Celebrating success: Debt recovery agency turns 25

Debt collection agency Cashback Ltd was set up to provide a cost-effective service – particularly to small businesses and individuals – and over the years founders Phil Boots and Margaret Vining have also worked alongside the courts, the Viscount’s departments, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Trading Standards, as well as creditors and debtors, to bring about payment.

Mr Boots recalls that back in 1971, working in both the Magistrate’s (then Police) and Petty Debts courts, the standard required was one hundred per cent, nothing less. ‘We were providing the records of the court and even now what we do is based on that work,’ he said.

He then moved into the legal sector, at Mourant du Feu & Jeune, as litigation manager, a post he held until 1991. ‘I enjoyed my time there, we had a good team spirit and my knowledge of court procedure was extremely useful, so I was doing more than just debt collection.’

It was also where he met Margaret, who had joined as a legal secretary following a number of years working for the States, including three years as secretary to the Youth Officer – a role that required maintaining an approachable attitude to people facing legal action against them and invaluable experience for her subsequent work at Cashback.

It was then that they saw a potential gap in the market. ‘We wanted to provide a professional and personal service, with a clear charging structure, so clients would know what it would cost them to collect a debt and what would be the charges if this was unsuccessful,’ Ms Vining explained. ‘I was working for a firm of English solicitors, so I would come home from work and start again, doing the secretarial side. It was blood, sweat and tears and we didn’t draw salaries to start with.’

Fast forward a few years and they took on a new member of the team, Joey Giles, originally from Cape Town, who joined for two afternoons a week in 1999 and is now finance director. A fourth team member, Jill Battrick, joined a year ago to take on the ‘know-your-customer’ regulatory requirements and provide administration support. Mr Boots can regularly be found in the Petty Debts Court on Wednesday mornings – where the upper limit for claims is £10,000 (although on average the amounts sought are much lower) – and in the Royal Court each Friday afternoon for larger claims. ‘We work with creditors and debtors to set up repayment programmes, which are carefully monitored,’ explained Ms Vining, ‘and where payment is not forthcoming, judgments are referred to the Viscount’s Department.

‘People sometimes ask how long will it take, but we never really know. Our ethos is to give people two or three chances, and we often find that the people in the worst situations are the more willing to pay.’

Last year, after 24 years working from the dining room, the business finally moved into purpose-built office premises at Don Bridge in St Brelade. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of space for their two springer spaniels, Rosie and Bella – undoubtedly the most indispensable members of the Cashback team.

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