The challenge

The challenge was not simply getting through to customers. Sigma Connected was already making contact, but more of those conversations needed to lead to a meaningful outcome, such as a payment, repayment plan or sustainable next step.

In collections, it can be tempting to see that purely as a conversion challenge. But for Oakbrook and Sigma Connected, the focus was not on pushing customers harder. It was on helping the team make better use of each conversation, while keeping affordability, fairness and customer care at the centre.

The aim was to recognise legitimate opportunities, understand the customer’s situation and support better outcomes in a compliant and considered way. This approach also reflected Oakbrook’s responsibilities under the FCA’s Consumer Credit sourcebook (CONC), with a clear focus on customers’ individual circumstances and fair, appropriate support, including for customers in vulnerable circumstances.

The partnership approach

Oakbrook set the direction with a clear framework for what great customer outcomes in collections looked like. Sigma Connected then worked closely with Oakbrook to embed that thinking across the operation.

This was a behaviour-led approach rather than a heavy process change. Our customer facing team were encouraged to think about how they brought the collections principles to life on calls, how they used language, how they identified opportunities and how they balanced payment outcomes with genuine care.

Oakbrook also strengthened reporting, giving the team better visibility of missed opportunities (defined as no movement on the customer’s account). That helped Sigma Connected use insight more effectively in coaching, feedback and daily management.

On the Sigma Connected side, the focus was on making the principles part of everyday conversations. QA teams shared examples of strong calls. Team managers used the pillars as a guide for coaching. Daily huddles helped teams talk through what good sounded like, while top performers were recognised and celebrated.

The initiative also gave the team something visible to connect with. They made a personal pledge to support the approach, symbolised through a shared handprint canvas. It gave the work a collective focus and made the initiative feel like something the whole team owned.

Early results

The initiative launched in March, with the June results showing encouraging progress just three months later:

• Inbound plan rate is running at 143% of target.
• Outbound plan rate has also reached 131% of target.
• Inbound and Outbound conversion (outcomes achieved either a payment or a sustainable arrangement) reached their highest results for the year.
• Inbound missed opportunities have reduced by 28% vs the previous average.
• Outbound missed opportunities also reduced by 44% compared with the previous average.
• First payment kept rate exceeding target levels, demonstrating sustainability of plans and strength of the conversations.

The figures show positive movement in the areas the initiative was designed to influence – creating more plans, making better use of customer conversations and keeping missed opportunities under control. The first payment kept-rate results also provide an early indication that customers are maintaining the arrangements agreed. The next focus is continuing to improve payment taken at the point of contact. Since March, performance across the early arrears portfolio for both Oakbrook Loans and OakbrookAdvance has improved consistently. By June, 67% of customers contacted went on to make a payment or agree a repayment plan, up from 60% in March. The value of arrears recovered also increased from 49% to 57%, the highest level recorded this year.

Customer engagement has strengthened alongside recovery performance. In June, 98% of the contactable population was attempted, while 88% of customers who were reached had a meaningful conversation about their account. Repayment quality has also improved, with average payments remaining above £200, average repayment plan instalments increasing from £133 to £150, and the proportion of customers paying by recurring methods rising from 73% to 76% in July.

These results suggest a shift beyond securing one-off payments towards helping customers establish more sustainable repayment arrangements. The outcome is a stronger early arrears portfolio, with more customers engaging sooner, a greater proportion of arrears being recovered, and more repayments being made through arrangements designed to last. Just as importantly, the work has created a clearer shared language around collections performance. Sigma Connected and Oakbrook now have a stronger view of where opportunities exist, how our teams are responding, and where coaching or support can make the biggest difference. It also gives both teams a stronger basis for tracking how plans perform over time and identifying where further support may be needed.

What started as a renewed focus on core collections principles has become a practical example of close partnership in action. Oakbrook brought the vision, the reporting and the customer-first intent. Sigma Connected helped bring that into the operation through coaching, engagement and day-to-day delivery.

Together, the teams have shown how better collections outcomes can be achieved without losing sight of the customer behind the conversation.

Oakbrook Quotes

“World class collections started with a simple belief. Every customer deserves genuine care, real effort and the strongest possible support, especially those who need it most. Our ambition was to make that instinctive, a culture rather than a checklist. Sigma Connected shared that vision from day one and brought the passion to make it real on every call.”

Matt Court,
Head of Customer Operations, Oakbrook.

“The strongest partnerships are built on trust, openness and a shared purpose. Together with Sigma Connected, we empowered our people to deliver the very best outcome for every customer. That’s what genuine partnership looks like.”

Chelsie Mead,
Operations Relationships Manager, Oakbrook.

Sigma Connected quotes

“Oakbrook gave our team a clear set of principles, and our role was to help make them part of the day-to-day operation. This was about helping agents think more deliberately about each customer conversation – how they listened, where they could identify an opportunity, and how they could support a fair and sustainable outcome.”

Colin McMahon,
Director of Financial Services, Sigma Connected.

“What made this work was the closeness of the partnership. Oakbrook brought the direction and the insight, and our teams worked with them to make it real in the operation. It was practical, honest and focused on helping agents make every conversation count for the customer.”

Kirsten Gibons,
Operations Manager, Sigma Connected.

What’s next

The work doesn’t stop here. Oakbrook and Sigma Connected continue to build on these results, using data and insight to improve coaching, strengthen conversations and support better customer outcomes. Because when customers receive the right support at the right time, the result is better outcomes for them and stronger, more sustainable performance for the business.