RecoveryConnect, agents can mark a case as “violent” via the app or web interface, allowing them to immediately notify lenders of the potential threat. They can also add an update or statement to provide more context to the situation. Once the case is flagged as violent, it is automatically placed on hold, and notifications are sent out to all involved parties, including lenders.

From there, the lender has the option to decide whether to continue pursuing the case or close it. According to a survey of lenders, 4 out of 5 stated that they would opt to close the case and refer it to their replevin team for further handling, ensuring that no more agents are put at risk.

A Safer Future for Recovery Agents

We are excited to announce that this new feature will be rolled out to all RecoveryConnect users in March, and it will be available at no additional charge. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to making our industry safer and more efficient.

We believe that every agent deserves to work in an environment where their safety is a primary concern. By streamlining communication and offering more efficient tools, we hope to continue to empower agents and help protect them in their line of duty. As we move forward, we will continue to support and honor the incredible people who serve our industry, ensuring that their safety remains at the forefront of everything we do.

Have any questions about the feature or want to learn more? Hit us up at sales@mbsicorp.com, fill out our contact form, or find us at NARS. We are here to listen and help!

Heather Ford