Our Focus is You: Transforming Client Service

Our Focus is You: Transforming Client Service

By Tom Donatacci, Chief Client Officer, and Matt Detwiler, SVP, Client Relations

When clients decide to do business with you, they aren’t just buying a product or service. They’re investing in a relationship. 

And like any relationship, success depends on trust, communication and reliability. How well you nurture that emotional connection can be the difference between a one-time deal and a long-term partnership. .

We saw the power of partnership firsthand at our inaugural Cenlar Client Summit June 9-11, with representatives from many of our clients, Cenlar executives and industry influencers gathering to make connections and share knowledge.

While there, our clients received a first-hand look at what we’re calling “the new Cenlar.” Our approach to this transformation starts with a simple question for our clients: “What else can we do for you?”

A Tangible Transformation

We’re in a competitive market now, and a responsive, proactive and genuinely helpful team can tip the scales in your favor. It’s not just about solving problems — it’s about anticipating needs, offering thoughtful solutions and allowing your client to conduct business with you seamlessly.

None of this is news, but at Cenlar, we’ve seen just how powerful the connection can be between following these basic tenets and the transformation of an entire organization. Back in 2021, everyone in the mortgage industry faced upheaval from the pandemic and subsequent responses in policy, regulation and the market itself. The record levels of loan production and rapid pace of change challenged many organizations, and caused focus to drift from strategic to tactical, from building and growing relationships to extreme micro-level, nuts-and-bolts problem solving. At Cenlar, we recognized this and quickly set about correcting course.  Client satisfaction scores have jumped 20 percentage points since then, with near-universal approval from clients. In recent years, our clients specifically have cited our technological innovation, compliance expertise and operational efficiency as areas where Cenlar excels. And it’s true that through strength in these areas, we’re not only leading the servicing industry but revolutionizing it. But, year after year, nearly all our clients point to one area as Cenlar’s greatest strength: client service.

Our Secret Recipe

As part of our annual client survey, we always ask our clients to provide one word to describe Cenlar. Without fail, the most common descriptor used has been “partner.”

So, how did we do it?

We started by centering our discussions with our clients less on baseline topics and more on their strategic vision for their business. By asking our clients “Where are you going?”, we are better able to point ourselves in the right direction to grow with them.

In the same vein, we began to share more about our own trajectory, so that we could align with our clients and find the best path forward to achieve mutual success.

We try, if possible, to have these conversations face-to-face, in-person. As the world depended more on electronic communication and virtual meetings, we doubled down on getting out and seeing our clients at their place of business. It gives you a better sense of your partner’s business when you’re there, on the ground, with them.

To ensure discipline, we’ve created an engagement dashboard, where we set targets and track our progress. We’re on the road a lot and have met in-person with nearly all our clients in the last year.

It’s also why we’ve created a range of new programming for our clients. In 2024, we launched a recognition campaign to celebrate our longstanding relationships with our clients. This year, we introduced the Cenlar Client Summit, a multi-day event where our partners gathered and heard industry intel from experts. Many of our presenters are recognized leaders in their fields, from both within and outside of Cenlar, providing our clients with a value-add they couldn’t get anywhere else.

Getting together in this way builds bonds and allows us to sync better with our clients so we can better understand how we can best help them. We always like to ask clients “What keeps you up at night?” It’s our job to solve these problems for them. Being successful in this means our clients sleep sounder, knowing they have a partner on their side.

It’s just good practice to be responsive to your clients’ wants and needs. It’s why we’ve invested in innovations — like Cenlar Case Management — that not only allow our staff to be more responsive to client requests but also open the ability for clients to do business 24/7. Earlier this year, we unveiled a revamped CenAccess client portal with dashboards that have drill-down capability and give clients greater insight into their portfolio. We also encourage our employees to approach their jobs always from the perspective of our clients and their homeowners. Client service is already one of our corporate core values, and we take every opportunity to reinforce the concept. It’s everyone’s job to serve our clients and their homeowners. They are the reasons we exist as an organization. Our clients aren’t the only ones who benefit from this outlook. A culture that prioritizes client service often fosters strong teamwork, clearer communication and a shared sense of purpose. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

The Definition of Good Partnership

Investing in client service isn’t just good manners, it’s smart business. Because at the end of the day, people most remember how you made them feel. Our aim is to always have our clients leaving a conversation feeling like they have a partner who understands them, someone who is an extension of their own business.

By being a strong advocate for your client’s business, they often become an advocate for yours. That mutual support is the hallmark of any good relationship.

And, at Cenlar, we value this kind of partnership above all else.