Knowledge Centre - Case Study

Downing's Direct Debit Collections Take Only 20 Minutes per Month with Pay Direct™

Downing decides to collect by Direct Debit

Downing is a leading property group in the North West of England. It has a diverse portfolio of projects in the private and public sectors, which includes The Capital Car Park in Liverpool. Downing wanted to offer car-park users the option to pay by Direct Debit. Sarah Mills, Financial Controller at Downing, says: "We thought Direct Debit would offer customers an easy way to pay, while protecting the company from bad debt." As a result, Downing approached its bank to find the most efficient way to collect by Direct Debit.

Direct Debit Limited: the perfect host

The relationship manager at Downing's bank referred the company to a leading supplier of payments software and services, Direct Debit Limited. After a consultation with one of Direct Debit Limited's payments specialists, Downing decided to implement Pay Direct™ — Direct Debit Limited's online bureau service. Sarah Mills says: "Pay Direct™ worked out as the most cost-efficient and resource-efficient solution for us." Direct Debit Limited hosts Pay Direct™, which means that Downing doesn't have to worry about maintaining software and systems. Unlike traditional bureaux, Pay Direct™ gives organisations control of their collections and visibility of their cash flow through an Internet browser. Sarah Mills says: "As the business grows, we may want to move to an in-house solution. One benefit of Pay Direct™ is that we already know how the Direct Debit Limited software works, so it won't be new to us if we decide to bring it in-house."

Helps maintain customer service standards

Pay Direct™ supports Downing's commitment to excellent customer service. The company has access to its payment data at all times through the system's user-friendly interface. "We don't have to go to a Direct Debit provider and ask them to confirm information for us," says Sarah Mills. "With Pay Direct™, we can give a response there and then on the phone, which puts our customers at ease and shows we're confident in what we're doing."

Provides control over cash flow and collections

Downing gets greater control of its cash flow and can minimise its bad debt and losses with Pay Direct™. Sarah Mills says: "We get one payment into our bank account every month and we know what it's made up of - the job's done within about 20 minutes. We know who hasn't paid and we can contact those non payers."

Saves time and resources

Direct Debit Limited submits Downing's payment files to Bacs and deals with the notifications that return. Downing collects Direct Debit payments from around 280 customers per month and finds it to be a much more efficient way to collect than other payment methods, such as cheque. The whole Direct Debit process takes Downing about two hours every month. Moreover, if the company encounters any problems, the dedicated Pay Direct™ support team is on hand to help. Sarah Mills says: "The person I deal with at Direct Debit Limited is really helpful and always finds a solution, which is great."