Why we still pick up the phone.
Kam on why an email isn't enough, and how we keep clients from feeling like a file.
Specialist finance has become more efficient over the last decade. Document portals, e-signatures, automated case management, and AI-assisted underwriting — all of it has compressed the time it takes to close a deal. Most of that’s a good thing. But somewhere in the efficiency drive, the broker market began treating the personal call as optional. We disagree. The first call from the onboarding contact is one of the most important moments for a client, and we make sure it still happens every time.
A client who’s just been handed off from a broker to an onboarding team can feel one of two things. They can feel reassured — that there’s a named person looking after their deal, who knows their case and will be the point of contact through to completion. Or they can feel like they’ve been parked. The difference between those two feelings is almost entirely down to whether someone picks up the phone within the first 24 hours and introduces themselves. Emails have their place — they’re useful for record-keeping and reference. But a phone call creates a completely different experience. It reassures the client, builds trust earlier, and helps them feel important rather than just another deal in the pipeline.
Since I joined, Credco’s onboarding has become more hands-on. The processes are clearer and better coordinated, so the team isn’t slowed by ambiguity — and the client gets a more consistent experience as a result. But the deliberate decision is that efficiency doesn’t replace the personal touch — it supports it. The primary contact introduces the person handling onboarding, so the client doesn’t feel passed over. The onboarding contact picks up the phone, explains the process, walks through what’s needed, and answers questions before they’re nervously asked. Across bridging and development finance, auction finance, buy-to-let and the wider book, the standard is the same.
The deals that close best aren’t necessarily the ones that close fastest. They’re the ones where the client feels looked after from the first call to the last. That’s not a process. It’s a person on a phone, making sure the client knows they matter. Get in touch if you’d like to feel the difference.
“Emails are important for communication and record-keeping. But a phone call creates a completely different experience. It builds trust earlier and helps the client feel important — rather than just another deal in the pipeline.”