The problem of the universal call list

Your call centre floor is a hive of activity. Agents are wading through call lists, facing low contact rates, high frustration, and burning operational budget.

It’s loud, it’s busy, and it’s inefficient.

This approach is built on a flawed assumption: that every customer on your arrears list is the same. But they aren't.

• Some were going to pay anyway.
• Some will never pay.
• Some can't pay and need help.
• Some won't pay and need persuasion.
• And some never answer the phone.

By treating them all the same, you lose time, money, and agent effort. You also create compliance risk under Consumer Duty by failing to identify vulnerable customers.

What if you could stop wasting 80% of those calls? You can.

The solution is data segmentation. This guide shows you how to stop dialling for everyone and start engaging the right customers, on the right channel, at the right time.

From megaphone to conversation: using segmentation in collections

Data segmentation divides your customer portfolio into distinct groups based on shared characteristics.

The old model is like shouting at everyone through a megaphone. Segmentation is like pulling three different people aside for three separate, relevant conversations.

The goal isn't just to make groups; it's to apply a specific strategy to each. This allows you to automate the simple, escalate the complex, and focus agents on work that requires their specialist skills.

Three essential segments to build today

You don't need a team of data scientists. Start with three logical, high-impact segments using data you already have.

1. The Context Segment (can't pay vs. won't pay).

This is the most impactful segment for compliance.

• Can't Pay: Customers in proven financial difficulty. Under Consumer Duty and CONC rules, they must be treated with appropriate forbearance.
• Vulnerable: Customers with personal circumstances (eg. health, life events) that require tailored support or adapted communication channels.
• Won't Pay: Customers who are likely solvent but are actively avoiding contact or disputing.‍
• Forgot to Pay: Financially steady customers with a solid history who simply missed a date. Low risk.

2. The Engagement Segment (channel of choice)

How does your customer prefer to interact?

• Digital Natives: Always click the SMS link. Use the self-serve portal. Never answer unknown numbers.‍
• Email Responders: Open and engage with emails but ignore texts
• ‍Call-Only: Only resolve accounts through direct conversation.

3. The Propensity Segment (likelihood to pay)

• High Propensity (self-resolvers): "Forgot to Pay" customers. They have funds and intent; they just need a low-cost digital nudge.
• Low Propensity (high-effort): Customers in long-term arrears who are unresponsive. They require a dedicated strategy.

Where does this data come from?

You have this data right now. It lives in your CRM, your collections system, your billing system, and your call logs.

• Context: Payment history, credit bureau data, and vulnerability flags.
• Engagement: Email open rates, SMS click-throughs, and connection rates.
• Propensity: Scores based on payment history and time in arrears.
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Building your smart segmentation strategy

Combine these segments to create treatment paths. This is how you collect more by calling less.

Scenario A: The 'Don't Call' Segment (Automated Win)

• The Segment: Forgot to Pay + Digital Native + High Propensity.
• Old Strategy: Add to the auto-dialler. Waste agent time trying to reach them.
• Smart Strategy: DO NOT CALL. Send one automated, low-cost SMS with a direct link to the payment portal.‍
• The Result: The customer pays at 10pm on their sofa. You collect the full amount instantly with zero agent cost.

Scenario B: The Specialist Segment (Compliance Win)

• The Segment: Vulnerable + Call-Only.
• Old Strategy: Add to the main dialler. An agent on a "time-to-collect" target reaches them with a standard script, potentially causing harm and failing a customer with specific needs.
• Smart Strategy: DO NOT CALL with the main dialler. Automatically route this customer to a specialist, high-empathy vulnerability team for a supportive, human-first conversation.‍
• The Result: You avoid a compliance breach, provide a good outcome, and build a sustainable plan. This is your Consumer Duty obligation, solved with data.

Scenario C: The High-Effort Segment (Efficiency Win)

• The Segment: Won't Pay + Call-Only + Low Propensity.
• Old Strategy: Call them 50 times with the auto-dialler, along with everyone else.
• Smart Strategy: This is the only group that gets your prime-time, human-led call strategy. Focus 80% of your agent resources on this 20% of high-effort accounts.
• The Result: Agents stop wasting time on "Self-Resolvers." Their effectiveness skyrockets, and so does your recovery rate.

Conclusion: Strategic triage for better outcomes

Your agents are your most expensive resource. There is no reason to waste their talent on tasks an automated SMS can do.

Data segmentation is the strategic triage for a business that puts outcomes first.

It allows you to automate the simple, escalate the complex, and focus finite resources where they deliver the highest return. It is the proven way to collect more and spend less.