Our most recent Recovery Management Network (RMN) call was the most dynamic session I’ve experienced to date. It opened with a live demo from Bazzuka AI, highlighting tools specifically designed to enhance collection operations—supporting live calls, automating text messages, and streamlining email communications.
The conversation didn’t stop there. Eileen Bitterman from Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. followed with a valuable discussion about the real-world considerations agencies and creditors must weigh when implementing AI—either directly or through third-party vendors.
Here’s the bottom line: AI is no longer a future concept. It’s already part of the collection industry.
And while it’s tempting to jump in headfirst, AI isn’t a “flip the switch and go” solution. It takes planning, structure, and patience to do it right. That was the loud-and-clear takeaway from this session.
Getting Started with AI: What You Need to Know
Take it slow.
Introduce one feature at a time. Don’t try to launch across every channel at once. Success comes from mastering each step before moving on to the next.
Assemble a governance team.
This team will be responsible for setting policies, monitoring AI use, and ensuring compliance and ethical use—internally and across any vendor partnerships.
Understand how your agencies are using AI.
Even if you’re not using AI directly, your partners might be. Know what they’re using, how it’s trained, and how it’s monitored for bias, accuracy, and risk.
Don’t Release the Racehorse Before You’ve Built the Track:
Think of AI as a racehorse—fast, powerful, and full of potential. But without the right track—governance, controls, training, and testing—you’re setting that power loose with nowhere to go and no direction to follow. The results can be chaotic at best, and harmful at worst.
The groundwork matters. Build the track before you let the racehorse run.
Author: Bev Evancic
Bev.Evancic@ResourceManagement.com
Bev Evancic is a Senior Vice President at Resource Management Services, Inc. Prior to employment at RMS, Bev worked as the Collection and Recovery Manager at AT&T Universal Card, Citi, and Federated Department Stores. Bev started in the collection industry as a collector at an upscale clothing store in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a returned check and private label credit card collector, Bev gained a basic understanding of the collection industry that has not changed with the introduction of regulations. Her collection philosophy begins with the idea that businesses and customers benefit from preserving the customer relationship. First, collectors need to attempt to contact customers when it is convenient for the customer to discuss his/her financial condition and willingness/ability to pay. Second, you never collect money by intimidating or threatening customers. Third, businesses must make sure the debt is valid.
She has managed all phases of collection and recovery operations, including automated dialer units, bankruptcy, and legal units, skip tracing units, internal collections, outside collection agency networks, and Consumer Credit Counseling. As a Consultant for Resource Management Services, Inc., Bev has spearheaded collection and recovery best practices reviews for many top credit grantors. Her articles on dialer operations, agency management and bankruptcy best practices have been widely publicized.
She is well known and regarded as a specialty expert in the areas of: Repossession, Bankruptcy, Estate, Litigation, as well as Pre- and Post- Charge-off. Prior to joining Resource Management Services, Inc. in 1995, Bev managed the Recovery Department for AT&T Universal Card Services where she developed the bankruptcy, probate, internal and litigation processes.
She is the author of “Recovery Management: Collecting the Uncollectible Account.
