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FOCUS on Client Account Management

Meet Adele Whitehurst

We are very proud of the great team of people we have working here at Court Enforcement Services. We would like to introduce you to them, to tell you about their background, track record and experience. In the second part of this series, we meet Adele Whitehurst, our Client Account Manager:

Tell us about yourself and your career journey?

I started my career in the leisure industry teaching swimming. At 21, I decided to travel and work my way around the world; I had some interesting jobs, including teaching at a school the bottom of Kilimanjaro, to being an extra in a Bollywood movie and driving a steam roller in New Zealand!

When I finally returned more than 3 years later, I went back into the leisure industry as a Duty Manager and Swimming Co-Ordinator; I was then promoted to Sales and Marketing Manager and I furthered my studies in Marketing completing my CIM Certificate. I was promoted again to Contracts Manager and this was my first taste of client management; managing a contract on behalf of a local authority.

I decided I wanted to pursue the marketing side further and joined the Enforcement Industry. If I’m honest it was meant to be a stop gap to gain experience but then I met Daren and Wayne!

Now nearly 20 years on and having managed contracts for local government and Government agencies, I now work for the fastest growing High Court Enforcement company, where my role is to ensure that we perform to the highest standards for our clients.

I think I joined the industry just as things were changing and evolving and this is still prevalent today. At Court Enforcement Services we are always striving to adapt our processes to ensure we achieve the best results for our clients whilst being mindful of the people we are collecting from.

How did you end up at Court Enforcement Services?

Well, I have sort of alluded to it above, I previously worked with Wayne, Daren and Daron at their last company, Marston. I have always loved their passion to find a solution for our clients. I remember when a utility company first approached them looking for a way to improve their collection rates; they were the pioneers that introduced High Court Enforcement to this sector, and I worked on that project with them. Now we work for 23 Utility companies including 4 of the big six. It’s that ‘thinking out of the box’, breaking with traditions and their client focus that led me to follow the board when they set up Court Enforcement Services in 2014.

What is your role in the business?

My role is to ensure our clients’ expectations are met; keeping in regular communication, making sure they are happy with our service and the results we are achieving for them.

What benefits does your role bring to the client and customer journey?

I’m with our clients every step of the way; right from the very beginning of their journey, from their initial enquiry, to us creating a bespoke solution to suit their needs, through to the transition of receiving the first instruction, to monitoring their case(s) progression to conclusion.

I’m always in contact with my clients updating them and guiding them through the process. What is lovely is that my clients will come to me for advice whether for a specific case, changes in regulations or a different debt solution they would like us to resolve.

What is different about Court Enforcement Services?

Since inception we have done things differently, setting us apart from the more traditional approach to High Court enforcement. We offer bespoke solutions to our clients whilst also giving our clients the personal touch. Our innovative approach has meant we are able to engage with defendants at an earlier stage, which means we are often able to successfully conclude cases quickly. We have a very high paid in full success rate.

Why do you like working at Court Enforcement Services?

For me it’s two things, the first is ‘the team’; I work with such a great group of people, from the directors down to our junior members, we are all working together towards one common goal and this is looking after our clients. We never sit on our laurels; we are always pushing to achieve greater things and I believe that’s why we are the fastest growing High Court enforcement company and it’s great to be part of it.

The second is my clients; they are the best, there is nothing more satisfying then helping my clients to achieve their collection goals. I love catching up with my clients and visiting them; it’s one of the things that I have really missed this year with the restrictions; virtual meetings are good but it’s just not the same as an actual visit and seeing them in person. Hopefully in 2021 things will start getting back to normal.

What do you hope the future holds for Court Enforcement Services?

Well, I can’t give away any of our trade secrets but we are always working on new projects and strategies to help our clients increase their collection rates, so you will have to watch this space! Do subscribe to our newsletter or keep following us on LinkedIn for all the latest updates.

However, what I can say is that we are pushing for changes in the current rules to enable us to enforce CCJs under £600 and regulated debts, which, if successful, will open the market up and we will be able to help our clients with the recovery process even further; especially if the County Court Bailiff fee is increased which is likely. Our clients will not only see a higher collection rate using Court Enforcement Services but the process will be cheaper.

One thing that will never change is our commitment to our clients, we will continue to offer them our blend of experience, professionalism, innovations and care.

Why would you recommend Court Enforcement Services?

I would recommend our services because we are experts in our field, we don’t only come up with recovery solutions, we also resolve cases at an earlier stage, resulting in faster payments to our clients, but also fairly to the defendants as less fees are applied.

But the true recommendation comes from our clients; I am often receiving positive feedback and testimonials from my clients which is the best recommendation we could have. Many of our clients have been with us from the start and they often tell me that we obtain more payments in full than other providers … which is the greatest accolade we could receive.

How can people contact you or instruct Court Enforcement Services?

Please do not hesitate to contact me for assistance:

Adele Whitehurst

Client Account Manager
T:  +44 (0)1992 367 092 | M: +44 (0)7525 119 711 |
E:   a.whitehurst@courtenforcementservices.co.uk