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.
- ACXPA certified course
- Live, expert-led training
- Certificate included
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
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
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.
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.
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.
What’s covered: eleven modules
Role plays, group discussion and live coaching across two 3-hour sessions.
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
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
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
Negotiation & Problem Solving
Agree payment terms that meet business needs while respecting the customer’s situation.
- Workable payment terms
- Overcoming obstacles
- Sustainable solutions
How to Educate
Explain the collections process clearly, so customers feel supported and informed.
- Explaining the process
- Checking understanding
- Key information, clearly
Closing with Impact
Confirm the agreement and leave a positive last impression.
- Confirming the agreement
- Thanking the customer
- A professional close
The Psychology of Complaints
How financial stress shapes behaviour, and how to reduce tension.
- Emotion under financial stress
- Reducing tension
- Guiding the conversation
Empathy and Intent
Acknowledge emotions, then move the conversation to problem-solving.
- Acknowledging emotion
- Empathy with assertiveness
- Moving to solutions
Handling the Most Difficult Customers
Vocal and behavioural techniques to de-escalate hostility, without losing professionalism.
- De-escalation techniques
- Managing hostile behaviour
- Staying professional
Group Practice
Realistic role plays to apply every skill in a safe environment.
- Realistic scenarios
- Coached role plays
- Building confidence
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
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
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
Also handle customers who want to cancel? See Retention Foundations
More sales training
Want to lift results on every revenue call?
Selling, saving customers and collecting payments use many of the same skills, so many teams train them together.
Inbound phone sales
Turn more enquiries into sales, without scripts or pressure.
EssentialsFoundationsPROView courses and modulesOutbound sales
Open calls with confidence and close for a clear next step. B2B and B2C.
NewEssentialsFoundationsView courses and modulesCustomer retention
Save more of the customers who call to cancel, without relying on discounts.
FoundationsView course and modulesNot sure which course suits you? Ask for a recommendation
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 sheetPrefer to talk it through?
Not sure which course or format suits your team? Get in touch and we’ll help you choose.
Talk to usUpcoming 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.
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
More dates
- 3Mar2027Wed 3 and Thu 4 Mar 20271:30–4:30pm AEDT · both sessions · Online via Zoom$485ex GSTBook tickets
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
Sharpen your skills, any time
Self-paced courses on being assertive, difficult customers, complaints and managing stress, each with a workbook, quiz and certificate.
Plus one-minute refreshers that work well in a team huddle.
Handle every complaint the same way
The 7-Step Complaints Handling Framework, staff cheat sheets and logging tools in the Complaints Handling Hub.
Built to reduce escalations and restore customer trust.
Live expert access
A relaxed, off-the-record Open Mic on Zoom every second Tuesday with ACXPA’s founder and CEO.
Plus monthly CX and Call Centre Roundtables, kept in a searchable library.
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.
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.
374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses
Read every reviewSales, collections and retention training courses · 23 reviews
On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified
FAQs
Collections Foundations FAQs
Format, pricing, content and who the course suits.
Who should attend?
What’s covered?
Is it only for dedicated collections teams?
Will we get a script?
How much does it cost?
How is it delivered?
Will the course definitely go ahead?
Do participants receive a certificate?
Is the course ACXPA certified?
Is there a lower-cost or self-paced option?
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?
How do I book?
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.
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.