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Editorial Viewpoint Stepping Forward Spotlight On First Express Remittance Processing, Inc. Spotlight On GreenPath Debt Solutions COVER STORY New Initiatives Target Faster Payments, Settlement and... NEWS REPORT Marketing Programs Boost Consumer Adoption of... CASE STUDY Custom Accounts-Receivable Solution from First Express... BUSINESS TOOLS Sign Up for MasterCard RPPS Reporting Services... NEWS REPORT Online Biller/Creditor Directory Helps Customers... NEWS REPORT New Processing Service for Collection Agencies Expands MasterCard RPPS... INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Q&A with Catherine Graeber...		SPOTLIGHT ON First Express Remittance Processing, Inc. A division of First Tennessee Bank since June 1999, First Express Remittance Processing, Inc., has been processing payments for more than 30 years, crafting highly customized lockbox solutions to its customers' individual requirements. An early adopter of various electronic payment solutions, First Express was one of the first to marry e-payments with paper remittances in a consolidated receivables file. Working with MasterCard RPPS since the early nineties, First Express depends on MasterCard RPPS support to deliver the timely, quality service its customers expect for bill payment consolidation. Providing what the customer wants "We sell directly to corporate customers, anyone that issues a recurring bill," says Tom Edlin, manager, Sales and Customer Service. "We service a wide range of customers, everything from small-volume, highly customized payments to ultra-high-volume, standard payments. In addition, we service a variety of remittance types, including wholesale, wholetail, and retail." First Express has developed a highly rewarding niche in the market by catering to the specialized needs of its customers. "Our approach is to ask prospects what it is they'd like their outsource provider to do for them. We encourage them to think outside of the lockbox and the usual run-of-the-mill services by suggesting innovative solutions that we perform for other customers," Edlin says. "That way our prospect can benefit from best practices. Then we make it happen." Quality service is an important part of the formula. "Our relationship managers wrap themselves around the business relationship, providing high-touch, proactive service on a daily basis," he says. Getting the right support Quality service and support is also key to the strategic relationship forged between First Express and MasterCard RPPS. "What's so valuable about MasterCard RPPS is its willingness to support its customers," Edlin says. "MasterCard RPPS makes significant commitments and meets those commitments. It works. MasterCard RPPS does everything right - it's very, very smooth." MasterCard RPPS coordinates with First Express to maximize electronic payments volume. Once originators sending paper payments to First Express are identified, MasterCard RPPS works with all the parties to facilitate the transition to e-payments. "Converting from paper payments has saved our customers big money," Edlin says. "Frequently, paper payments require manual processing - when we receive a check-and-list or a check without a remittance document. The automated process speeds up payment and reduces costs." Doing more "We deliver a highly respected product in the lockbox world, with consistently successful timeliness rates against contract requirements," says Edlin. "We do more for our customers than the average lockbox provider can, which allows us to process a higher percentage of payments." First Express backs up its claims with reporting to customers that documents its high performance. Edlin offers an example of the customized service offered by First Express: "If we receive a payment that would typically be rejected - say, because the consumer has put the wrong check or wrong payee in the envelope - we immediately generate a customer service letter to the consumer on the biller's letterhead alerting him or her to the error. This way, we reduce the time for the consumer to turn the payment around, and because we completely bypass the biller's system, we save our customer time, labor, and expense. "We like to say we take exception to exception items," he says. "We go the extra mile in processing those nonstandard payments, providing key entry and special payment application when necessary." Do more, do it better, and do it fast. For First Express and its customers, it's a formula that works. Printer Friendly Version Back to Top