Reminder letters are sent as part of the rates and water billing cycles. They are the first steps of debt recovery actions and so must be executed with care. 


These are the steps to be taken:


  1. Open Item Application - this is run to make sure payments are applied to charges and reminder letters aren't sent for charges that have already been paid. - Please refer to the relevant process document for this step.  
  2. Balance Write Off - this is run to write off revenue type balances that Council does not want to pursue. - Please refer to the relevant process document for this step.
  3. Create a Reminder Letters worksheet for the revenue type in question.
    1. Debtor system is CHRC
    2. Definition name is either REMINDLTPR (for property) or REMINDLTWT (for water)
    3. Description is per rate's naming convention for reminder letter notes
    4. As at date is almost always today's date
    5. Transmit Option is "Export" (for the time being - this will change when we have the capability to print reminder letters in-house)
    6. Tick "Select all accounts" - leave "test mode" unticked
    7. Confirm your details, then click "Finish"
  4. The worksheet will now load all the accounts and transactions that match the worksheet definition's parameters. Refer to the debtor system to configure these. 
  5. Once the worksheet is finished loading:
    1. Deal with any errors included in the error section. (Exclude and raise with IT or resolve and reselect)
    2. Exclude any accounts not to be sent reminder letters (a decision made by Rates)
    3. Run ETL "AT_REMINDER_LETTER_CUSTOM" (you can Enterprise Search "Reminder Letters Custom ETL") and provide it with your worksheet's ID. 
    4. Wait for the ETL to finish
  6. Review the accounts to make sure the ETL has taken effect
  7. Export the worksheet to your user area
  8. Review the file it generates - this is what will be sent to the print house for delivery. 
  9. Once you're happy and ready to commit the reminder letters hit "Finalise". 


Finalising a reminder letters worksheet will add a "Note" to debtor accounts not excluded from the worksheet. The note will have the information put into the worksheet, and point to the transactions the worksheet identified as meeting the worksheet definition's parameters. 1 note will be added per reminder letter type, so if an account is being sent both a first and second reminder letter, two notes will be added to the debtor account.