We can’t tell you what to think.

We know that lots of people out there see Enforcement Agents as the ‘bad guys’, ready and raring to swoop in and have the shirt off peoples’ backs.

We know that decades of industry stereotypes have led to this, and we also know that the media’s representation of how we operate is a big influencer as well.

Being seen as ‘The Bad Guys’ is something we’ve come to live with, and when we turn up on the doorstep with an eviction notice or a possession order, we’ve become used to the abuse and the accusations that are thrown our way.

But it’s all about perception. Perception and understanding.

One way that we’re looking to address this, is by reassuring claimants and debtors alike, that our return to work in a post pandemic world, is as safe as it can possibly be.

We’ve gone above and beyond with our training programmes, commissioning COVID-19 courses to run alongside our existing Vulnerability courses. These are mandatory for our Agents.
Does that sound like something ‘The Bad Guys’ would do?

We’ve invested in PPE, listened to all the guidelines on the return to enforcement, and committed wholeheartedly to acting responsibly, fairly and with sympathy and understanding.

We always do, but we’ve redoubled that commitment and refocused our efforts.

Again, if we were ‘The Bad Guys’ we wouldn’t be doing this, would we?

‘The Bad Guys’ wouldn’t write to debtors, asking them how they’ve been affected by coronavirus, and how this might affect their repayment arrangements.

‘The Bad Guys’ wouldn’t signpost the vulnerable to the right kind of help.

‘The Bad Guys’ wouldn’t help ensure that evictees and evicted trespassers find beds elsewhere on the very same day of the eviction.

‘The Bad Guys’ wouldn’t, but #TeamCES would, and we have.

So, does this make us ‘The Good Guys?’

Well, that depends on your perception, and like we said, we can’t tell you what to think, but we feel it is in everyone’s best interests for us to put messages like this across, whenever we can.

The other side of the coin.

We are doing everything we can, and a whole lot more, to try and ensure a safe return to enforcement.

Call us what you want, good, bad or indifferent. Whatever your perception, our approach to the work we do won’t change, because we are committed to compliance, and passionate about changing the way people see not just us at #TeamCES, but the industry as a whole.

So, it’s not a case of whether we’re ‘The Good Guys’ or ‘The Bad Guys’ after all, at least not for us, we’re just doing our jobs to the very best of our abilities, and we’ll keep on doing that.