customer service representative

construction project manager

records clerk

customer solutions specialist

associate attorney

PRA Group

If you are reading this.....and you are used to a professional atmosphere, RUN! This is for the sub branch and not for the Corporate site. I worked for PRA through a temp agency in two different departments. My first experience though not pleasant, was not as horrific as my second. Let me preface this by saying I come to work, have good attendance, high productivity and this is how I was treated. First time around I was subjected to an old smelly building with floors that vibrate your desk every time someone takes a step. Management gave nasty looks and always used intimidation tactics to keep you in line. I wasn't staying forever though and when I came back into the area I decided to give it abother shot in their Document Resources Department. 

What can I say.....I was lied to about my pay rate up until it was time for me to go permanent and then my pay rate was NEVER HONORED OR EVEN LOOKED INTO BEING HONORED. The atmosphere is HighSchool at best....7 PEOPLE I STARTED WITH ARE NO LONGER THERE within 6 months.....the Managers  talk amongst themselves, gossiping and rolling their eyes like their "Above it All" and abuse their power making for a Hostile work environment. If you do have an issue they address you in an EXTREMELY condescending manner like youre a pet that's just yapping....."There there fido.....go back to your dog house and relax".  Rules made up that are not exercised with all employees across the board, especially the requirement if doctors notes and what warrants them being required. Every day there was pure fill in the blank, from the smug attitudes from people who would be considered incompetent in the REAL WORLD WORKFORCE, to the addition of unpaid job tasks added daily, to NEVER BEING TOLD I DID A GOOD JOB AFTER CONSISTENTLY BRINING IN SOME OF THE HIGHEST STATS IN THE DEPARTMENT for months on end. 

DOCUMENT RESOURCES YOU ARE A DISGRACE! ALL THE WAY UP TO THE END WHERE I WAS BASICALLY CHASTISED BY H.R. FOR NOT PROVIDING A DOCTORS NOTE AND JUST NEVER COMING BACK AFTER I WAS SENT HOME, MIND YOU THAT WAS MY 2ND TIME LEAVING IN 6 MONTHS! SO WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO A MANAGER WHO'S A BULLY OR A SUPERVISOR WHO COULD CARE LESS AS LONG AS SHE'S MEETING HER NUMBERS!!! I'M 37 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN IN THE CORPORATE WORLD FOR A LONG TIME AND LET ME TELL YOU, THESE SHADY, SHIESTY, IMMORAL PRACTICES ARE ONLY ALLOWED BECAUSE NORFOLK IS A PRODOMENTLY AFRICAN AMRRICAN AREA AND THEY LEAD WITH THE "THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE HAPPY THEY HAVE A LOW PAYING JOB AT ALL AND BETTER NOT ROCK THE BOAT" MENTALITY.  IMMORAL, CRUEL, DISGUSTING.

-a typical day at work is to sign into your computer, check through any calls that you need to follow up on, get onto automated or manually dialing(whichever your manager assigns you to), then make your calls. You get two 15 minute breaks and an hour lunch. You can converse with your neighbors but talking is to be kept to a minimal time period. 
- I learned about what could happen if you don't pay off your debt. It also helped me to gain people skills with understanding hardship situations, and doing everything within my authority to help make sure that it doesn't become a more extreme situation then it already is. I have also gained great negotiating, or sales, skills. 
-The management is always willing to help with whatever you need. They will get on the phone for you, send out any necessary letter for the customer to feel comfortable to pay the company, critiquing calls that are made so we know what to do differently with each call in order to be successful. 
-My coworkers are a very diverse group of people. They are also always willing to help and each person has their own way of handling the customers. You learn a lot and gain different skills when listening to ways other people handle calls. 
-The hardest part of the job is to try and get the customers that are not willing to pay, they are called professional debtors, they open up accounts without any intention to pay back the money that they spent. Also, so many people have had bad experiences with collection agents that don't treat them with respect that they want nothing to do with you over the phone and don't give you a chance to show them that you are really there to help them and not talk down on them. I have worked in customer service since I first started working and going from that to collecting was difficult. Hearing stories of why people fell behind on their bills is extremely hard to deal with.     
-The most enjoyable part of the job is when people that are willing to pay, and have to means to, actually pay their debt or start a repayment plan. Hearing the relief and the joy in the customers voice knowing that they won't have to go through (in my opinion) unnecessary measurements to repay. 

While I am very fortunate to have this job, it just isn't the type of work that is right for me.

The dallas regional office needs alot of discipline. When someone is wrote up or fired HR makes sure to tell everyone why and what happened like its their business. They take plates of food to their computers and eat all day long which is supposed to be prohibited. The managers and team members gossip about everyone and anyone to make someones job a living complete disaster. Reps are smoking substances in the bathrooms and not only reps but managers come in from breaks smelling of marijuana so drug testing doesnt seem to be inforced at all. BEWARE if any of the workers feel threatened by you or think for one second you could do a better job than them they team up on you to get you fired. Reps take pictures and talk on the cellphones on the call floors. Some reps even sleep at their desks and to the managers apparently its not a big deal. Everyone sleeps around with everyone to get advanced in their posistions. People stealing others purses, wallets, phones etc and gets away with it. Some reps even come in so messed up they are nodding on and off at their desk and slurring their words as they speak to customers and get a slap on the wrist and get told to come back the next day but if ur 5 mins late to work for car problems or a family member is sick that you have no control over... You either lose your entire bonus check or better yet lose your job. Theres illegal gambling on football games with money between the reps, managers and other employees. And just to add on this long list of things ive had issues with reguarded this poorly managed site dont ever bring your own food and put it in the fridge because theres a 90% chance someone will steal it and ull be going hungry that day. Managers fridge also. Wouldnt recommend the DRO site to anyone who wants a steady long term job. If your a rep and dont make them money they will fire you with a quickness. But for the ones that do work hard they push them out the door faster than anyone and this is where u get ur issues concerning the poor managment. Good luck if you get a job working here.

I applied and the interview process led me to believe this company was something great. I was feeling like this is my career. This had been my job for 9 years somewhere else. 
 I was even centering a lifestyle change around this location. (relocation, during the week) Although, there was one closer to me, they're not currently hiring. 
Day 2 of training.... day two.... I get confronted by my trainer, that a bunch of girls in the class were "making fun of me". Although, I've never spoke much to any of them. I did interact and ask questions in class. I'm thrown. And off guard. The moral and how things were handled led me to quit. This just seemed to elementary to me. My confidence in doing the job was high. The moral, had to shoot me down. The only thing I can think of is maybe they felt I was a "threat" in a non-direct sense? I did nothing. And really didn't say much. 
When we began class training we were told to ask questions. When I was taken to the office, to speak on someone making fun of me, it was told that, I was "inquisitive".... I thought we were supposed to ask questions.... The trainer was more of an improv night at the comedy club. (Although, I guess I didn't think it was entirely funny). "Someone" came forward in telling her that there was a couple girls making fun of me. But there was no one that came forward. Which leads me to believe the whole thing wasn't just a set up by the trainer. Who called me out for everything and I also felt it was in appropriate at times. Or that she might have been encouraging. It's not a loss now. I'm moving on, thank god. I'm fortunate enough that I didn't have much invested.... and things happened on Day 2. 
This was a "NEW" location and all the hype around it .... and we were "the first class"... it's not backed by moral, that there are claims of having. Sorry but it's true.

This job is a joke!  They care nothing about you. All they care about is the money that you're making for them.  They expect you to sit there 8 hours a day and only use the bathroom on your 15 minute breaks. The women's bathroom is always overcrowded. They have their picks of people that they cater to. A lot of brown nosing in that place. They are wayyy too strict about everything. The schedules are crazy and especially for those that have children and families. They expect for you to call people and get them to pay a debt from 1990 which is so ridiculous. They fine you for every little thing to keep your from getting a monthly bonus check. They change rules and policies way too much which is another way for you to get fined due to their own issues. You have to pay them money just to wear tshirt and shorts. It's long, drawn out, and boring doing the exact same thing Day in and day out. They expect you to call people up until 10pm. You have no life with this job nor do you have room to get a second job while working there, or attend school. Some of the managers there aren't management material. They're only in those positions because they have best friends in the higher up positions.  I wouldn't recommend my dog to work there. You don't learn anything in training that you really need to know when you're on the call center floor.  They tell you that you can't have your phone out on the floor, but the managers are constantly pulling their phones out to play music over the intercom when calling out payments on the board (double standard).  You're constantly being watched. There are cameras all over and even plenty in the break room. The only reason I'm still employed here is because I'm waiting to hear from another job before quitting this one.

Typical day at work:
I was in training period and left a few days before training period was over because being on the floor during production period, I felt completely unprepared. They did not have enough reps to help the new-hire reps out, so a lot of us were lost and confused and had mishandled situations with customers. I felt uncomfortable having to convince an 80-something year older individual to use their small disability check to pay a debt that was half my age. 

Management: Is a hit or miss. I think the management team(c-suite level management team) means well to help their employees, but they also admitted, due to their position, they haven't been on the phones collecting in a very long time and don't know how to use the software to collect on the computers. I take what they say with a grain of salt. 

Workplace culture: "Get the money" is their motto. 

The hardest part about the job: If you are not in compliance, which can be: not properly stating disclosures & their plan offers and even down to the dress code and being in attendance can affect your commission. Commission is only about 4%. I feel it's pointless for them to chip that down due to any compliance. There are some people who have way too much time on their hands and scoping out new hires and try to send them home if they are not wearing the correct shoes, for a sit down job in a cubicle. 

The most enjoyable part of the job: it's not a back breaking job. I'm in a safe secured, building with accessible food. 

Work started at 8am sharp.  At this time all representatives should have their dailer signed in and ready for the first call.  The key was to build a rapport with your customer to obtain incoming/outgoing expenses.  Good listening habits is a must because the customer will tell you everything you need to know and plus expenses gets you to the repayment plan,  I learned when dealing with irate/angry customers always let them vent and in most cases  because you took the time to listen they will hear you out due to the fact you cared.  The hardest part was dealing with the customers that nsf's their payment trying to get them back on the line so that payment can be made.  The easiest part was talking to customers who wanted to pay but somehow fell behind due to the economy,.  Just letting them know there are options and I was able to help them and educate them a little about financial struggles meant alot to me and is an enjoyable thing if you love helping others.  Overall I did meet alot of good friends working at Portfolio.  I can't complain about the managers even though you are switch around alot I have had good managers there.  Working there has allowed me to be able to adapt to changes in rules and regulations within business things will constantly change and if an employee wants to be successful they must follow.  I believe I stand for the company I work for so to keep the company and myself successful I must give my best at all times.

Coach/mentor team members using data received from variety of sources. 
Maintain performance records/reports of team. Review reports to ascertain status of collections and balances outstanding and to evaluate effectiveness of current collection policies and procedures. 
Identify team members who require training in advanced topics or remedial training; transfer team members to retraining spine as required with appropriate documentation on performance weakness and strengths. 
Conduct performance counseling and coaching on a periodic basis with team members; conduct performance reviews; make recommendations for salary changes. 
Establish and maintain an environment that encourages team work and individual efforts and ethical behavior.
Maintain appropriate staffing levels for team and in compliance with company policies on flexible scheduling;
Maintain/update time and attendance information in automated software; approve paid time off in accordance with company policies. Administer verbal and written counseling to correct inappropriate behavior and conduct. 
Participate in all required training for automation and telephone systems; Fair Debt Collection Practices Act/Fair Credit Reporting Act (FDCPA/FCRA); other legal aspects of collections procedures. 
Identify violations of FDCPA/FCRA or other company policies and practices to keep supervisor advised of potential acts that may result in litigation against the company.

Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken. 
Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments. 
Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts. 
Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations. 
Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment. 
Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or non-payable checks, or to return merchandise. Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated system.

While being at this job environment I learned to overcome adversity when dealing with angry or irate customers who's accounts were in our offices which also made it the hardest part of the job. Although the pay was exceptional, dealing with the negativeness of the customers made it extremely hard to get the job done. However, I did overcome those many people who had less than nothing to hear what I had to say when dealing with their accounts, the job was done.

I'm writing this because I keep getting emails to rate my last employer. Honestly, this place is just a pay check. Nothing more. There is really no incentive for any of the employees to work harder, the raises are a joke, you "might" get an annual raise of 15-30 cents if you're lucky or a suck up. Most Team leads (with the exception of a male COR team lead) got their positions because they were buddy-buddy with the manager, agree to snitch on their co-workers and or other nefarious corporate ladder climbing. Most of the work is mindless and the entire corporate structure is upside down backwards. Dress code is pretty much where whatever you want. Hoodies, flip flops, stripper wear, you name it. Another word that sums this place up and most every department: DRAMA. And mainly from older people in their 40's and 50's who have been at this company since the pre-historic era. It's a decent check if you are single, still live at home, and have no real adult responsibilities. But it's nothing to raise a family on whatsoever. Most managers, work 2nd jobs. Also, potential for advancement? Slim to none and if you're a shoe-in for a position, you will most assuredly get blind sided by someone who you'll eventually end up training to be your new boss! Best of  luck if you decide to work here and may the odds be ever in your favor.

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