Shield Mercantile was established in 1988 as a privately owned debt collection firm which now hosts offices located throughout Australia. Through strong leadership, vision and diligence, we have created a unique position within the market as one of the best performing primary and secondary agencies.

Our approach
Shield Mercantile does not operate a volume driven process like many of its market competitors. Our approach to providing debt collection services is firmly underpinned by a quality process that produces consistently higher net returns to our clients. Our ability to handle volume is facilitated by our decentralised business model.

Our approach to collections is individualised so that we can provide appropriate consideration to the situation and circumstances of each debtor. This approach has been proved to consistently outperform volume processes such as predictive dialers.

Over 70% of our core business comes from contingency portfolio work reflecting stable, long term relationships with our major clients.

Unique collection methodology
Shield Mercantile's unique collection methodology sees each collection officer working their own portfolio of files to their entirety, from skip tracing the debtor to negotiating payment of the debt. We recognise the need to apply a thorough and specialised approach to working delinquent accounts that have already been worked by the banks' internal recoveries teams and possibly other agents. This approach creates both ownership and accountability for results and a consistency in knowledge on the file which in every instance provides our collectors with an opportunity to negotiate with the debtor from a position of strength.

Local knowledge
Our decentralised business model affords our state-based collection teams the benefit of operating with knowledge of regional culture and local legislation, helping to minimise conflict and complaints and greatly assists in locating debtors. We have found the benefit of maintaining good relations with financial counsellors and other customer advocates to be of great benefit as we see an increase in debtors utilising these services more than ever.

Sustainability
We acknowledge that our activities generate an environmental footprint and as such we have recently introduced our Environmental Sustainability Principals to better demonstrate good environmental stewardship and responsibility. Although we are not yet ISO certified we are fully compliant with the standard and are working through an action plan to edge our way closer to being certified.