Collections Agent (Bilingual in Spanish and English)

Kafene is a leading point-of-sale financing partner dedicated to empowering flexible ownership solutions for underserved customers nationwide. By enabling our retail partners to offer flexible lease-to-own (LTO) purchase options for prime and non-prime consumers, Kafene helps merchants grow their customer base and meet the increasing demand for furniture, appliances, electronics, tires, and other durable goods. Utilizing over 20,000 data inputs alongside cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies, our platform creates a best-in-class experience for both merchants and customers. With over $300 million in sales since inception, we are rapidly growing and looking to expand our team.

We take pride in fostering a dynamic workplace culture that values collaboration, innovation, and mutual support. Our team of 150 is spread across our NYC headquarters, a Wilmington office, and fully remote staff nationwide. Last year, we were recognized as one of Built In's Startups to Watch and Forbes' Best Startup Employers.

We are seeking a Collections Agent to join our growing Collections team. Our outstanding Collections team helps our customers meet their payment schedules and resolve past-due amounts while maintaining Kafene's high standards for customer service and satisfaction. In this role, you will join our talented team members with strong Collections expertise, and play an important role in building Kafene's growth. You should have experience with debt collection and knowledge of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The right candidate for this role will be able to balance our focus on helping our customers, as well as achieving broader business results.

Key Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate strong self-motivation and passion for learning various new payment solutions, and utilize advanced probing negotiation and skills to understand customer situations and resolve delinquency.
• Learn about new business concepts and new collection techniques or payment programs in a fast-paced environment to drive continuous business improvement.
• Treat customers with respect and demonstrate sensitivity and compassion in difficult situations.
• Lead conversations to choose among alternative courses of action to resolve delinquency issues and bring accounts back on track.
• Show great sense of ownership, timeline and receptiveness to development feedback while following established procedures, policies, and planned schedule to drive the best results.
• Demonstrate personal excellence including punctuality, integrity, and accountability.
• Demonstrate a strong focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive collection efficiency and achieve monthly targets.
• Navigate multiple call center platforms while staying engaged with our customers on the phone, and handle the cases accurately.
• Use strong attention to detail and a strong drive to follow up on unsolved cases.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Adhere to internal policies by applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, while escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.

Qualifications:

• High School diploma/GED required.
• Must be willing to work in an environment that requires 100% phone-based customer interaction.
• Minimum of one year of collection or customer service experience required, either by phone or in-person.
• Proficiency with basic computer functions, including mouse and keyboard usage, launching applications, conducting searches on the Internet, and maneuvering in a Windows-based environment, strongly preferred.
• Internet access from home is required.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Healthcare: We prioritize your well-being by covering 80% of medical, dental, and vision insurance costs. Additionally, we contribute 75% of the premium for your spouse and/or dependents.
• Retirement Benefits: Begin planning for your future from day one with our 401k plan.
• Paid Time Off: We understand the importance of work-life balance. That's why we offer flexible paid time off days starting from day one of your employment.

Kafene is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. If you are applying for a job in the U.S. and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and contact information. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.