A mortgage is often the single largest financial decision someone makes in their lifetime, which means tensions may run high and conflicts can ensue.
Do you know how to navigate conflicts with both customers and colleagues to maintain relationships and keep moving forward when frustrations are present?
When it comes to customer expectations, the following quote by Donald Porter stands out.
“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. What they do expect is you to fix things when they go wrong.”
Donald Porter
VP, British Airways
To put it another way, customers hold a solutions-based mindset. Mortgage loan originators should do the same and embody a solutions-based mindset when mitigating, managing, and resolving conflicts with borrowers. However, an MLOs first response to a frustrated borrower doesn’t necessarily mean to jump immediately to a solution. The first response should be to recognize and empathize the frustrations, justified or not, a borrower may be experiencing in response to their given situation. Meeting the borrowers emotionally and recognizing their feelings is important.
Once mortgage loan originators have met customers emotionally, they can then focus on building solutions. They will want to make sure to highlight the benefits of the loan they’re still able to provide and to assure them of their team’s uncompromised commitment to serving with excellence and diligence.
When it comes to internal conflicts, exercising a solutions-based mindset is equally as important. When internal conflicts arise, mortgage professionals have an opportunity to lead the situation toward a swift and professional resolution. A swift and professional resolution can be accomplished by being honest, involving affected stakeholders, and never taking things personally. Read additional insights in the resource What Contributes to a Civil and Respectful Workplace. Explore the Impactful Communication series to learn more about communication rules, effective listening, handling conflict, and more.
When navigating conflicts with both customers and colleagues – it’s important for mortgage loan originators to keep moving forward when frustrations are present, recognize their audience’s problem and embody a solutions-based mindset. The goal for them is to resolve conflicts and keep maintaining relationships!
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