MINNEAPOLIS -

Is sending letters through the mail still the best way for debt collectors to make a connection with consumers in default? The most recent monthly membership survey of ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, showed the effectiveness of letters could be wavering.

The association first asked participants to evaluate their use of mailed notices in contacting debtors.

The survey began with participants being asked to “consider collection letters an effective way to collect or a waste of postage.” A total 62.2 percent chose the first option while 33.8 percent picked the second.

ACA then wanted to know how its membership has changed the use of mailed collection notices over the past few years. The greatest amount of survey participants indicated they are sending fewer letters (46.5 percent).

Association members maintaining mailed letter quantities came next in this part of the survey at 41.9 percent.

Meanwhile, just 10.9 percent of survey participants said they send out more collection letters now than they did a couple of years ago.

According to the results, strategy that appears to be taking the place of letter mailing has become phone calls.

In another survey segment, ACA asked its membership to state which method works best in today’s economic environment — phone calls, lawsuits or a series of letters.

By far, respondents chose phone calls (70.5 percent). Next was lawsuits at 25.8 percent, and trailing far behind was the series of letter at just 3.2 percent.