TCM WELCOMES A YOUNG LAWYER AS CREDIT CONTROLLER (1)

Recently, the few TCM Belgium colleagues present at the office received homemade cakes and soup from a new colleague. But of course, that wasn’t the (main) reason she got hired. Today, we meet Jolien Caes, our most recent credit controller and a lawyer. Interview:

 

Jolien TCM lawyer

 

  • Hi Jolien! You have already had to undergo a real baptism of fire in recent months, because your arrival coincided with this virus which has added a lot of challenges. What was your biggest “pre-TCM” challenge and how did you approach it?

 

I’m a perfectionist by nature, so during my student life in Leuven, I mainly focused on academic success and I probably didn’t get the full taste of student life.

Then my Erasmus in Lyon changed that. I didn’t learn much more about legal matters there 😊 but more about how they approach life. That led me to put things in perspective. In Belgium, everything is much tighter and coordinated. In Lyon, it’s more “at ease”! There, I learned to find a balance between pleasure and work. My masters degree in management, which followed, also taught me that my private life was better organized if I worked more efficiently.

 

  • We were looking for a lawyer with social skills, which is not always easy to find (and not only among lawyers, by the way). With you, we were lucky. Had you heard of debt collection before? What was your first impression of the company and was it what you expected?

 

I hadn’t really heard of debt collection before, not even in law school. I had heard of out-of-court settlements, but never about the contribution of collection agencies. I had a vague negative idea of this concept, but I was not informed of what people like you were doing.

However, this blurred image changed during the first conversation I had with the bosses of TCM. You might think I am advertising my new job, but the reality is that my first week at TCM Belgium gave me a good impression. I have seen that debt collection is beneficial for both parties. The impression that the debtor is at a disadvantage is really unwarranted. In fact, out-of-court recovery saves debtors legal and other costs.

The way you deal with debtors is also a lot more empathetic than I imagined. It is obviously not a strictly altruistic profession, but TCM’s approach is always human. The emphasis is on collection – we’re a for-profit organization – but to get results, people have to deal with people. We really need to understand why no payment has been made, what their needs are and how to find a solution that will satisfy the debtor in question.

The image of debt collection around me softens when I share my experiences. My friends are starting to see this as a pre-judicial phase, where the emphasis is on finding an amicable solution and not on adding costs to debtors.

 

  • What convinced you to choose our company and this profession? What makes the work interesting / informative?

 

I was curious about this “new world”, in which I could also express my legal perspective. It seemed like an interesting mix between complex issues and people management. It is also a very varied and therefore rewarding job. Of course, it was also nice to hear that TCM saw potential in me, the young student who presented herself!

The combination of legal work and human relations convinced me. The fact that TCM Belgium is an SME, with a well-organized team and career opportunities, also really appealed to me.

 

  • What have you learned and what do you hope to learn? What would you like to offer the team?

 

I have already learned a lot! To begin with, I learned that my knowledge was mostly theoretical, without any practical experience.

I was immediately put to work in the field. Each file is different and requires a different approach. I always start from scratch, with an open mind. Empathy is essential.

I also thought that the credit controllers needed to be “tough” people. But I quickly acknowledged that my colleagues are nice people. Strong personalities for sure, but with good tempers. A friendly approach, as a standard starting point, works best for debtors. The rest is in fact determined by the debtor himself.

Moreover, I notice that TCM Belgium has set up a kind of collaborative puzzle. Each employee has his/her own unique qualities and together this mix forms a strong team. The diversity of this team is TCM’s DNA. It’s a good thing that not everyone is the same, it probably wouldn’t work.

What would I like to offer the team myself? I think I was chosen as a piece of this puzzle because of my specific outlook. I think it’s good to always look at your own mission from a wide point of view. I am a cross pollination pro! It will be one of my tasks to stimulate her further.

 

 

Read the second part of the interview with Jolien

 

Questions? Contact us!

TCM WELCOMES A YOUNG LAWYER AS CREDIT CONTROLLER (1)

Recently, the few TCM Belgium colleagues present at the office received homemade cakes and soup from a new colleague. But of course, that wasn’t the (main) reason she got hired. Today, we meet Jolien Caes, our most recent credit controller and a lawyer. Interview:

 

Jolien TCM lawyer

 

  • Hi Jolien! You have already had to undergo a real baptism of fire in recent months, because your arrival coincided with this virus which has added a lot of challenges. What was your biggest “pre-TCM” challenge and how did you approach it?

 

I’m a perfectionist by nature, so during my student life in Leuven, I mainly focused on academic success and I probably didn’t get the full taste of student life.

Then my Erasmus in Lyon changed that. I didn’t learn much more about legal matters there 😊 but more about how they approach life. That led me to put things in perspective. In Belgium, everything is much tighter and coordinated. In Lyon, it’s more “at ease”! There, I learned to find a balance between pleasure and work. My masters degree in management, which followed, also taught me that my private life was better organized if I worked more efficiently.

 

  • We were looking for a lawyer with social skills, which is not always easy to find (and not only among lawyers, by the way). With you, we were lucky. Had you heard of debt collection before? What was your first impression of the company and was it what you expected?

 

I hadn’t really heard of debt collection before, not even in law school. I had heard of out-of-court settlements, but never about the contribution of collection agencies. I had a vague negative idea of this concept, but I was not informed of what people like you were doing.

However, this blurred image changed during the first conversation I had with the bosses of TCM. You might think I am advertising my new job, but the reality is that my first week at TCM Belgium gave me a good impression. I have seen that debt collection is beneficial for both parties. The impression that the debtor is at a disadvantage is really unwarranted. In fact, out-of-court recovery saves debtors legal and other costs.

The way you deal with debtors is also a lot more empathetic than I imagined. It is obviously not a strictly altruistic profession, but TCM’s approach is always human. The emphasis is on collection – we’re a for-profit organization – but to get results, people have to deal with people. We really need to understand why no payment has been made, what their needs are and how to find a solution that will satisfy the debtor in question.

The image of debt collection around me softens when I share my experiences. My friends are starting to see this as a pre-judicial phase, where the emphasis is on finding an amicable solution and not on adding costs to debtors.

 

  • What convinced you to choose our company and this profession? What makes the work interesting / informative?

 

I was curious about this “new world”, in which I could also express my legal perspective. It seemed like an interesting mix between complex issues and people management. It is also a very varied and therefore rewarding job. Of course, it was also nice to hear that TCM saw potential in me, the young student who presented herself!

The combination of legal work and human relations convinced me. The fact that TCM Belgium is an SME, with a well-organized team and career opportunities, also really appealed to me.

 

  • What have you learned and what do you hope to learn? What would you like to offer the team?

 

I have already learned a lot! To begin with, I learned that my knowledge was mostly theoretical, without any practical experience.

I was immediately put to work in the field. Each file is different and requires a different approach. I always start from scratch, with an open mind. Empathy is essential.

I also thought that the credit controllers needed to be “tough” people. But I quickly acknowledged that my colleagues are nice people. Strong personalities for sure, but with good tempers. A friendly approach, as a standard starting point, works best for debtors. The rest is in fact determined by the debtor himself.

Moreover, I notice that TCM Belgium has set up a kind of collaborative puzzle. Each employee has his/her own unique qualities and together this mix forms a strong team. The diversity of this team is TCM’s DNA. It’s a good thing that not everyone is the same, it probably wouldn’t work.

What would I like to offer the team myself? I think I was chosen as a piece of this puzzle because of my specific outlook. I think it’s good to always look at your own mission from a wide point of view. I am a cross pollination pro! It will be one of my tasks to stimulate her further.

 

 

Read the second part of the interview with Jolien

 

Questions? Contact us!

Don’t wait another second – collect your money

Focus on your business, we’ll take care of your outstanding payments. Contact us to find out more.

Don’t wait another second – collect your money

Focus on your business, we’ll take care of your outstanding payments. Contact us to find out more.