Cenlar’s Tom Donatacci: The Golden Rule of Client Service

Tom Donatacci is investor relations officer and senior vice president of client management at Cenlar FSB, Ewing, N.J.

I have had a diverse, nearly 35-year career, with each chapter delivering experiences and tools that have helped me manage anything that comes my–or my client’s–way. The most significant accomplishments in my career have been when I’ve been able to surround myself with a strong team with diversified skills.

As my wife says, I collect good people, learn from them and invest in those relationships. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to analyze and problem-solve with professionals across disciplines, and those experiences have resulted in a level of expertise and a network of individuals who can solve just about any client problem or address any client issue.

While it sounds simple, client service truly comes down to the golden rule we learned as children: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Having been both strategic partner and client throughout my career, I have experienced the benefits of following this rule and witnessed the downside when professionals don’t.

So, how do you apply the golden rule in a client service environment?

Put yourself in your client’s shoes and look at things from their perspective. What is their objective? Is there a more palatable path to get them there? The application of these tenets should be tailored to specific situations and personalities. No one method or approach works for everyone.

The result is you become a stable, experienced strategic partner with the ability to adapt with clients as their businesses evolve. Do this, and your clients sleep soundly because they know they can count on you to respond to their issues promptly and accurately.

As a subservicer, the heart of client service is treating homeowners as our clients do. We always act as an extension of the client–homeowner experience. That means we are also proactively thinking ahead to client wants and needs to ensure we are providing the level of service they expect.

While, again, this may sound like common sense, you’d be surprised how many don’t think or act this way. As a result, those of us who do have a competitive advantage.

(Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect policies of the Mortgage Bankers Association, nor do they connote an MBA endorsement of a specific company, product or service. MBA NewsLink welcomes your submissions. Inquiries can be sent to Editor Michael Tucker or Editorial Manager Anneliese Mahoney.)