Posts Tagged communication
How a Consumer Advocate can Help You Handle Debt Collectors
A Consumer Advocate specializing in Debt Collection Practices can be an effective option to help you get through the credit collection process. Consumer Advocates or Unions such as ACU (American Consumers Union) or UCAN (United Consumer Advocacy Network) are set up to act as a layer of protection between you and the creditor/collector once your debts fall behind. Most Consumer Advocate’s help their clients through a combination of client Education and Protection.
The first goal of the Consumers Union is to educate clients on their rights when they are being pursued by a debt collector. These rights are granted by state law and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). These laws are commonly violated by collectors either because they are poorly trained or counting on the fact that the consumer does not understand or are unaware of their rights. Being in debt and getting creditor calls can be an extremely stressful and intimidating situation. Even some people who do know their rights are too frightened by the collectors to take action. This is where the Consumers Union can step in between you and the creditor to offer the protection you need in this vulnerable situation.
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Internet, Politics and Advocacy Campaign
Online political advocacy campaign has transformed electoral politics. By lowering the financial barriers setting aside traditional grassroots tactics and community strategies to enter into the national political election debate, the Internet has energized activists and given rise to new voices and new forms of news and commentary. While the Internet has become an integral part of campaign infrastructure, it has also spawned the rise of bloggers and other alternative media, empowering thousands of new political actors and providing an important antidote to years of declining civic participation. In the last election, there was also a record number of small online donors to political campaigns, diluting but not eliminating the influence of big money in politics.
Unlike a highly centralized “one to many” traditional media platform namely grassroots tactics and community strategies – which limited political speech to those who could afford expensive television and newspaper ads – the Internet’s decentralized “many to many” platform permits anyone to communicate with millions at little or no cost through free web hosting and blogging services and hundreds of online forums. According to a Pew/Internet report, 75 million Americans used the Internet during the 2004 election to get news, discuss issues and candidates, and participate through volunteering for or donating to campaigns, a significant increase from 2002. There is every reason to believe that these numbers will continue to grow dramatically.
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Advocate Respectfully
This is one of a series of brief articles on holding difficult conversations. In earlier issues of Ki Moments, I suggested ways to open communications that create mutual respect; we talked about the importance of knowing your purpose for the conversation; and we added Inquiry and Curiosity to our conversational toolbox. Here the topic is Advocacy.
Advocacy is the flip side of Inquiry – the opportunity that you open for yourself to tell your story. What can you see from your perspective that they’ve missed? Can you clarify your position without minimizing theirs? For example: “From what you’ve told me, I can see how you came to the conclusion that I’m not a team player. And I think I am. When I introduce problems with a project, I’m thinking about its long-term success. I don’t mean to be a critic, though perhaps I sound like one. Maybe we can talk about how to address these issues so that my intention is clear.”
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