By Leonardo Massaccesi
San Giacomo di Spoleto, mid-July.
In the air, the rhythmic tolling of the bells mixes with the comings and goings of mopeds and cars. Someone remembers the frescoes by Lo Spagna, in the church a little further on.
At 114 Corso Flaminio, home of ‘Pronto Debiti’, the atmosphere is cozy but industrious.
The owner, Teresa Clarici Catalucci, turns on the pod machine – “Coffee works more miracles than an Excel sheet,” she exclaims smiling – while Francesco Saidi, a reliable partner at work as in life, tidies up files and colored post-its. A ritual that reminds both of them how precious it is to rewrite, page after page, the ending of a story.
«… a lake of meadows and in the middle of the San Giacomo valley with the turreted castle, the rosy dwarf bell tower, the houses lined up along the main road»
(Ugo Ojetti, half Spoleto, and “journalist of those who are worth”, according to Montanelli)
A change of course
“For years we have worked in debt collection: phone calls galore, reminders, intimidating language, injunctions. It was all legal, but not very human,” says Francesco. “The evening came, we felt unhappy and frustrated.”
Francesco has climbed all the steps of that world: first operator, then department supervisor in a large call centre specializing in recovery, finally operational administrator of a company in the sector. He knows in depth every dynamic, every strategy, every psychological lever to “put pressure”. And not just from behind a desk. For years he was also in the field, ringing in person the doorbells of those in difficulty. “It was right there, in the messy kitchens and in the living rooms with the shutters down, that I really understood what the weight of debt means,” he confides.
“We realized that we were contributing to a system that, instead of solving a problem, aggravated it. Although within the law, we were moving in a context where respect for the person is put in last place. And that awareness changed us.”
From this radical awareness, the idea of Pronto Debiti was born: to overturn the perspective. Using the deep knowledge of the ruthless dynamics of recovery to defuse them, to protect, to build solutions. To return to giving dignity to those who have yet to give something back, but must not lose themselves in the process.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Credit and debt, Francis explains, are sides of the same coin: “Knowing the rules of the game is important.” Adds. “But choosing which side to be on makes the difference. We have chosen the path of protection, mediation, ethical solution.
“VL: «Can we say that Pronto Debiti is the natural evolution of a profound awareness?» “Absolutely!” He declares peremptory. “It is the human, professional, concrete and non-judgmental response offered to those who need immediate help: and not only financially, but also psychologically and emotionally.”
VL: “So those who work in debt collection are always the villains of the story?”
“We know how to recognize a legitimate request from one built to generate pressure,” he says. “This allows us to effectively defend our clients and negotiate clearly.
But let us be clear: we do not have a magic wand, nor is the debtor always right.”
VL: «With a nod to Sergio Leone’s masterpiece, who is the ugly in this story? If there is.””Eheheh, the bad thing is that there are no shortcuts,” Francesco replies. “Getting out of debt is like a mountain. It requires effort, commitment, the right equipment, the right equipment. And above all, you have to really want it,” he concludes.
The soul of Pronto Debiti
Four words make up the compass of the daily work that places the person at the centre, even before the problem: Ethics, Experience, Empathy, Education.
Today Francesco manages the analysis of contracts and the legal strategy, thanks to his experience in the world of credit. Teresa, on the other hand, takes care of the human aspect: she welcomes, listens, understands. “Those who come to us are often not only looking for a technical solution, but also someone who interprets their discomfort,” she reveals. “The real success is not closing an agreement, but seeing our clients go back to sleeping peacefully.”
Alongside them, a team of seven professionals between internal and external who share the same mission: to offer a competent but above all human service. Among these, the lawyer Maria Teresa Mercuri, who takes care of the regulatory and legal aspects of the most delicate positions, guaranteeing the client assistance, but also protection.
The team is completed by figures specialized in mediation with creditors, asset analysis and customer management, to ensure careful support at every stage. No one is left alone, from the first contact until the closure of the route.
“We like to think,” concludes Francesco, “that every skill of our group is like a leg of the table: it does not hold up on its own, but all together they create a solid base on which the customer can start building again.”
A job that smells of summer
Those who imagine gray rooms and drawn faces will have to think again: the dove-gray walls of the study, enlivened by abstract paintings with bright patterns and colours, inspire calm, and reflect the wide light of the ceiling panels and that of a large window. In the corners, high-gloss zamioculcas punctuate the room with green, while a citrus diffuser releases a light aroma reminiscent of August evenings. “Freshness helps you think big,” smiles Teresa. This “light” but concrete spirit also inspires the method designed to restore serenity without illusions.
There are four stages: analysis, strategy, proposal, definition.
Three tips to take to the seaside
To lighten the theme in the season of XXL ice creams, Teresa and Francesco give ValleyLife readers three small compasses:
- Photo before buying: Take an image of the item you want to buy. If after 24 hours it still excites you, maybe it is really necessary.
- The 10% rule: allocate every extra income (bonus, thirteenth, sale of used items) to the disposal of debt: little by little it will become an avalanche… (positively speaking).
- “Yes” aimed at children: on vacation, choose an expensive but memorable activity rather than many small whims. It educates to value without denying pleasure.
Back to the community
Far from the image of the “consultant in a tie”, Teresa and Francesco are working on a financial education project. Buy Now Pay Later, micro rates, emotional advertising will be some of the topics covered. And much more on which, rightly, they do not want to unbutton.
The start is scheduled for next year. In the meantime, they are recording a format with stories of rebirth told by the protagonists themselves.
In their commitment to the territory, they have made the solidarity project ‘La Raccolta dei Girasoli’ their own, with a direct contribution to the Parish of San Giacomo to support families in difficulty.
And they don’t forget the environment: energy from renewable sources, plastic-free office, impact-compensated website and daily practices to reduce the ecological footprint.
Thus, between one debt repayment agreement and another, Teresa and Francesco cultivate the idea of a company that takes care of people, educates young people and respects the environment: their way of giving back to the territory what it has given to them.
Info: Gestione Debiti Plus Srl, Corso Flaminio, 114/116, Spoleto (Pg) / Tel. 351 757 8087 / www.prontodebiti.it