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Consumers Want Mortgage Lenders to Offer Better Service
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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96 kbps
(95 seconds)
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(HOWARD):
"I WAS SCARED TO DEATH. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT."
(TEBO OPEN):
JEFF HOWARD IS LIKE MANY U-S HOMEBUYERS--INTIMIDATED BY AN
OFTEN-COMPLEX AND -INTRICATE PROCESS. BUT, A RECENT NATIONAL SURVEY
INDICATES THAT THE HOME-PURCHASE PROCESS COULD BE A LESS-PAINFUL EXPERIENCE,
IF MORTGAGE LENDERS OFFERED MORE OR BETTER KINDS OF SERVICE. THE
SURVEY--CONDUCTED IN DECEMBER, BY THE OPINION RESEARCH CORPORATION--INDICATES
THAT CONSUMERS ARE ALMOST EVENLY DIVIDED BETWEEN FOUR KINDS OF SERVICE THEY
THOUGHT WAS MOST IMPORTANT: ACCURATE CLOSING-COST INFORMATION; HELP
CLARIFYING COMPLEX TRANSACTIONS; TIMELY RECOMMENDATIONS AND UP-TO-THE MINUTE
INFORMATION; AND CAREFUL FINANCIAL COUNSELING. STERLING EDMUNDS,
JUNIOR--PRESIDENT AND C-E-O OF SUNTRUST MORTGAGE,
INCORPORATED--SAYS THOSE RESULTS DON’T SURPRISE HIM...
(EDMUNDS):
"FIRST, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT CONSUMERS SHOP RATES.
BUT, IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAT THEY SELECT A LENDER WHO'S GOING TO
HELP THEM CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR THEM, IN THEIR PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCE. THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO SURPRISES DOWN
THE ROAD--PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO FEES AND CLOSING COSTS.
SERVICE QUALITY IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR: CONSUMERS SHOULD
ALWAYS ASK POTENTIAL MORTGAGE LENDERS TO PROVIDE PROOF OF HOW THEY TRACK
AND MEASURE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION."
(TEBO CLOSE):
EDMUNDS THINKS PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SO ESSENTIAL THAT
IT BECOMES AN OBSESSION AT SUNTRUST MORTGAGE. IN FACT, J-D
POWER AND ASSOCIATES RECENTLY NAMED THE VIRGINIA-BASED COMPANY
"HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH PRIMARY MORTGAGE SALES";
FOR J-D POWER AND ASSOCIATES AWARD INFORMATION, GO TO
W-W-W-DOT-"J-D-POWER"-DOT-COM. AMONG OTHER THINGS, SUNTRUST
MORTGAGE PROVIDES CUSTOMERS WITH A GOOD-FAITH PROMISE THAT THE LENDER'S
FEES SHOWN ON THE GOOD-FAITH ESTIMATE WILL BE THE SAME WHEN THE LOAN IS
CLOSED. SUNTRUST MORTGAGE IS AN EQUAL HOUSING LENDER. I'M
BOB TEBO.
