Vulnerable people management
Helping you engage and support hard to reach customers with problem debt.

For details regarding the Scottish Power hardship fund, click here

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ReachOut have enabled us to start conversations with residents that we had previously been unable to liaise with. This has enabled us to offer further support to more low-income households using the support and advice available to us. –Andrew Hatcher, Revenues and Benefits Lead Specialist, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

ReachOut – Problem debt engagement

Life events can make it difficult for people to manage bills. Many vulnerable customers disengage and remain unaware of the support on offer from charities and the companies to whom they owe money.

ReachOut is a new and unique service from Sigma Connected to address the dual challenge of low engagement and low awareness of available support.

When our clients are unable to contact customers with debts, they ask us to ReachOut with our offer of support. As a confidential and impartial service – one that isn’t there to (and can’t) collect debt – our supportive and empathetic Pathfinders can speak with people where creditors can’t.

Creating a safe environment for sensitive disclosures means our Pathfinders can explore reasons for non-payment and understand the challenges faced by your customers.

Promoting our core values and no-blame culture, Pathfinders then guide customers to whichever charities are best placed to help them through any crisis or to improve financial, mental or physical wellbeing.

They also explain the support your company can offer to those vulnerable customers, giving people reasons to re-engage with you in order to find debt solutions.

This personal approach to debt counseling builds trust, helps people better manage debts and improves outcomes for all parties.

Why ReachOut

At Sigma Connected, we do things differently, and ReachOut provides customers who are struggling to pay with a real lifeline of support, raising awareness of initiatives both within your organisation and with external charities that are available to help them. Our Pathfinders can even warm transfer customers back to you to discuss this support further, helping to re-build the relationship between your company and your customer by remaining relatable and accessible.

Typical results

	15% to 25% typical customer engagement rate (just prior to debt collection agency intervention)
	2 in 3 customers reconnect with client organisation and work together to agree a positive way to resolve their debt
	1 in 4 customers have serious problem debt. Pathfinders help these customers to access debt charities
	1 in 20 customers are experiencing emotional, mental or physical crisis. We help them access much needed support from a wide range of relevant charities

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Awards

How do we do it?

Engage

Contact gained through a 14 day proactive campaign (cloud-letter, white-mail, SMS and dialer)

Explore

Conversations initially focus on understanding each customer’s individual circumstances

Once we have a clear picture, information is shared on relevant sources of free advice and support

Empower

We help the customer create their own plan to better manage their debt (or other life challenges)

Promote

Trust enables us to clearly land key information about the amazing support on offer from the initiating client

Connect

Finally (if appropriate) we gently facilitate contact back to the initiating client (warm transfer)

Support and advice

We guide people to a range of independent charities and third sector organisations, offering everything from debt help and advice to crisis support and improved wellbeing.

You can get in touch with us right here on our website – just fill out our handy contact form and a member of our friendly team will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss the next steps.

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