GUEST EDITORIAL
Over the past 20 years of business, I have watched good employees seek other employment because of growth, I am not speaking about just repossessors but great office employees as well. Professional companies can only compensate employees based upon what the market will bear.
It was very difficult to keep good employees prior to the inception of the CFPB and the additional cost of compliance, now include the increase of expenses to the companies. Equipment cost has risen 50% over the past 20 years, insurance expenses have more than doubled over this time and the cost of employee benefits have more than tripled as well.
Just to cover these expenses, at $275 per car, it would take 235 cars per month just to break even!!!
With all these increased expenses added to our “cost of doing business,” we have been told we cannot charge for services that cost these companies money. From the employee that removes the personal property along with the cost of the bags to store them, to the secured facility the property is required to be stored in as well as the disposal service that removes it.
On top of all, in the past we asked a client to approve a flatbed fee to secure a wrecked vehicle, they responded by saying we would have to take a picture of the vehicle on the flatbed to be paid. I asked the collector what the reasoning was for this new requirement and they said they have vendors that cannot be trusted, I told them they should do a better job of vetting their vendors and canceled the contract with 30 days written notice later that day.
I am starting to believe those very clients we serve and have shown loyalty, integrity and a very valuable service to, do not care about our bottom line or our employee’s wellbeing. If there is an increase in the federal minimum wage, the price of fuel goes up due to a crisis or another insurance carrier drops out of the market I fear there will not be many survivors.
Anonymous Agency Owner
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