The value proposition of professional debt recovery is measurable. It is not a matter of opinion, sales pitch, or anecdotal evidence. The data across our portfolio — spanning 40+ jurisdictions, thousands of claims, and more than two decades of operation — produces consistent patterns that allow creditors to calculate the expected return on professional recovery engagement with reasonable precision.

The timing premium

The single most significant variable in recovery outcomes is the age of the receivable at the point of professional engagement. The data is unambiguous:

Claims engaged within 60 days of default: average recovery rate 73%, median resolution time 34 days, amicable resolution rate 68%.

Claims engaged between 60-120 days: average recovery rate 61%, median resolution time 52 days, amicable resolution rate 54%.

Claims engaged between 120-180 days: average recovery rate 49%, median resolution time 78 days, amicable resolution rate 38%.

Claims engaged beyond 180 days: average recovery rate 41%, median resolution time 112 days, amicable resolution rate 27%.

The pattern is consistent across jurisdictions, claim sizes, and industries. Every month of delay reduces recovery probability by approximately 3-4 percentage points and shifts the resolution method from amicable (low cost) to legal (higher cost). The creditor who engages at 60 days recovers more, faster, and cheaper than the creditor who engages at 180 days.

The expertise premium

Professional debt recovery produces higher recovery rates than internal credit management for three structural reasons:

Separation of functions. Internal credit teams carry the dual burden of collection and relationship management. The sales team resists escalation because they want to preserve the account. The credit team is constrained by internal politics. Professional recovery agents have no relationship to preserve — their sole function is to produce payment, and the debtor understands this immediately.

Jurisdictional knowledge. International claims require jurisdiction-specific expertise: knowledge of local enforcement instruments, local counsel relationships, and local court procedures. An internal credit team managing claims across twenty jurisdictions cannot develop the depth of expertise that a professional agency maintains in each jurisdiction.

Enforcement credibility. When a professional agency contacts a debtor, the debtor's calculation changes. The debtor knows that the agency has the capability to escalate to legal enforcement — and the willingness to do so. This credibility creates a compliance pressure that internal follow-up cannot replicate.

The cost analysis

On a contingency basis, the creditor's cost of professional recovery is a percentage of the recovered amount — typically 5-25% depending on claim size and complexity. The creditor pays nothing if recovery is not achieved.

The economic comparison is straightforward: the cost of professional recovery (a percentage of the recovered amount) versus the cost of internal recovery (staff time, opportunity cost, and the declining recovery probability that results from delay).

For a €500,000 portfolio of aged receivables, the comparison typically looks like this: internal recovery over six months produces approximately €200,000 in recoveries at an internal cost of approximately €40,000 in staff time and overhead. Professional recovery over the same period produces approximately €365,000 in recoveries at a contingency cost of approximately €55,000. The net recovery difference: €110,000 in favour of professional recovery.

The deterrent effect

The least quantifiable but most significant benefit of professional recovery is the deterrent effect across the creditor's entire debtor portfolio. Debtors communicate with each other — through industry networks, trade associations, and supply chain relationships. When one debtor experiences professional enforcement, the information propagates through the network. Other debtors in the portfolio adjust their payment behaviour accordingly.

Creditors who establish a reputation for systematic professional enforcement experience measurably lower default rates across their entire portfolio. The investment in recovering one receivable creates payment discipline that prevents future defaults.

If you're managing international receivables internally, the ROI of professional recovery is calculable with your own data. Brief our team with your portfolio metrics for a no-obligation ROI projection.