How to Stay Organized and Be Effective

If tying a string around your finger is your only system for keeping track of stuff, your hands will soon be so knotted with string that you won’t be able to dial the phone. Maybe you should find a new system, before you cause a national string shortage. Try these strategies:

• Send all letters certified mail, return receipt requested. This gives you a record of when you sent something and when it was received.
• If you want to play it extra safe, ask the people you speak to for written confirmation of your conversations. If they refuse, you can write to them (certified mail, return receipt requested, of course), list what was said, and ask them to write back if anything is incorrect. If they don’t reply, that can serve as your confirmation.
• Keep copies of all letters and forms you send.
• Keep the originals of every piece of paper you didn’t generate—like police reports, credit reports, and all letters you receive.
• Hang on to all your old files, even after you think the ordeal is over. If any¬thing comes back to haunt you, Murphy’s Law says you’ll need that one piece of paper you threw out.
• Always have a plan of action. List what you need to accomplish, how you can do it, and whom you’ll need to speak to.
• Keep a log of everything you do—every letter you send and receive, every phone call you make. (You can leave out the bathroom breaks.)
• Keep records of all phone conversations: names of the persons you spoke to, their titles, and phone numbers; what you discussed; what they agreed to and when; what they need from you and when.
• Use a filing system that will give you ready access to everything you need. (That pile in the corner is not a filing system.)
• Follow up all phone calls and face-to-face conversations in writing. The people you talk to at credit card companies and law enforcement agencies may deal with hundreds of calls just like yours every day. Even if they sound reassuring on the phone, they might forget you the moment they hang up, and it’s only your word against theirs that you ever spoke. Putting things in writing will jog some memories and give you proof that the communication actually occurred.
• You may want to keep track of your costs, in case your thief is caught. Your chances of getting some money back are much better if you keep a log and save your receipts. Eligible expenditures may include: phone calls, postage, mileage, legal assis¬tance, notarizing, court costs for documentation, time lost from work, organizational and reference materials, and personal assistance like a babysitter or an accountant.