Debt collection agencies are under more pressure than ever.
Clients expect higher recovery rates. Regulators expect airtight compliance. Consumers expect better customer interactions. And leadership still expects you to scale, without ballooning staffing or operational costs.
That’s exactly where many 3rd-party debt collection agencies hit a wall.
American Collection Systems (ACS) ran into that wall, and instead of hiring more collection agents or pushing their call center harder, they changed how phone calls were handled entirely.
This is the real story of how ACS used Aktos to automate outreach, streamline workflows, improve customer experience, and scale outbound calls by 5× overnight, without adding headcount.
The Scaling Problem Facing Modern Debt Collection Agencies
If you lead a debt collection agency, this probably sounds familiar:
- Your collectors are stretched thin handling phone calls, follow-ups, and payment reminders
- Outbound calls are limited by staffing and time zones
- After-hours calls go unanswered, along with potential repayment opportunities
- Compliance with FDCPA and TCPA restricts how aggressively you can dial your best accounts
- Manual workflows inside your CRM slow everything down
Traditional call center models don’t scale well in financial services, especially debt recovery.
Hiring more people only increases operational costs. IVR systems frustrate consumers. And relying solely on human agents makes it hard to deliver real-time, omnichannel customer experiences.
ACS needed a different approach.
ACS Before AI: High Volume, Limited Bandwidth
ACS is a growing debt collection agency managing accounts across financial services and healthcare. Like many collections teams, they faced a few compounding challenges:
- Missed after-hours inbound phone calls
- Limited outbound call capacity
- Collector burnout from repetitive follow-ups
- Manual workflows inside their CRM
- Pressure to scale without increasing staffing
They weren’t looking for a chatbot or a basic IVR. They needed an AI-driven phone agent that could actually handle debt collection calls, not just route them.
Why ACS Chose an AI Phone Agent for Collections
ACS evaluated their options carefully. What they landed on wasn’t about replacing human agents, it was about augmenting them with AI automation.
What ACS Needed (Non-Negotiables)
- 24/7 inbound and outbound phone calls
- Automated debt collection that still felt human
- Payment reminders, payment plans, and repayment handled end-to-end
- Smart escalation to human agents when needed
- Built-in compliance with FDCPA and TCPA
- Real-time syncing with their CRM via API
- Support for omnichannel workflows (voice, SMS, follow-ups)
Most tools on the market couldn’t do all of that, especially not in one system.
Aktos’ AI Phone Agent (Ava), checked every box.
How ACS Used AI Agents to Automate Outreach
This is where the story gets interesting.
ACS didn’t just “add AI.” They redesigned their outreach model using voice AI agents as a core part of their call center operations.
24/7 Inbound and Outbound Calls
Ava now handles inbound and outbound debt collection calls around the clock.
That means:
- No missed phone calls after business hours
- No backlog of voicemails
- No lost payment opportunities
For the first time, ACS could scale outreach without worrying about staffing schedules.
Learn more: AI Inbound Call Routing for Debt Collection
Automated Payments and Payment Plans
The AI phone agent doesn’t just talk: it collects.
Consumers can:
- Make one-time payments
- Set up payment plans
- Discuss repayment options
All without waiting for a human agent.
Payments are processed automatically and synced into the CRM in real time, eliminating manual posting and reducing errors.
Intelligent Escalation to Human Agents
Not every conversation should stay with AI, and ACS knew that.
Ava uses conversational AI and LLMs to detect when:
- A consumer is confused or frustrated
- A situation requires negotiation
- A sensitive escalation is needed
At that point, the AI performs a warm transfer, giving human agents full context before the handoff.
No repeating information. No awkward resets. Just better customer experience.
Learn more: Building a Hybrid Debt Collection Workforce
Built-In Compliance Without Manual Oversight
Compliance was a major driver for ACS.
The AI phone agent automatically enforces:
- FDCPA disclosure requirements
- TCPA consent and phone number rules
- Contact frequency limits under Regulation F
Every interaction is logged in real time, creating a clean audit trail across phone calls, SMS, and follow-ups.
This dramatically reduced compliance risk without adding manual workflows.
The Results: Real, Measurable Impact
This wasn’t a slow rollout.
5× Increase in Outbound Calls Overnight
ACS increased outbound outreach by 500% almost immediately.
Accounts that previously never received follow-ups were suddenly being contacted, without overwhelming collection agents.
Tens of Thousands Recovered After Hours
By capturing payments after business hours, ACS recovered tens of thousands of dollars that previously slipped through the cracks.
That’s revenue gained without hiring, overtime, or expanded staffing.
Higher Collector Satisfaction
Collectors weren’t replaced; they were empowered.
With AI handling repetitive debt collection calls and payment reminders, human agents focused on:
- Complex conversations
- Higher-value repayment discussions
- Faster resolutions
Burnout dropped. Productivity increased. Morale improved.
Consumers Preferred the AI
One unexpected outcome: consumers often preferred talking to the AI.
Why?
- Less judgment
- More consistency
- Faster resolutions
That translated into smoother customer interactions and better debt management outcomes.
Why This Case Study Matters for Other Agencies
This isn’t about “the future of AI.”
This is about what’s already working today for debt collection agencies that need to:
- Automate follow-ups
- Optimize recovery rates
- Reduce operational costs
- Scale outreach without expanding staffing
- Deliver better omnichannel customer experience
AI-powered voicebots and voice AI agents aren’t replacing collections teams—they’re making them scalable.
Common Use Cases for AI Phone Agents in Debt Collection
Agencies using AI-driven collections workflows typically deploy them for:
- Outbound calls and outreach
- Payment reminders
- Inbound call handling
- Repayment discussions
- Payment plan setup
- Escalation routing
- Omnichannel coordination (voice + SMS)
This is automated debt collection done responsibly, with humans still in control.
Want the Full ACS Case Study?
This article only scratches the surface.
The full ACS case study breaks down:
- Exact workflows
- Call handling logic
- Escalation templates
- Real-world deployment details
Download the full ACS AI Phone Agent case study to see exactly how this model could work for your collections team.
Or, if you’d rather see it live, book a demo with Aktos and explore how AI-driven voice automation can transform your debt recovery operation, without adding headcount.
