Industry: Mortgage Services | Services: Cloud Engineering, Application Modernization
Client Overview
The client is one of the largest mortgage servicers in the United States, managing millions of loans nationwide. Facing rising costs and growing customer demands, the company sought to modernize servicing operations while ensuring compliance and maintaining a strong customer experience.
The Challenge
Reducing Cost While Enhancing Customer Experience
The client faced several critical challenges in their mortgage servicing operations, which impacted both efficiency and borrower satisfaction. Collections operations were overwhelmed by rising call volumes from borrowers experiencing financial hardship, resulting in longer wait times and increased borrower frustration. The absence of a structured approach for proactively contacting late-paying borrowers or managing sensitive conversations further compounded these issues.
In customer service, mistakes in addressing borrower requests and inadequate handling of stressful interactions resulted in complaints and a decline in satisfaction scores. Additionally, web support was hindered by the lack of proper guidance materials, making it difficult for borrowers to navigate the client’s website. This led to higher call volumes, adding pressure on customer service teams and exacerbating inefficiencies.
Sutherland Solution
Digital Mortgage Servicing Transformation
Sutherland implemented a comprehensive solution to enhance both operational efficiency and borrower satisfaction. The Philippines was chosen as the Center of Excellence (CoE) for contact center services, leveraging experienced leadership, skilled teams, and a culture of continuous improvement. This decision addressed backlogs, reduced customer wait times, and delivered cost-effective, high-quality service. To improve call handling flexibility, Sutherland established cross-skilled “pods”—teams capable of addressing a variety of customer queries seamlessly—which reduced wait times and improved borrower outcomes.
Training programs were enhanced with regularly updated call procedures and spiels tailored to borrower scenarios. This approach reduced onboarding times for new hires, ensured consistent service delivery, and maintained compliance while improving borrower satisfaction. Additionally, a dedicated Workforce Management (WFM) analyst optimized resource allocation by aligning schedules with client-provided forecasts and hourly call volumes. This proactive strategy ensured seamless management of both inbound and outbound servicing needs.
Sutherland partnered with the client to redesign servicing operations with a digital-first strategy. Key elements included:
- AI and automation to reduce manual workload and improve accuracy
- Omnichannel engagement to streamline borrower communications
- Analytics-driven insights for proactive customer support and process optimization
- Process reengineering to enhance compliance and consistency across servicing functions
The Outcome
Lower Costs, Higher Satisfaction, Stronger Compliance
Sutherland’s tailored approach delivered significant results for the client. Streamlined workflows and optimized resource allocation reduced operational expenses by 35%, directly contributing to cost savings. Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) improved by 40%, reflecting enhanced borrower satisfaction through superior service quality and reduced wait times. Additionally, hold times were reduced by 15%, resulting in faster call answering rates and minimizing borrower frustration, while also improving overall service efficiency.
KEY OUTCOMES
Reduction in expiry losses
Increase in revenue
Improvement in working capital
