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58 the default space, leaving many legacy systems to languish. "For example, the adoption of electronic signatures has been a very slow process on the default and servicing side despite its potential for improved quality and customer experience," Chappell said. "Where you've got a large digital push on the origination side, digital adoption continues to lag on the default servicing side." Chappell added that the servicing platforms themselves tend to be "large and legacy- centric, with a lot of adjacent systems hanging off of them." As such, "the modification to a core servicing system can have a lot of unintended consequences, so it can be a high- risk proposition to get significant changes implemented." Nevertheless, there are areas where the path to progress isn't quite so daunting. Connally said that call centers are benefiting from improved dashboards, making it easier for staff to answer the borrower's questions. "is provides reps with ready-made answers that are consistent from borrower to borrower, and servicers can then roll that out to their websites and mobile applications, so borrowers have more information at their fingertips." Connally added that many servicers are looking at how banks use their apps and websites to communicate with their customers, and are leveraging many of the same ideas and technologies. "We've seen servicers include YouTube videos on their websites in order to explain how certain billing statements or disclosures around escrow should be read," Connally said. "It's about giving borrowers the tools they need to understand the information that's coming from the servicer, to eliminate or reduce questions going forward, but also about giving that borrower the support they need to understand their situation and the documents being received." Hughes spotlighted the advancement and industry adoption of Application Programming Interface (API) in the default space, which he said has made ordering and receiving vendor services such as property title, valuation, and credit reports faster and more efficient. "In turn, those efficiencies yield improved cycle times to evaluate borrower requests for assistance and a better borrower experience." "Data about the borrower often has to be shared or distributed to multiple parties when a loss mitigation option is analyzed and decisioned," Williamson said. Utilizing APIs allows the flow of information to occur faster and in a more secure and consistent manner between the borrower and the servicer. "For example, Fannie Mae's Servicing Management Default Underwriter platform provides a streamlined experience for servicers to assist a borrower in an early stage of delinquency through loss mitigation or to an eventual liquidation." Just as technology is being utilized in originations to provide a more streamlined experience, Williamson added that servicers can leverage asset and data validation services "to automate documentation requirements and to help qualify borrowers for certain loss mitigation options." Hughes also stressed the importance of implementing user-friendly mobile applications and optimized sites; offering the ability for borrowers to contact their servicer after normal business hours thanks to advanced chatbots and intuitive FAQs; and providing helpful multimedia resource libraries for borrowers to reference. "At the end of the day, most people want to keep their home, and it's when they feel like they've lost hope that they take alternative steps," Brousseau said. While automation can be helpful, he told DS News that technological innovation should be focused on making it easier for the borrower to communicate. MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER Williamson told DS News that, while "servicers have made great strides with high touch protocols and single points of contact structures," creating a positive experience for the borrower often comes down to the basics of customer service. "Courtesy, respect, and a desire to exceed the borrower's expectations in resolving his/her inquiry are still the foundational tools to ensure borrowers get a terrific experience," Williamson said. "It's critical that you hire those who share your customer service philosophy, including empathetic, energetic, and outgoing behavioral traits," Hughes said. He recommended using tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test to ensure that "you're putting the right people in the right seats, with the right tools." It's not enough just to hire the right people, of course. Beyond the hiring process, servicers must provide their teams with the proper training and tools to ensure they can do their jobs properly. "e best training is on-the-job training with the customers," ompson said. "We frequently talk about how our obligation to the customer goes through the roof during default, because you're dealing with people in the most sensitive time periods in their lives." To navigate those stormy seas, ompson explained that Flagstar utilizes a team of escalation specialists who are "our most trained, most sensitive agents." ese agents are