The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success.
If you learn anything from this profile, Chris Repholz wants you to know that his last name is pronounced “Rep-holts” not “Ref-olts.” But more than that, he is someone who has dedicated most of his professional life to the contact center and accounts receivable management industry and his outgoing and extroverted nature has served him very well in that time, even if he is old enough to know that you used to have to use a newspaper to look for jobs. Read on to learn more about Chris, how he likely loves punk rock more than you, and what he does during his long commute to work everyday.
Name: Chris Repholz
Current Role/Job Title: Chief Business Officer
Company: The CCS Companies
Length of time at current company: I joined CCS in October of 2021
Length of time in industry: I started in the call center industry in 1994 in telemarketing and was dragged into collections in 2004 and never looked back.
How did you get your start in the industry?
I worked at an advertising agency and was bored by the pace of how things worked. I happened to see an ad in the Help Wanted Section (yes, I’m that old) for a call center consulting organization that was looking for client-facing professionals. I had experience with clients, so I applied, got the job, and that was it. I was instantly taken by the pace, the ability to make changes on the fly, and how much energy was present in a room where everyone was talking to a customer (again, yes I’m that old).
What is your career highlight so far?
I started in collections at Zenta, a first generation India BPO and knew pretty quickly that we needed to expand to the Philippines. The CEO told me he’d support opening a new facility if I got the commitment of a client to launch with us. Not only did I get that commitment, I got the client to pay half of the rent for the first year. Subsequently, I was responsible for getting us operational, which I did, and the site was a great success.
When or how are you most productive?
I’m a morning person and very routine-oriented. I get up before 6am, caffeinate myself, and then work out. After that, I make the long commute to my office (in the front of my house) and get to work. I get a lot of work done before noon.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
Connect with people. I have a pretty wide frame of reference, I’m an extrovert and I can almost always find a way to connect with someone new, whether it’s through an interest or a shared experience or acquaintance. It goes a long way in establishing a relationship.
What do you like most about this industry?
The ARM industry is full of entrepreneurs. Success in this industry is not about advanced college degrees, it’s about the willingness to outwork and out-think your competition.
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What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
As an industry, we tend – for good reason – to be conservative because of plaintiff attorneys, but I think that inhibits innovation. I’d like to see the ARM industry be more willing to embrace innovation and technology.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
I have no idea, but in whatever industry I’d find myself, I would be doing something that involves clients and growing a business.
Describe a typical work day.
My job is never the same day to day. Some days it’s internal calls and meetings and on others it’s supporting my sales team with prospects or clients. CCS is an incredibly entrepreneurial environment and as a member of the executive team, I am involved in a variety of projects, planning, and activities designed to move the company forward. I love that I am never bored.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Since I was 13 years old, I have been a huge punk rock fan. I still love The Ramones, Husker Du, the Clash, Black Flag, The Sex Pistols, etc. and still listen to them regularly.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
My dad was in sales and later management. He was incredibly successful because he was willing to outwork everyone else. It wasn’t necessarily a specific piece of advice he ever gave, it was the example he set. He was one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished Masha Gessen’s “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin” (very timely). Next up is Colson Whitehead’s new novel, which is called “Harlem Shuffle.”
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
That when a “P” and an “H” appear in succession in a German name, it does NOT make an “F” sound!
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Dave Hanrahan from Kredit.
The “Getting to Know” series is sponsored by Applied Innovation. Applied Innovation is helping to shape the future of accounts receivable management. Product development is driven by customer feedback, agency profitability and compliance and includes platforms addressing client portal access, document management, payment negotiation, Regulation E focused electronic payment authorizations and TCPA communication authorization platforms. Partner with a company who understands your business challenges and evolves to provide cutting edge technology to overcome those challenges and achieve success