Reminder cadence (rykkerkadence)
Also known as dunning, dunning cadence, reminder procedure, escalation ladder, rykkerkadence, rykkerprocedure, rykkerforløb, eskalationstrappe
The reminder cadence is the fixed rhythm your reminders go out in — who is chased when, and what happens once the deadline has passed.
- Minimum
- 10 days between each reminder
In practice
The cadence is where policy turns into action. It has to be automatic, because anything that depends on a person remembering it does not get done in a busy week.
The framework is set by law: at least 10 days between reminders that carry a fee, and no more than three of them. Within that, there are two things to decide — how quickly the first reminder goes out (the answer is usually: sooner than it does today), and what happens once the third reminder has expired.
It is the latter that determines whether the cadence works at all. Without a consequence, it is just three polite emails.
Where it commonly goes wrong
- The cadence runs, but no case is ever handed over. Customers work that out in less than a quarter.
- Every customer gets the same cadence. The one who always pays on day 35 and the one who never pays should not be treated alike.
- The reminder is sent from a no-reply address. A customer who wants to agree something has to be able to reply to it.