Work more productively, enjoy life more fully
Buying a home is a life-changing moment. However, the euphoria of this exciting new adventure can quickly be replaced by feelings of frustration and stress as buyers begin to navigate the complex financial and legal minefield that comes with finally signing on that dotted line.
If you’ve read the first two blogs in this series – The Surface: a platform for success, and Early investments for a lasting impact you’ll know that US-based mortgage lender Bay Equity Home Loans is working hard to reduce this stress for its customers. Whether they visit one of Bay Equity’s retail branches, or meet with a loan officer in a café, customers can be sure that they will be working with a professional who has all the tools they need to make the process as seamless as possible.
Each Bay Equity employee is equipped with a Microsoft Surface Pro, which allows them to handle all aspects of the mortgage process while on the move, from quickly pulling up data so customers can visualize their finances, to displaying the specifics of different loan options. And, if the customer has a question the loan officer can’t answer, they can use Microsoft Skype for Business Online to communicate with colleagues in real-time and get the information they need.
Most importantly for Kathryn Pedersen, one of Bay Equity’s mortgage bankers, the Surface Pro empowers her to build better relationships with her clients. “Having a device that I can put in front of the client, and not have that division of them versus me, is great because we can work on something together as a team.”
Pedersen also likes the fact that the Surface Pro is a mobile device. “One great thing about the Surface is I can quickly close it down, throw it in my purse and be on the go.”
In the office, Kathryn can dock her device at her desk to instantly turn it into a workstation. On the road, she can use the Surface Pen to make notes and sign documents in a natural and intuitive way. Regardless of where she’s working, Kathryn doesn’t need to worry about keeping customer or business data secure. Like every Surface Pro, her device is protected by the Windows Hello feature, which enables her to quickly log on using facial recognition technology. In fact, Windows Hello is so secure that when Kathryn’s look-alike daughters tried to break into her Surface Pro, they couldn’t!
Being able to use the Surface Pro to complete tasks quickly, efficiently and securely during working hours has also improved Bay Equity employees’ personal lives. For moms like Kathryn, it means they can now spend more time focusing on enjoying the thing that is most important to them in life – making memories with those they love.
“At Bay Equity, we really value family time and working so efficiently really helps me to not only exceed in my career and keep growing and learning year over year, but it also helps me maintain my relationship with my family,” says Pedersen. “It’s important for me to be a mom and not just a mortgage banker. I only have a certain number of years with my girls and want to make sure that I’m spending as much time with them as I can. The Surface makes me feel empowered to do this.”
Head to our Bay Equity webpage to watch Kathryn Pedersen, a mortgage banker at Bay Equity Home Loans, explain how the Microsoft Surface has helped her to work more productively and improve her work-life balance.
Read more on the Microsoft Banking & Capital Markets and Insurance blogs.
