Interview: Director Robyn Baxter on overcoming stereotypes in the debt collection business
Anyone who has watched even one episode of daytime TV programmes that focus on the debt recovery business will know that it has undergone a massive makeover in recent years.
Yesterday’s donkey jackets and strong-arm tactics have been replaced by smartly-dressed operatives with understanding attitudes and comforting smiles.
That being said, the image overhaul still hasn’t prepared a lot of people for Robyn Baxter, who certainly doesn’t look or sound like your archetypal debt collector.
“When I speak to people on the phone after communicating via email, people are surprised that I am, in fact, female,” she says. “I think they automatically expect me to be male; it’s still that kind of business, by and large, but I think things are still changing.”
Law degree
Legal eagle Robyn originally wanted to be a criminal barrister but after shadowing lawyers both in the UK and Australia, she realised it wasn’t for her.
“I found I was taking some of the more worrying cases home with me which was not healthy at all. I had started my Legal Practice Course (LPC), the final stage of training to become a qualified solicitor, and decided that I wanted to have a ‘proper job’ and put my law degree to some use.
“I actually saw this job advertised on my university website and thought it looked promising and interesting, something to tide me over at least until the end of my LPC.
“I ended up loving the work and I’m still here eight years later.”
Robyn began as a lowly legal assistant with the minimum of hardware but bucketloads of can-do attitude.
“I didn’t have a phone,” she says. “Philip used to ask me to write a letter or send an email. It used to be the case that I sat there waiting for his next instruction – now I tell Philip what to do.
Debt portfolio
“I pretty much run the debt portfolio making sure we are keeping on top of each case. I also do all our accounts, manage our cashflow and jointly run the business.”
People are surprised by the way the firm operates, she adds.
“A lot think we are no-win, no-cost and are somewhat astonished to hear that we charge by the hour. They sometimes attempt to get advice so they can handle the matter themselves which is not a good idea at all.”
So what would Robyn say are the the three best things about her job?
Collect monies
“It’s great to collect all monies in full, including all costs and interest, being able to report good results back to the client and exceeding targets,” she says.
And the three things she’s still hoping to change for the better?
“Having to deal with not-very-nice, deluded or abusive people, helping others to the best of your ability only for them to turn on you unexpectedly, and Philip’s rule that I can’t bring my dogs to the office.
“I’ll probably start smuggling in dog beds, food and drink bowls and jumbo packs of Fido-bix while he’s not looking.”