Expert | Dunning Letters

This program generates letters to customers. This feature is only available for the Expert platform.

How to get there: Program Menu > Accounts Receivable > Dunning Letter

These letters can be edited by going to Program Menu > System Configurations > Edit System Letters.  More information can also be found by searching for letters in NetHelp.

You will be presented with the following menu:

Automatic mode - Checked means automatic mode, Unchecked means manual mode.  For manual mode, you will be asked to choose a single customer who is to receive a letter.  The letter will be generated if that customer has contracts that meet the criteria you have defined, even if the contracts show that such letters have been previously sent.  In automatic mode, the program will generate letters for all customers who have contracts that meet the overdue criteria you have defined.  However, in automatic mode, the program will not generate either a DEMAND or REMIND letter for an overdue item if a DEMAND letter was previously sent for that same item on that same contract.  Nor will it generate a REMIND letter for an overdue item if a REMIND letter was previously sent for that same item on that same contract.  It will not generate a Payment Overdue letter if all the overdue unpaid contracts for a customer are CLOSED and a Payment Overdue letter was previously sent for those same contracts.

Payment Method - This determines what types of contracts are to be considered.

Type of Letter -   You can select the type of letter to be sent to the customer.

Payment Overdue applies to CLOSED contracts that have not been paid in full, but you will be asked if it should also apply to OPEN contracts.

Reminder & Demand Letters apply only to OPEN contracts that have overdue rental item(s).

Reservation Verify & Reminder Letters apply only to RESERVATION contracts.

Letter File Name – You will need to enter the name of the letter file that is to be printed.  The system will default to the appropriate letter; however, you can enter a different letter than the default in Letter File Name.  This allows you to vary the text of the letter depending on who you are sending it to, or how many days overdue they are.  For example, you could send a nasty letter to cash customers who have past due amounts older than 30 days, but you might want to send a nicer letter to your charge account customers with past due amounts older than 60 days.

Edit – This button allows you to modify the customer letter.  Whatever name you have in the Letter File Name will be modified.

Date - This determines how many days overdue a contract must be for a letter to be generated.  For example, you may choose to send Demand letters for items that are between 10 and 30 days overdue.  You may decide to send Payment overdue letters to your account customers who have unpaid balances between 60 and 120 days past due.  For the Payment, overdue letter, you will be asked if the contracts are to be aged from the contract OPEN date.  If you answer Yes, the aging will be based on the date contracts were opened.  If you answer no, the aging will be based on the date contracts are fully closed (all rental items returned).  In the latter case, any open contracts are zero days old.

Letterhead - Checked means that you will be using single sheets of your store's letterhead paper.  Unchecked means you will be using blank paper.  The program will print your store heading at the top of each page.

Printer Select – This selection allows you to change the printer that the letters print out on.  The report printer will be the default.

Generate – This selection produces the letters based on the information given on the screen.

*Note: You can now send letters from the Day at a Glance on the Went Out and Came Back tabs. This allows you to send follow up emails to the customers who just rented something today or who brought the items back today.