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.
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.