The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on all of us, but even more so, when faced with unresponsive customers who aren’t paying their bills. As a small, relatively new business, every penny counts and we had a debtor who had ignored our countless attempts to collect money for in excess of three months.
We were lucky to have terms of business in place with them, and an email trail of our failed attempts to chase the money. We weren’t prepared to write the money off, so I started researching what we could do next and came across Sterling. From making the initial enquiry, to confirming they could act on our behalf to retrieve the money, the process couldn’t have been simpler or quicker. Within a few short weeks the debt had been collected, and Sterling repaid the money to ourselves within a month.
Although it’s the last thing you hope you will need to do to a client, if you do have to go down the path of debt recovery, I couldn’t recommend Sterling highly enough, and although I hope we don’t have any debtors in the future, should we find ourselves in that position, they will be the only company we contact.
DIRECTOR, RECRUITMENT BUSINESS, SOMERSETWe run a boutique research recruitment business. After 16 years of trading we had never had a case of bad debt and so when this situation arose, we were unsure about what do to and which company we felt comfortable with to support us.
After speaking with a few firms, Sterling really stood out from the rest as they specialise in our industry and so could immediately demonstrate the various common scenarios that they are used to dealing with in terms of recruitment debt. Furthermore the process was clearly explained, smooth and non stressful. The day we handed over the debt we could literally forget about it and relax without having to deal with stressful calls and emails. Within under 3 weeks our debt was paid in full and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to any business. We have also since passed them another debt from the same client.
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT RESEARCH FIRMI have engaged the services of Sterling Debt Recovery on several occasions to help us to recover fees owed to us that we were unable to recover ourselves. Everyone that I dealt with at Sterling offered efficient, professional and knowledgeable service to help us to achieve our outcomes. I have recommended the services of the Sterling group to others, and they have received the same levels of efficient and professional attention that we did.
SPECIALIST I.T. RECRUITMENT COMPANY, DIRECTORMy experience with Sterling was the first time we had ever used a debt recovery agency so we were unsure what to expect and if we would even see any kind of result. I was pleasantly surprised, Sterling managed to turn the debt around and get it paid with additional late charges and had the payment in our bank account all within a 7 day period. The process was efficient and seamless and I was kept in the loop the whole way through the process. Having dealt with Anthony and Neil the customer service they both provided was impeccable and I wish I had found out about Sterling sooner.
I would most definitely recommend to any business trying to recover debt and I would use Sterling’s services again. Thank you for making such an unpleasant debt recovery situation so easy to resolve.
SPECIALIST ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL RECRUITERS, DIRECTORAs a professional recruitment company, choosing Sterling Debt Recovery to deal with our debtors has proven to be very successful. We don’t have many bad debtors but the couple we’ve passed to Sterling have both paid. One of the debts also required a court claim which the solicitor dealing with Sterling dealt with impeccably, in addition all our costs were recovered. Their knowledge of the recruitment sector goes a long way to bringing fast undisputed results. They even suggested tailored improvements in our own Terms, reducing exposure to similar problems from debtors in the future. I am confident and satisfied to be working with them.
SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS COMPANY, ENGINEERING AND HEALTH CARE SECTOR, CEO‘We used Sterling debt recovery to recover a 9 month old debt where a multi site, large client of our business was refusing to pay a fee for work completed. Sterling took over the debt and within two weeks had secured an agreement in principle from the client for the full settlement of the debt. Money was received in our bank account in under one month. Importantly, they managed to achieve this without damaging the forward business relationship.’
RECRUITMENT AND RESOURCING COMPANY, HEALTH CARE SECTOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR“Sterling did a fantastic job collecting historic debts, some dating back over a year and in some cases, even collecting interest on the debt so therefore receiving more than we had expected. I would definitely recommend using Sterling as it has saved us a lot of unnecessary legal proceedings.”
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS, OPERATIONS DIRECTORWe had been trying to get payment from a client for quite some time without any luck. They ignored all emails and phone calls so I was left with no option but to seek help from a reliable debt agency. After reviewing other competitors I chose Sterling largely based on the fact they have experience recovering money within our business sector. After providing them with the relevant info needed they started working my case immediately and I was very surprised at how quickly they were able to recover the debt. The whole process was hassle free and very smooth, and the best part is it didn’t cost me a penny as Sterling’s fee was recovered from the other side too! I cannot recommend them highly enough, I will certainly be using them again if and when the time arises.
RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY, IT, FINANCE&ACCOUNTING, UK, DIRECTOR‘We recruit tax professionals, and in the main our clients are either professional firms or large “blue chip” groups. We have been in business for nearly twenty years and thankfully have never had a bad debt so when we were faced with a possible problem with a new client we were in unchartered territory.
Our client was a large and successful private equity backed business, however their cash flow suffered major problems following the various lockdowns in 2020. We recruited a high calibre senior candidate for them in spring 2021 and allowed them a generous period of credit to reflect their cash flow difficulties. However, after 6 months or so it became apparent that despite their ongoing and frequent promises we were at the back of queue when it came to them paying suppliers.
Thankfully Sterling Debt Recovery were recommended to us by one of our trusted recruitment contacts.
Anthony very quickly reviewed our position and came up with a plan to tackle the issue and showed real commercial insight alongside an in-depth knowledge of the recovery process and the related legal issues. Our client was clearly having similar issues with many of their suppliers and were using in-house legal counsel to bat off their creditors and the person concerned was incredibly difficult and frustrating to deal with. Anthony showed immense determination and resilience in the face of many delaying tactics by the client, and he also kept us fully informed at each step of the process and offered sound practical advice throughout. The end result was that we recovered the full amount due from the client.
We would wholeheartedly recommend Sterling Debt Recovery to any recruitment business who need any help collecting their debts.’
DIRECTOR, RECUITMENT FIRM, NORTH OF ENGLAND‘My company is a recruitment agency specialising in the construction / technical sectors. It’s rare that clients refuse to pay us so I did not have much experience of using debt collection agencies or law firms. A construction / developer company owed us several thousand pounds for contractor fees but also c. £15k in temp to perm fees. We decided to use a local debt collection agency first and tested them out initially on the unpaid contractor fees, but it quickly became apparent seeing both their approach to dealing with the matter and lack of communication with me, that achieving the best results were unlikely. They did eventually collect the contractor debt but in an aggressive and unprofessional manner that could be damaging to my reputation. During that process it also became obvious that they did not have the sophistication or knowledge of the recruitment sector necessary to understand or collect the more technical temp to perm debt. This left me wondering as to whether using them was the right move, I decided to look for better options and to see if there was a specialist dealing with recruitment debt and I very quickly ended up speaking with Sterling. Sterling were a breath of fresh air… achieved a quick result, keeping me updated throughout and engaging with the debtor in a professional manner to retain my reputation. It’s evident that their knowledge in my sector of business has been absolutely invaluable in aiding them to achieve much faster results and with far better conduct than the previous company. I am currently considering use of their solicitor’s service to ensure any potential loopholes are dealt with in our processes too. Sterling Debt Recovery are leaps and bounds ahead of their competition and I will certainly recommend them to any recruiters, or any business as a matter of fact, who require an unpaid invoice to be collected.’
DIRECTOR, TEMP RECUITMENT FIRM, BRADFORDWe reached out to Sterling Debt Recovery to work with us on the very occasional time that we have a late payer. They know our industry, they are great for debt recovery novices explaining the steps to us and they recovered our debt within a few days. The whole process has been very straightforward, and encouraging. It is like having a safety blanket knowing that we have a reliable service should this happen again. Thanks Anthony, Neil and the team. Good job done all round!
HANNAH MACDONALD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HIGHER SUCCESS LTDWe’re a niche recruitment company based in the North West focusing on the Water Treatment market in the UK. We first started using Sterling in 2020 to recover a small number of debts – all of which have been successful. Having previously used A-another debt collectors, I was a bit sceptical as that experienced was very much a mixed bag, and I felt as if I had to do a lot of the legwork which felt counter-productive. Sterling are a completely different entity, thoroughly professional in their approach, our experience with them has been superb to date. I would like to single out our contact, Neil, who has been a big help and valued advisor throughout the covid downturn. Neil has helped us in recovering a number of debts – one of which was nearly three years old! He has always been personable and honest throughout all of our dealings, which I really appreciate! I would not hesitate to recommend Sterling as your debt collection partner, and I am reassured to know they are there for future reference as an integral part of helping to grow our business.
NICHE RECRUITMENT BUSINESS, DIRECTOR“Although we use credit insurance, not all of our debts are covered, in particular we have difficulty with back-door cases. We have used other debt collection agencies in the past but they were not able to resolve disputes and in most cases simply tried to pass our case on to a solicitor to lodge a claim. Sterling have been different. As Sterling’s debt collectors and their solicitor have considerable expertise in the Recruitment sector they have been able to negotiate successfully with our debtors, resolving disputes and explaining their liability to them. In all but a few cases Sterling have been able to collect the debt without taking legal action, and sometimes they are able to collect late fees to cover their charge to us. Where legal action has been necessary Sterling have used the solicitor based in their office. This has made the process easier for us and his rates are extremely good. I’m always confident that he is doing his best to get us the best result in each case.”
RECRUITMENT RESOURCING COMPANY, UK, CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTORWe were having serious issues with a customer in relation to non payment of invoices. This was a new experience for us as fortunately our clients are normally excellent payers. We enlisted the assistance of Sterling Debt Recovery to recover the debt and we have been more than happy with their service and professionalism, the debt has now been paid in full and we will use their services again 100% if we encounter any more issues
SPECIALISED CONTRACT RECRUITMENT AGENCY, WALESOne of our long term clients had built up a debt of £3300 and despite making repeated promises to pay no money was forthcoming. We tried sending a solicitor’s letter but this had no effect and we did not want to risk throwing good money after bad for legal action. For me it was business principal which made it important to collect these invoices. I had received an introduction from Sterling so I contacted them to find out what was on offer from debt collection agents. Sterling didn’t suggest jumping straight in with legal action, they just collected any relevant background info from me regards the debt and offered to work on a commission only basis with no payment up front. This was the result: 2 weeks later Sterling informed me they had negotiated to recover more than £4000 from the debtor, this being the total invoice value plus late charges. This meant that after deducting Sterling’s fee I would still recover more than the outstanding invoice value. I’m delighted with the service and if I have a bad debtor in future I’ll contact Sterling first.
RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS IT & ENGINEERING, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SURREY“We have worked with Sterling debt recovery on several occasions & from the start they have been clear open & honest with what they can do for us.
Their fee structure is very clear & on the few occasions we have had to take action against clients for breaching our terms Sterling debt recovery has done an excellent job of communicating & resolving issues with these clients on our behalf.
Sterling debt recovery are now our first port of call regarding any outstanding debt issues.
I do not hesitate to recommend their services to other businesses.”
DIRECTOR, RECRUITMENT BUSINESS“Sterling helped our Start-up agency with its case of bad debt. The client knew all of the tricks of the trade in terms of debt avoidance and personally I was going to write the debt off and move on. The perseverance of Sterling Debt Recovery must be commended- they chased the debt as if they were shareholders in my own business and gave me the confidence to leave everything with them as they kept me updated throughout the whole process.
Sterling collected the full amount plus late payment fee’s so we were in profit after they had deducted their fees.”
DIRECTOR, START-UP RECRUITMENT FIRM‘Cofex provides bespoke service to the exhibition events and conference markets, including strategic planning, general sales, sponsorship negotiation and event launches. When it comes to getting paid, event organisers cannot afford to spend time becoming involved in laborious and protracted discussions and proceedings. Decisiveness is essential, and the refreshingly energetic approach to debt recovery provided by Sterling Debt Recovery works as a direct extension of our own credit control. Sterling have proven to collect cash without drawn out legal proceedings. This is an excellent fit for us. Direct communication, structured procedures and furthermore their existing knowledge of the events market means that we have found an ideal partner. Since 2018 to date Sterling have successfully collected from 100% of our debtors.’
EVENT AND CONFERENCE CONSULTANCY FIRM - CEO‘Graeme and Anthony are a pleasure to work with, they are clear and concise, personable and they communicate professionally. The service they provide has helped our business recover funds due to us, so for us using Sterling Outsourcing is a no-brainer. Here’s to a long and prosperous business relationship!’
INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS‘I have used Sterling on more than one occasion and I have found the service to be both quick and effective. The debts I placed were recovered in full in addition to our costs. On that basis I would recommend Sterling to anyone seeking a swift collection of an outstanding debt.’
UK, PURCHASING AND SUPPLY RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCYRECRUITMENT SECTOR CLIENT, LONDON, £12M T/O‘We partnered with Sterling regarding a recruitment placement fee due to us from an overseas client based in the U.S. Sterling took an understanding and comprehensive approach to this situation. Following their analysis they informed us they had identified assets in the UK (a subsidiary) and had proposed legal proceedings in the English courts which would then be followed with enforcement against the UK assets. The placement was unfortunately disputed although our strict protocol had been followed, however following negotiations and the debt recovery effort led by Sterling, an offer was made to pay 75% of the debt, which we accepted as we wished to be fair and just. This was a significant fee for us and as a boutique and well respected business in the sector this fast result ensured immediate payment which in turn ensured our cash flow. We avoided delays, uncertainty and any upfront legal costs. We would certainly work with them again if this rare and unfortunate situation should arise into the future.’
INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS – NICHE SECTOR, DIRECTOR OF SALESWe have been using Sterling Debt Recovery for several years. I found their communications very effective. Many times when I heard a story from a client and went back to Sterling , I found that Sterling records and information was correct and reliable. They did a marvellous job by recovering £70k without damaging our relationship with the clients. Most of the debt was nearly written off but Sterling recovered very skilfully. Their records accuracy, legal knowledge and experience made me fan of Sterling debt Recovery.
I personally highly recommend this company to any small company dealing with occasional business to business debts or any size of larger company dealing with a high volume of debts.
NATIONWIDE PROVIDER OF INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS, OWNER/DIRECTOR:‘For a consultancy of our size any payment default is significant, especially when the default is from a company that, unknown to us at the time of commencing work, has a history of CVA’s and closures.
After months of our trying to get a response with total ‘silence’ from our debtors the challenge was to go the legal route with accompanying expense with little prospect of payment or the Sterling route. I am so glad we chose the latter.
Sterling were incredibly professional and accomplished, we had part of the outstanding debt paid quite quickly and despite the debtor going ‘silent’ once again the shear persistence and knowledge of Sterling about debtor’s ‘avoidance’ techniques and how to put pressure on them led to the debt, including any fees and interest being paid in full. I am convinced without Sterling this would not have happened.
I have no hesitation of recommending Sterling to any company large or small to support any debt recovery process.’
MANAGING DIRECTOR, SMALL SPECIALIST CONSULTANCYI’d just like to say thank you once again you Sterling Debt Recovery, and Anthony in particular, for making the process of acquiring our unpaid debts as easy as possible.
As soon as we provided the evidence required Anthony began the process of establishing the fee due to us, and made contact with the company in question. Anthony kept us up-to-date throughout, and before long we were discussing when we the funds would be transferred, and how much our bottom line would be if the company tried to negotiate. In the end, Anthony was able to negotiate a very reasonable figure and we received a large chunk of our debt, when previously there had been very little hope at our end of ever seeing a penny!
Thanks for your help Anthony, and we will definitely be calling Sterling Debt Recovery again the next time we need you!
Senior Recruitment Consultant, Midlands
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