I was absolutely ruthless when I first started out as a debt collector. I had a black heart.
If someone told me they only had $150 to their name this month and needed to feed their entire family of five, I would say, “I don’t care, this is your fault and you owe the money. Pay it.” I would even use blind threats like, “I know where you work” to intimidate them.
It was survival of the fittest, and I thought being aggressive was the only way to succeed. And then it became an addiction — being authoritative and abrasive was like a high.
But after a while, I realized that if someone owes one person money, they owe a lot more people money and they really aren't deserving of such harsh treatment. So I changed my style and started being nicer… but I still sue people. It’s part of the job.
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Full story: Confessions of former debt collectors – Mel Harsh (1) – CNNMoney.com