Building useful, game-changing software is no easy task. When it comes to fintech (financial technology) apps, the challenge is even greater: the handling of financial documents and sometimes even monetary transactions is not something to be taken lightly.
At Lendesk, we take the job of building mortgage tools very seriously, and we aim to leave nothing to chance. We’ve already talked about our focus on security, but we thought we would highlight some of the other work that goes into operating a software company.
Defining Customer Success
Change is never easy. Asking someone (a broker or lender, for example) to incorporate new technology into their business workflow is a big ask, and the same can be said for almost any new app that is designed to become part of our everyday business dealings.
To expect the kind of change and adoption necessary to revolutionize the mortgage industry (as is our goal) without offering customers some assistance would be an uphill battle; one that would see many customers disappear before they had a chance to see the value of what a software app can do for them. To that end, software companies, including Lendesk, have Customer Success departments.
The primary role of Customer Success is in onboarding; helping new customers to transition into using new technologies with training, assistance with setup, and having answers at the ready when customers need a helping hand. Knowing that there is an advocate willing to help you adopt a new form of tech helps alleviate the fear of change, and shorten the time span between signing up for a new piece of technology, and making it an everyday part of your business.
Once that initial transition is complete and customers become more familiar, Customer Success will conduct regular proactive reach-outs to ensure customers continue to be happy. The focus is on success of the clients, to ensure they have a high return on their investment and to ensure the product evolves with the industry to continue be relevant in meeting customers’ needs.
Our Focus on Your Success
Lendesk is still in the early stages of its lifecycle, but we still place a high value on Customer Success. Especially as we start our journey towards becoming the preferred mortgage technology in Canada, the feedback we collect and the documentation we create is invaluable, and continues to inform development of the product.
It also informs the creation of our educational resources, like tutorials and FAQ that our customers can access in a self-serve capacity to help them get the most out of our products.
Meet the Lendesk Customer Success Manager
Heading up our Customer Success Department is Maria Ghassemi. Maria has an MBA but also a background in psychology. With a successful track record in Account Management and Customer Success, Maria’s career has seen her managing and mentoring global customer success teams in the tech sector. She has designed numerous onboarding and training programs; from smaller solo businesses to large global enterprises. She’s also an avid poker player— and she’s not shy about saying she can probably beat you.
A key part of the role of Customer Success is alleviating concerns among new users of technology— something Maria has a lot of experience with. “I understand the reservations because trying a new app is uncomfortable and expensive (even if it’s free), because you have to put aside time to learn something new,” says Maria. “My suggestion is to look at what you stand to gain in the long term when evaluating a new app. Here’s my checklist for trying a new app:
Can you start using the app right away or within a short time period?
Is it mobile friendly? (Can you access your files from anywhere if you had to?)
Are they easy to contact? (Do they have a customer service department that’s available?)
As for the experience new Lendesk users will have, Maria prefers the personal touch, and describes the onboarding process as a “conversational welcome pack”. Maria goes on to describe how she prefers to tailor the experience to the customer’s comfort level:
“Some users are comfortable with webinars and demos, and others are more used to instructional guides. I’ve designed multiple different onboarding experiences to fit different learning styles and needs, so depending on what a new user is more comfortable with, that’ll be what they’ll get!”
It’s no surprise that Maria takes the job very seriously, especially since Lendesk will become such a vital part of the mortgage business. “When we focus on Customer Success, we’re essentially focusing on saving our users time and effort. Why? Because they are the most important stakeholders in our business. It gives us a better understanding of what our customers need and what we can do to contribute to their ongoing success. That means we aren’t just another app that automates things, we are an essential tool that is built specifically for your needs and we will keep evolving with you as you grow, to continue to be a powerful tool behind your success.”
Want to try Lendesk for yourself, and experience Maria’s “conversational welcome pack” first hand? Sign up for access to Lendesk in the right sidebar of this page, and you’ll be notified as soon as we are ready to send your invite.
