Collections · Foundations · 2 × 3 hours

Collections Foundations

Six hours of live training for anyone who has to chase overdue payments. You’ll learn a clear structure to open with confidence, negotiate workable terms and close with a commitment, without damaging the relationship.

Book a ticket on a live online public course, or train your whole team privately, online or onsite.

Trusted by leading organisationsHundreds of businesses, from local councils to national brands, have chosen CX Skills to upskill their teams. See who we’ve trained

  • Australia Post logo
  • City of Casey logo
  • Federal Circuit Court of Australia logo
  • I-MED Radiology logo
  • MECCA logo
  • Taronga Zoo logo
  • Viking Cruises logo
  • Ultra Tune logo

What’s in it for you

Calmer calls that end in a commitment

Most people are never taught how to ask for money. They sound too soft and get no commitment, or too forceful and damage the relationship.

Collections Foundations gives you a clear, repeatable structure for every conversation about an overdue account, so more calls end with a payment or a plan the customer will keep.

  • Clear commitments on more calls
  • Fewer escalations and complaints
  • Calmer, more confident callers
Collections agent with a headset listening carefully on a call

Understand the customer

What people need under financial stress, and how emotion drives behaviour.

Open with credibility

A first impression that builds trust and sets clear expectations.

Find the real situation

Questions that uncover what the customer can actually do.

Negotiate workable terms

Plans that meet business needs and respect the customer’s situation.

De-escalate upset customers

Stay calm and professional when emotions run high.

Close with a commitment

Confirm the agreement clearly and end on a positive note.

The course

Two live sessions: the conversation, then the tough calls

Collections Foundations covers eleven modules across two 3-hour live sessions. Session 1 builds the structure of a productive collections call, and Session 2 tackles upset and difficult customers.

It suits dedicated collections staff just as well as people who only chase payments now and then.

Both sessions are practical and interactive, with role plays, group discussion and live coaching.

  • 2 × 3 hoursTwo live sessions
  • Online or onsitePublic online; private either way
  • Public or privateOne ticket or your whole team
  • CertificateFor everyone who completes

What people say about training with Simon

★★★★★
The content was clear, practical and highly relevant to my … role. Simon was very knowledgeable and made the presentation fun and interactive. I enjoyed the role playing, which will assist me in effective communication strategies, negotiation and assist in managing overdue accounts.
Svetlana AngelkoskiSenior Accounts Receivable/Finance Assistant, Newington College
★★★★★
Highly recommend Simon, his extensive knowledge and experience makes for really engaging and fun training sessions. He has an absolute passion seeing people excel at phone and sales skills.
Chris PetricAsset Finance Broker, Sanomi Finance
★★★★★
Simon taught skills you probably use every day but brought format and structure to it. Makes you highly aware of how we form conversations and steer them in a direction where you get results.
Louis StylesNetwork and Security Operations Specialist, AC3

What’s covered: eleven modules

Role plays, group discussion and live coaching across two 3-hour sessions.

Session 1: Productive collections conversations
Module 1

The Psychology of Customers

What customers want and need during financial difficulty, and how emotion drives behaviour.

  • Needs during financial difficulty
  • How emotion drives behaviour
  • Setting the right tone
Module 2

How to Engage

Create a first impression that builds trust and sets clear expectations about the process.

  • Strong first impressions
  • Trust and credibility
  • Clear expectations
Module 3

Better Conversations

Assess the customer’s situation and steer the conversation toward a solution.

  • Questions that uncover needs
  • Listening for the real situation
  • Steering toward solutions
Module 4

Negotiation & Problem Solving

Agree payment terms that meet business needs while respecting the customer’s situation.

  • Workable payment terms
  • Overcoming obstacles
  • Sustainable solutions
Module 5

How to Educate

Explain the collections process clearly, so customers feel supported and informed.

  • Explaining the process
  • Checking understanding
  • Key information, clearly
Module 6

Closing with Impact

Confirm the agreement and leave a positive last impression.

  • Confirming the agreement
  • Thanking the customer
  • A professional close
Session 2: Difficult conversations and follow-up
Module 7

The Psychology of Complaints

How financial stress shapes behaviour, and how to reduce tension.

  • Emotion under financial stress
  • Reducing tension
  • Guiding the conversation
Module 8

Empathy and Intent

Acknowledge emotions, then move the conversation to problem-solving.

  • Acknowledging emotion
  • Empathy with assertiveness
  • Moving to solutions
Module 9

Handling the Most Difficult Customers

Vocal and behavioural techniques to de-escalate hostility, without losing professionalism.

  • De-escalation techniques
  • Managing hostile behaviour
  • Staying professional
Module 10

Group Practice

Realistic role plays to apply every skill in a safe environment.

  • Realistic scenarios
  • Coached role plays
  • Building confidence
Module 11

Online Communication

Respond to payment concerns by email and chat with clarity and empathy.

  • Clear written replies
  • Empathy in writing
  • A professional tone

Three ways to train

Book a ticket for one person, bring the course to your whole team, or learn at your own pace.

Public course

Join a scheduled live online class

  • Live online via Zoom
  • Fixed dates, easy to plan ahead
  • Book one ticket or several
  • Save 15% when you book 3 or more
See upcoming dates

Private team training

Your team only, as-is or tailored

  • Live online or onsite, on your dates
  • Scenarios built around your accounts and customers
  • One consistent approach across your team
  • Minimum 5 participants
Talk to us about your team

Self-paced online

Short video lessons, any time

  • From $9.15 per person a month
  • 400+ practical lessons and quizzes
  • Manager dashboards, custom pathways
  • Certificates for every course
Explore self-paced

Also handle customers who want to cancel? See Retention Foundations

Getting sign-off?

Everything your manager needs, in one PDF

Download a two-page fact sheet for Collections Foundations: outcomes, modules, format, price and options, ready to forward or attach to an approval.

Course fact sheet (PDF)

Outcomes, modules, format, price and how to book, ready to forward or attach to an approval.

Download the fact sheet

Prefer to talk it through?

Not sure which course or format suits your team? Get in touch and we’ll help you choose.

Talk to us

Upcoming live public courses

Book a Collections Foundations course

Public courses run live online via Zoom over two 3-hour sessions. Book one ticket or several, and pay by card or request an invoice at checkout.

  • Live, expert-ledPractice with live coaching
  • Certificate includedFor everyone who completes
  • 15% off 3 or moreBooked in one transaction
  • 25% off for membersACXPA member pricing
Next available24Nov2026

Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November 2026

  • Session 1 Tue 24 Nov · 9:30am–12:30pm AEDT
  • Session 2 Wed 25 Nov · 9:30am–12:30pm AEDT

Online via Zoom · Bookings close Mon 23 Nov, 6:30pm

$485per person, ex GSTBook tickets15% off 3 or more tickets 4.9/5 · 374 reviews

More dates

Times shown in Melbourne time (AEST/AEDT).

Who it’s for

Who is Collections Foundations for?

Anyone who has to talk to customers about money they owe, from dedicated collections teams to people who only chase the odd invoice.

Collections and accounts receivable

Managing overdue accounts and payment plans every day.

Contact centre and service agents

Handling collections calls alongside service enquiries.

Small business owners and admin staff

Chasing invoices without damaging the relationship.

Hardship and complaints staff

Supporting customers through billing disputes and financial stress.

Utilities, government and healthcare

Balancing empathy with financial and regulatory requirements.

Team leaders and supervisors

Coaching staff through sensitive financial conversations.

Looking for the full range of sales training? See all sales courses

ACXPA certified

Want your collections calls to meet a recognised standard?

CX Skills is the official training partner of ACXPA, which sets the ACXPA Global Contact Centre CX Standards used to assess calls and publishes the Australian Call Centre Rankings.

Collections Foundations is ACXPA certified, so you learn the same core behaviours ACXPA looks for on every call: empathy, ownership, clear intent and clear communication.

  • ACXPA certified collections course
  • The same standards ACXPA uses to assess calls, built into the course
  • ACXPA members save 25% on this and every CX Skills live public course

ACXPA membership

Want to save $121.25 on this course?ACXPA members pay $363.75, not $485, plus a year of self-paced courses, tools and live expert support

ACXPA membership is a practitioner-built, vendor-neutral toolkit for anyone who has to chase overdue payments, and you don’t need to book a course to use it.

Members get self-paced courses on being assertive, difficult customers and complaints, the Complaints Handling Hub for calls that turn difficult, tools to coach and track performance, and live access to experienced practitioners every fortnight.

  • 17self-paced courses with certificates
  • 65+tools, templates and resources
  • 50+hours of live expert access a year
  • 25%off CX Skills live public courses

Plus member tools for conversations about money

Spot who needs coaching

The Agent Performance Matrix plots each person on quality versus productivity, so coaching goes where it helps most.

480 Customer Response Templates

Written replies your team can adapt, included with Business Membership.

See where your service stands

The Customer Service Health Check rates you across 17 dimensions, with a full diagnostic and action plan for members.

An ACXPA Individual Membership is $197 ex GST a year, and Business Membership starts at $497 for a team of five, under $100 per person.

Every member gets 25% off CX Skills live public courses: five people on this $485 course save $606.25, more than a Business Membership costs.

Why it matters

Want customers to pay, and stay?

A collections call is often the hardest conversation a customer has with your business. Handled badly, it costs you the payment and the relationship.

Handled well, the customer agrees a plan they can keep, and still wants to do business with you.

That’s better for your cash flow, your reputation and the people who have to make the calls.

A final notice letter and a stressed customer with her head in her hands

Better cash flow

More calls end with a payment or a plan the customer can keep.

Relationships intact

Customers stay onside, even when the news is hard.

Fewer escalations

Calmer calls mean fewer complaints and disputes.

Your brand protected

Every call sounds like the professional business you are.

Less stress for your people

A clear structure takes the dread out of making the call.

No scripts

A structure and language you can adapt to every customer.

Reviews

What participants say about our sales training

Verified reviews from people who’ve completed our sales, collections and retention training.

4.9

374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses

Read every review
4.9

Sales, collections and retention training courses · 23 reviews

5.0

On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified

View all testimonials

FAQs

Collections Foundations FAQs

Format, pricing, content and who the course suits.

Still have questions? Get in touch
Who should attend?
Anyone who has to talk to customers about overdue accounts: collections and accounts receivable staff, contact centre and service agents, small business owners and admin staff, hardship and complaints staff, and the team leaders who coach them.
What’s covered?
Eleven modules across two sessions. Session 1: the psychology of customers, how to engage, better conversations, negotiation and problem solving, how to educate, and closing with impact. Session 2: the psychology of complaints, empathy and intent, handling the most difficult customers, group practice, and online communication.
Is it only for dedicated collections teams?
No. It works just as well for people who only chase payments now and then, such as accounts, admin and front-desk staff.
Will we get a script?
No. You learn a structure and language you can adapt to each customer, rather than a script to read.
How much does it cost?
Public courses are $485 per person (ex GST). Save 15% when you book three or more tickets in the same transaction, and ACXPA members save 25%. Private training is priced for your team.
How is it delivered?
Public courses run live online via Zoom over two 3-hour sessions. Private courses can be live online or onsite at your workplace anywhere in Australia, New Zealand or the Asia Pacific (travel costs apply).
Will the course definitely go ahead?
Public courses need a minimum number of participants to run, so we reserve the right to reschedule or cancel a date if too few people book. It rarely happens, and if it does we’ll let you know as early as possible and you can move to another date or get a full refund.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. Everyone who completes the course receives a digital certificate of completion.
Is the course ACXPA certified?
Yes. Collections Foundations is ACXPA certified and built on the standards ACXPA uses to assess customer service.
Is there a lower-cost or self-paced option?
Yes. Our self-paced library is a much cheaper way to build collections skills at your own pace, from $9.15 per person a month, with courses on debt collection, negotiation and conflict management.

An ACXPA membership is another option: members save 25% on live public courses and get 12 months of tools, templates and live sessions.
Can I get something to share with my manager?
Yes. Download the fact sheet (PDF) for the outcomes, modules, format and price in one short document. Public courses can also be paid by invoice at checkout.
How do I book?
Choose a date in the upcoming dates and book online by card or invoice. For private training, talk to us or call us on +61 3 9008 7287.

Talk to us

Questions about training your team?

Book a call to talk it through, or send us a message and we’ll get back to you.

Book a callDownload the fact sheet

Prefer the phone? Call +61 3 9008 7287 (Mon–Fri, 8:30–17:30 Melbourne time) or email hello@cxskills.com.au.

Name(Required)

Ready for calmer collections calls that end in a commitment?

Book a ticket on a public course, train your whole team privately, or start self-paced today.