ApplyOnline, the industry standard for electronic lodgement of loan applications, plays a key role in brokers’ lives. However, not all brokers are aware of the many tools within the state-of-the-art platform, and are missing the opportunity to improve their day-to-day efficiencies, which is why
NextGen.Net is investing heavily in training.
“Often a solution is as simple as showing brokers a feature that’s been around for years,” says NextGen.Net customer relationship and training manager Helena Christakos.
“I love it when people get great results after learning about a tool that they didn’t even know existed.”
Christakos has implemented a post-training survey and admits feeling “incredibly satisfied” when she reads the feedback.
“It’s always so positive,” she says. “I get a real kick out of helping people. A lot of success comes from just showing them the easiest way to use the system.”
After Christakos’ training sessions, the majority of brokers say their confidence in using ApplyOnline has improved significantly, with over 60% saying their increased understanding of ApplyOnline will save them time on a day-to-day basis.
NextGen.Net provides complimentary training as part of its service to all customers. A variety of customised training modes are available, including face-to-face, broker workshops and webinars.
Christakos’ role is as a point of contact for users who want to understand how to interact more effectively with the technology platform in order to achieve the best outcome, which is of course ultimately, faster turnaround times.
“My aim is to show brokers, who are generally working against the clock, that by using ApplyOnline correctly the whole process can be easier and more efficient,” she says.
Christakos, a former broker with over 10 years’ experience in the finance industry, is also a qualified trainer and assessor who has held professional training roles for over three years. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the NextGen.Net customer engagement team.
She says pointing out how to take advantage of underutilised features in the ApplyOnline Supporting Documents module receives the loudest applause during training sessions.
“Surprisingly, a large percentage of brokers are unfamiliar with the drag-and-drop feature in our Supporting Docs service,” she says.
“We have a new version of Supporting Docs that has launched in the market with a few banks, and one of the things I have done recently is show brokers how to upload documents in bulk. Most brokers don’t realise they can do that.
“The feedback I get when I quickly take them through the process is ‘OMG that’s amazing. Thank you so much’.”
Christakos admits that the misconception that ApplyOnline is complicated confounds her.
“I have no idea why people think it’s complicated, especially when it comes to supporting documents,” she exclaims. “Our Supporting Docs service is the talk of the town, but some people still think it’s easier to email, which of course is completely erroneous.”
Encouraging more BDMs to participate in training sessions is currently on Christakos’ agenda.
“I’m always handing out my business cards,” she laughs.
“I want BDMs to understand some of the common errors and misconceptions. I also want feedback from them.
“My aim is to promote the fact that training is a two-way communication because we’re here to listen as well as to guide and enlighten. We are always looking at ways to improve what we do so we give a better user experience based on broker feedback.
“The bottom line is that I’m passionate about helping brokers achieve the maximum benefits from ApplyOnline.”
