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Tips For Easy Credit Forms For Businesses
By Michelle Dunn
Expert Author
Article Date: 2003-04-04
If your business extends credit to its customers, you probably use different forms and notices. Here are four reasons why your forms should be simple and easy to understand:
1. "Plain English" is good for Customer Relations.
2. Customers Expect and Need to Understand what you have to say.
3. Customers need to understand their obligations.
4. "Plain English" and easy to understand forms can save you money.
Your forms and notices should:
- contain everything you want your customer to know about your credit policies
- limit content to what is essential to protect your company's interest
- say everything the law requires, in the manner the law requires
- be simple and easy to understand as well as clear and organized
- neat and easy to read
To change a complicated form to an easy form for customers to understand you can change a few words that will help tremendously, such as:
| Change: | To: | | | | | Shall be deemed | is | | Under the provisions of | under | | Is empowered to | may | | Is required to | must |
| Indebtedness/liability | debt | | Is hereby granted | receives | | In and to | in | | Due and payable | due | | Rights and remedies | legal rights | | In excess of | more than | | In the event of | if | | Computed in accordance with | figured by | | Each of the undersigned | you | | The loan evidenced hereby | this loan |
You should also eliminate unnecessary words, and keep sentences and paragraphs short. When you use lists and use examples it helps the customer to understand better.
About the Author:
Michelle Dunn is the author of "Starting Your Own Collection Agency" and "MAD Collection Letters and Forms." Visit her site at http://www.madagency.com or her online credit and collections community at www.credit-and-collections.com.
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