Established in 1994, Stenger & Stenger, P.C. is a Michigan-based collections law firm, with a presence in 12 states, dedicated to providing legal representation to leading creditors. The firm’s staff leverages cutting-edge technology and modern collection techniques to generate prompt resolutions for each client. The firm’s top priority is generating maximum revenue for its clients, which include banks and third-party debt buyers, while remaining compliant and respectful to consumers.
As a tech-forward law firm, Stenger & Stenger had software in place to support their efforts, but their team needed more. Business Analyst and Project Manager Bridget Levernier says, “Our main goal was to give the people who owed a debt to our clients more options to self-serve and resolve their account without needing to call us. Ideally, that would happen early in the process, so we could prevent legal action.” At the time, the lack of options to resolve debt without staff interaction was a particular problem.
"Everyone is used to being able to shop or pay their bills online without talking to anyone,” Levernier says.
Stenger & Stenger needed a cost-effective, frictionless solution that aligned with consumers’ basic expectations.
Company President Phil Stenger initiated the search for new software and tapped Levernier to spearhead the project. She created a matrix of 60 criteria and used it to evaluate six possible vendors, including Tratta. Levernier says, “We compared them all on features, cost, and how they matched up against our needs.”
She says, “Our gut feeling was good with Tratta. We felt confident and comfortable with them based on our interactions. When we talked to Tratta, they were willing to be flexible to meet our needs.”
Once the decision was made, onboarding commenced. Levernier says that Stenger & Stenger, “wanted to make the transition quickly, and Tratta supported that.” She continues, “We had some very specific things we wanted in how we set up the platform. They took the time to understand why we wanted those things, which helped them understand the benefit to us and prioritize accordingly. What really stood out was how accommodating they were.”
When Stenger & Stenger first implemented Tratta, they used it for basic features to start but quickly added new features; including things that they had wanted to do for years but previous vendors could not support.
In a short time, the firm added numerous features to the list of Tratta services they take advantage of. Levernier says, “We’ve been adding features consistently, and we’ll keep doing it. This relationship has felt like a partnership from the beginning.”
Today, team members use Tratta daily across IT, finance, collections, and operations. Levernier is particularly happy with her ability to manage the consumer-facing portal. “Setup was easy,” she says, “and it gave us a lot of control without needing to rely on Tratta for support.” She continues, “With Tratta, the portal is a fully developed and supported product that is consumer-friendly.”
Levernier is particularly appreciative of Tratta’s customer support. “The Tratta staff is extremely helpful in troubleshooting issues,” she says. “If a consumer calls with a login or payment problem, someone in our office will usually reach out to me. I can go into the reports or account insights and figure out what’s going on.” When asked about what happens if she can’t resolve the issue, Levernier says, “When I need help, I just send an email to the help address, and usually the same two people respond. It’s great to have that consistency. I almost always get a reply the same day or by the next day at the latest and, if they can’t solve it right away, they’ll at least let me know they’re working on it. They’re responsive and give helpful info.”
Asked about the biggest change since Stenger & Stenger implemented Tratta, Levernier doesn't hesitate. “It’s the quality of what we can offer consumers, and that’s led to better performance. Engagement is up. “I enjoy working with Tratta. They’re easy to work with and really take time to understand what we’re trying to do. They give thoughtful responses and solutions.”
