When you receive a letter or call from Coast Professional, you might wonder who they are and what they do. Coast Professional, Inc. is a well-established accounts receivable management and contact center company that has been operating for nearly five decades. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Coast Professional, from their history and services to how to contact them.
The History of Coast Professional
Coast Professional has deep roots in the collections industry. The company was founded in 1976 as LA County Professional Services, Inc. in California. What started as a single office in California has grown into a multi-state organization with a nationwide footprint. Today, Coast Professional operates under its current name and maintains offices in three states: New York, Louisiana, and previously in California.
Over the years, the company has earned recognition for its growth and workplace culture. Coast Professional has been named to Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies seven times. They have also been recognized multiple times as one of the Best Places to Work in Collections by insideARM.com and Best Companies Group, earning this honor five times as of 2020.
What Does Coast Professional Do?
Coast Professional specializes in accounts receivable management and contact center services for public, private, and government entities across the United States. Understanding what accounts receivable management entails is crucial to grasping Coast Professional's role in the financial ecosystem.
Core Services
The company provides a comprehensive range of services designed to help organizations recover outstanding debts while maintaining professional and ethical communication standards. Their services include:
Accounts Receivable Management: Coast Professional works with clients to collect outstanding debts from consumers. This includes everything from initial contact attempts to payment plan negotiations and final resolution of accounts.
Contact Center Operations: Beyond collections, Coast Professional offers full-service call center capabilities. They handle customer support, appointment scheduling, issue resolution, and crisis support for their clients. Their operations utilize advanced customer relationship management software to optimize interactions across multiple channels including voice, chat, and messaging.
Back-Office Support: The company provides various back-office functions to support their clients' operations, allowing organizations to focus on their core business while Coast Professional manages administrative tasks.
Government Contract Services: Coast Professional holds specialized contracts with federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service. They are one of only 22 contractors authorized to provide collection services to the federal government under specialized contracts.
Industries Served
Coast Professional focuses primarily on three major sectors:
Higher Education: The company works with hundreds of colleges and universities across the country to manage student debt. This includes tuition, parking fines, auxiliary accounts, and other campus-related debts. Their specialization in higher education debt makes them particularly knowledgeable about student loan collections and university receivables.
Government Agencies: Coast Professional partners with federal, state, county, and municipal governments. They handle collections for various government debts and provide contact center services for public entities. Their work with the IRS involves contacting taxpayers about outstanding tax debts and facilitating payment arrangements.
Healthcare and Other Sectors: While their primary focus is education and government, Coast Professional also provides services to other industries requiring professional accounts receivable management and contact center support.
For businesses looking to understand the difference between debt collection and accounts receivable management, Coast Professional bridges both worlds by offering early-stage receivables management and later-stage collections services.
Where Does Coast Professional Operate?
Coast Professional maintains a multi-state presence with offices strategically located to serve clients nationwide:
New York Locations
Geneseo, NY (Headquarters)
4273 Volunteer Road
Geneseo, NY 14454
Phone: (585) 991-5200
Coast Professional opened its first New York facility in 2010 in the Town of Geneseo. The facility sits on a 4-acre parcel and initially was 4,100 square feet. Since then, the company has expanded multiple times in this location, investing over $900,000 in expansions and creating hundreds of jobs in the local community.
East Aurora, NY
300 Gleed Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
Louisiana Locations
West Monroe, LA
651 Downing Pines Road
West Monroe, LA 71292
West Monroe, LA (Additional Office)
214 Expo Circle, Suite 7
West Monroe, LA 71292
The Louisiana operations represent a significant part of Coast Professional's business, with substantial staffing and operational capacity in the West Monroe area.
Contact Information for Coast Professional
If you need to contact Coast Professional for any reason, here are the primary contact methods:
General Contact Information:
- Website: www.coastprofessional.com
- General Email: info@coastprofessional.com
- Main Phone: (800) 231-0225
- Office Phone: (318) 807-4500
- Fax: (318) 807-6398
Specialized Contact Lines:
College and University Division:
Toll Free: (888) 815-2843
Fax: (318) 807-4884
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2876, West Monroe, LA 71294
Department of Education Division:
Toll Free: (800) 964-0881
Fax: (318) 807-5100
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2899, West Monroe, LA 71294
Government Services:
Toll Free: (800) 963-7059
IRS Collections:
Toll Free: (888) 928-0510
Office Hours:
Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST
Friday: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
All calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance and training purposes.
Company Leadership and Culture
Coast Professional is led by CEO Jonathan Prince, who guides the company's strategic direction. The leadership team also includes key executives such as:
- Brian Davis, who has served in executive roles including COO
- Lisa Reese, Senior Vice President of Compliance
- Various vice presidents overseeing IT, operations, business development, and human resources
The company emphasizes its core values, which they refer to as their "7 Ps":
People: Coast Professional invests heavily in hiring competent individuals and providing support and advancement opportunities. They believe their employees are their most valuable asset.
Performance: The company leverages technology advancements, compliance initiatives, and industry experience to maintain leadership status.
Perseverance: Coast Professional demonstrates adaptability, agility, and decisiveness to ensure company stability and longevity.
Respect: All interactions, whether with consumers, clients, or employees, are conducted with professionalism and responsiveness.
Compliance: Strict adherence to applicable laws and regulations is an absolute requirement in all business aspects.
Community: The company emphasizes volunteer efforts and philanthropic initiatives to improve local communities.
Integrity: Coast Professional requires fair, proper, credible, and honest communication in every interaction.
Understanding collection agency regulations and compliance helps explain why Coast Professional places such emphasis on their compliance culture.
Certifications and Compliance
Coast Professional maintains numerous certifications and compliance standards that demonstrate their commitment to security and quality:
ISO 9001:2015 Certification: This international standard reflects their dedication to quality management systems and continuous improvement.
SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance: Coast Professional undergoes regular SOC 2 Type 2 audits, which verify their controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customer data.
Regulatory Compliance: The company complies with multiple federal and state regulations, including:
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA)
- NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 standards
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) where applicable
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
Licensing: Coast Professional is nationally licensed and bonded as a collection agency. They maintain licenses in all states where required and comply with ACA International and NMLS standards.
Technology and Innovation
Coast Professional has invested significantly in technology infrastructure to provide efficient and secure services:
Advanced CRM Systems: The company utilizes sophisticated customer relationship management software to track interactions, manage accounts, and ensure consistent service delivery across all communication channels.
Multi-Channel Communication: Coast Professional supports voice calls, chat, messaging, and other communication methods to meet consumers and clients where they prefer to interact.
Data Security: As a security-first organization, Coast Professional implements comprehensive encryption strategies, secure storage facilities, and routine security audits. They have a dedicated compliance team that ensures secure and responsible handling of sensitive consumer and client data.
Tech Stack: The company employs various technologies including Ultimate Software for HR management, Microsoft Azure for cloud infrastructure, and Adobe Creative Suite for design and marketing needs.
Training and Employee Development
One area where Coast Professional particularly excels is employee training and development. The company has won multiple Training APEX Awards, which recognize organizations for excellence in learning and development.
Their training program includes:
Robust New Hire Onboarding: New employees receive comprehensive training before taking on client responsibilities, ensuring they understand company policies, compliance requirements, and best practices.
Continuous Learning Opportunities: Coast Professional provides ongoing education and skill development for all staff members throughout their employment.
Client-Specific Instruction: The company offers tailored training for specific client accounts and industries, ensuring representatives understand the unique needs and requirements of each situation.
Compliance Training: Regular training on regulatory compliance, ethical communication, and consumer rights ensures all staff members understand and follow applicable laws.
This investment in training contributes to high employee retention rates and consistently knowledgeable service delivery. Many employees graduate from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, with approximately 32% of the workforce having attended that institution.
Working with Coast Professional
If Coast Professional has contacted you about a debt, understanding your rights and options is important. Coast Professional states that they are committed to respectful and ethical communication with consumers.
Your Rights as a Consumer
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you have specific rights when dealing with collection agencies:
- The right to request verification of the debt
- The right to dispute the debt
- The right to request that the agency stop contacting you
- Protection from harassment, false statements, and unfair practices
- The right to sue for violations of your rights
How to Work with Coast Professional on a Debt
If you owe a legitimate debt that Coast Professional is collecting:
- Verify the Debt: Request written verification of the debt to ensure it is accurate and belongs to you.
- Review Your Options: Consider whether you can pay in full, negotiate a payment plan, or settle for a reduced amount.
- Communicate in Writing: Keep records of all communications with Coast Professional by corresponding in writing when possible.
- Negotiate Payment Plans: Coast Professional offers payment arrangements for consumers who cannot pay in full immediately. Contact them to discuss your options.
- Get Agreements in Writing: Before making any payment, ensure you have a written agreement detailing the terms, especially if you are settling for less than the full amount.
- Keep Payment Records: Maintain documentation of all payments made to Coast Professional.
For those dealing with student loan debt specifically, understanding student loan collection processes and your rights can provide additional guidance.
Coast Professional's Community Involvement
Beyond their business operations, Coast Professional demonstrates commitment to community improvement through various initiatives:
The company encourages volunteer efforts among staff members and supports philanthropic activities in the communities where they operate. They have established goals for monthly charitable assistance, with employees setting targets for supporting local charities throughout the year.
In Geneseo, New York, where their headquarters is located, Coast Professional has been recognized as a significant employer contributing to the local economy. Their expansions have created hundreds of jobs in the Livingston County area.
Customer Reviews and Reputation
Coast Professional is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. However, like many collection agencies, they receive mixed reviews from consumers who have interacted with them.
According to BBB data, Coast Professional has received 31 complaints closed in a recent three-year period, with 12 complaints closed in the most recent 12-month period. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau database contains over 300 entries related to Coast Professional, primarily concerning debt collection and student loan issues.
Consumer feedback ranges from positive experiences with helpful representatives to complaints about communication practices. As with any collection agency, individual experiences can vary significantly based on the specific circumstances of each case.
Distinguishing Coast Professional from Similarly Named Companies
It is important to note that "Coast Professional" should not be confused with other companies using similar names:
Coast Professional Inc. (Collections) - This is the company discussed in this article, operating out of New York and Louisiana, focusing on accounts receivable management.
Coast Jobs - A completely separate staffing company located in San Clemente, California, specializing in light industrial and commercial staffing. Their website is coastjobs.com.
Coast Products, Inc. - A flashlight and lighting products manufacturer based in Portland, Oregon, not related to the collections industry at all.
Always verify you are dealing with the correct company by checking their website (coastprofessional.com) and contact information.
The Bottom Line on Coast Professional
Coast Professional is a well-established, multi-state accounts receivable management and contact center company with nearly 50 years of industry experience. They specialize in higher education debt, government collections, and related contact center services.
The company maintains strong compliance standards, holds multiple certifications including ISO 9001 and SOC 2, and has received recognition for both business growth and workplace culture. With offices in New York and Louisiana, they employ between 500 and 1,000 people and generate estimated annual revenues in the range of $100 million to $1 billion.
If you need to contact Coast Professional about an account, you can reach them through their website at www.coastprofessional.com or by calling their toll-free numbers based on your account type. For general inquiries, call (888) 815-2843 for college and university debts or (800) 964-0881 for Department of Education-related accounts.
Understanding your rights, communicating clearly, and working toward a resolution are the best approaches when dealing with any collection agency, including Coast Professional. If you have questions about a debt or dispute its validity, do not hesitate to request verification and seek professional advice if needed.
