Southern Auto Finance Co. is leveraging new communication strategies to bolster customer support, Chief Executive George Fussell told Auto Finance News.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based lender launched chat capabilities on its website last month to direct and address customer inquiries. Currently, customer service representatives manage the chat feature, but Fussell noted that machine learning may be implemented into that function in the future. “We have to see what the customer adoption to the chat function is first,” he said.
Meanwhile, the subprime lender announced this week that it had integrated with payment solutions provider Nordis Technologies to streamline customer service and billing communications. Specifically, Nordis will deliver monthly loan statements, onboarding letters, and compliance communications such as adverse-action letters in a combination of online, mobile, and print channels. That messaging can be personalized on a near one-to-one basis by leveraging data such as preferred communication methods, ZIP codes, and currently owned products.
“Everybody has a phone, but they don’t answer the phone, so texting, email, notifications, and mail are very important factors,” Fussell said, noting that Nordis Technologies played an integral role in consolidating Safco’s customer data and communications into a single platform.
The partnership with Safco marks Nordis’s first push into the auto finance market, said Chief Executive Ronnie Selinger. The Coral Springs, Fla.-based provider works within the financial services, hospitality, and healthcare industries.
