Marika Latham

I am a Credit Controller with 10+ years of experience working with Accounts, Invoices and audits within various roles. I am highly organised, hardworking, with a strong attention to detail. I possess vast experience with Customer Services, spanning throughout my working career, I enjoy building rapport with both colleagues and customers, working within the FCA regulations.

I strive to give 100% in everything I do. I work well as a Team player; however, I am also self-motivated and enjoy working on my own too. I am flexible, reliable and adaptable to new applications and environments.

My key strengths lie within my ability to learn new applications and processes quickly and enjoy working to targets and regularly exceed those set out for me. I am proud of my achievements, regularly hitting over and above set targets, whilst also taking on additional roles and responsibilities.

Credit Controller - Time Finance - Warrington

(2025-01)

• Manage own accounts via emails and outbound calls
• Download all unpaids allocate & log – daily priority
• Process all 3rd party invoices eg from legal/collections agents
• Process credit balances & secondary rentals
• Process settlement requests and update spreadsheets of all requests
• Ensuring that all invoices are raised on 5% retention & commission claw backs and ensure credit notes if required are raised to ensure sales ledger remains clean
• Bank statements check for any settlements that have been received, action accordingly for lease/HP agreements
• Termination of agreements, processing termination calculator ensuring the 2% rebate is including to have the correct termination balance
• Issuing termination letter to company and all PG on agreement- making ensure you input the correct clause for terminations as per the terms & conditions of agreement
• Provide the relevant documents to 3rd party collection agents in arranging collection of assets
• Check post for POD from IP upload all documents to agreement if needed complete pod and return
• Shortfalls – once an agreement has been terminated and the asset has been sold, post payments to agreement and contact the client to discuss the shortfall on the agreement
• Issue a shortfall letter, working with the customer to work out an affordable post termination payment plan
• Address all HPI alerts and contact customers
• Novate an agreement – this could be the company has gone into insolvency and started a new company or moving company names. Requesting permission for a credit search on all directors/PG so a risk assessment can be completed and to request a detailed rational for the change
• Action all Vat deferral request, ensuring that if accepted the Vat deferral fee is paid upfront any request over 2-months will need consent from senior management

Credit Controller - Institute of Government & Public Policy - Warrington

(2023-08 - 2024-09)

• Manage customer accounts via emails and outbound calls
• Build and maintain relationships with customers & suppliers
• Manage posting Customer, Supplier and Bank receipts and payments
• Raise manual invoices when required, should the invoice fail within the system
• Maintain CRM database to ensure accuracy of data between CRM and Sage at all times
• Rematch payments to new invoices – manage discrepancies & raise Credit Notes
• Ensure Stripe payments match to CRM and Sage, marked as paid
• Merge & Split invoices as required
• Working from a 12-month profile i.e. 1 month = 900 approx accounts
• Manage own accounts, ensure targets are met for over 95% of accounts paid in full for that monthly event/course
• Offer payment plans where required
• Maintain accurate documentation of all credit control activities for each account, to allow detailed correspondence of all communication

Credit Controller - Allegiant Finance - Warrington

(2020-11 - 2023-08)

• Outbound contact to existing/new customers following up New Invoices following a successful claim against mis sold or unaffordable lending
• First point of customer contact for incoming calls managing company and customer expectations, advising invoice and refund processes
• Maintain accurate documentation of all credit control activities for each account, to allow detailed correspondence of all communication
• Building relationships with customers to arrange payment plans where invoices are not paid, keeping within FCA regulations
• Work to targets to ensure the best outcome for the company by maintaining accurate and up to date outstanding invoices
• Prioritise daily work based on status of lender refund, ensuring payments are made
• Proactively contact accounts older than 30 days, to ensure timely payments and manage any payment related issues, in line with company policy, whilst also maintaining checks for any logged customer vulnerability
• Process letters before legal action, where required
• Escalate debt to external debt collectors, ensuring files have been thoroughly reviewed and vulnerability status checked prior
• Additional responsibilities - I have also worked alongside the Claims Team, processing new claims for customers with mis sold and unaffordable lending, gathering relevant information to build a claim
• Manage final lender responses on behalf of the customer, on a non-upheld claim, which entails speaking with customers to advise of lender outcomes, with the option to refer to the Financial Ombudsman for further review of the claim

Customer Service/Sales/Accounts Payable - Rock Oil - Warrington

(2019-12 - 2020-10)

• Processing fuel orders via phone and email
• Updating and sending daily pricelists to clients
• Outbound contact to existing customer base to increase sales and volume, ensuring that I always maintain a good profit margin
• Manage customer queries, processing invoices and updating customer accounts with the correct sales volume, taking payments, filing all 3rd party and driver logs and load sheets
• Hit sales targets; to maximise profit on a dynamic pay scale, I regularly achieved/exceeded my targets on a daily basis
• Accounts Payable, during the pandemic I have taken on additional duties supporting accounts payable, recouping long term outstanding debt
• Responsible for recovering outstanding invoices, including contacting customers to arrange payment, up to issuing legal proceedings in the event of no payment
• Working both in the office and remotely

Customer Service Advisor/Administrator - Certas Energy - Warrington

(2018-07 - 2019-12)

• Processing fuel orders via phone and email
• Liaising with depot's and other departments across the business to ensure delivery of oil to priority sites
• Ensuring any cross-contaminations of oil are always dealt with and managing stakeholders across different departments
• Working in a fast-paced environment with accuracy and efficiency
• Updating accounts to have accurate data of where fuel has been contaminated, and the costs incurred to resolve the issue
• Processing Credit clearance checks for customers
• Review of additional charges to customers to ensure accuracy of all accounts
• Upselling Certas brand heating oil and tank replacements

Insurance Advisor - Dixons Carphone - Warrington

(2016-08 - 2018-07)

• Processing mobile phone insurance claims for NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland & Ulster Bank
• Liaising with customers over the phone and email
• Taking payments and arranging delivery with customers
• Dealing with customer complaints
• Updating user account information
• Working to targets, maintaining and exceeding SLA for accuracy of calls
• Working in a high-pressured call centre environment

Store Manager - Shoe Zone - Warrington

(2015-03 - 2016-08)

Promoted from Assistant Manager within 6 months

• Managing a team of 5, operating a store open 7 days a week
• Management of staff holidays, absence and recruitment
• Responsible for opening and closing the store
• Responsible for cash handling, banking, stock accounts
• Responsible for staff Rotas
• Management of Health & Safety including fire safety within the store ensuring compliance with all regulations
• Receive deliveries, checking stock against delivery notes and dispute any discrepancies
• Responsible for stock take's and audits
• Dealing with customer complaints face to face and over the phone

Duty Manager & Front of house - Holiday Inn Woolston Grange - Warrington

(2014-10 - 2015-03)

Promoted to Duty Manager

• Customer check in desk
• Responsible for cashing all tills and banking at the end of each shift
• Customer enquiries and reservations by phone
• Billing monthly accounts to clients
• Checking current reservation rates and updating extended stays
• Responsible for main running of the hotel, resolving customer and hotel issues quickly and efficiently to allow for smooth running of the hotel
• Dealing with customer complaints face to face and over the phone
• Incentive champion which improved the upsell of IHG rewards for the hotel
• System use of Opera and Brilliant

Team Leader - Holiday Inn Woolston Grange - Warrington

(2008-10 - 2014-10)

• Team leader for 10 staff, supporting them in their roles
• Hosting evening service, greeting and seating guests
• Stocking the bar area
• Setting up meeting rooms for conferences