What To Do When A Student Loan Telemarketer Calls
We’ve all gotten those calls from telemarketers. Yes, those pesky people who famously call during the wee minutes of our scrumptious dinner to try and sell everything but the kitchen sink. Futilely, I may add, since the only thing most of them draw from us is an expletive and maybe a “not interested” followed by a dramatic hang-up.Slick-monotone-hard-to-understand-robot: This is picture that is commonly painted of our rarely American telemarketer friend. Not surprisingly, the once tolerate job of a telephone sales representative has almost become a stigma in American culture.Telemarketers love student loan consolidation and for good reason.True, Telemarketers can call at the absolute worst times selling anything from credit cards, to vacation plans and time shares. Now, if you are one of those lucky ducks with student loans, then you probably have had your fair share of calls about consolidating your loans, as well. But, let me say, don’t let the thought of telemarketer on the phone leave a bad taste in your mouth about consolidation. Consolidating your student loans is thought by many to be one of the best ways to manage your student loans after college.In fact, consolidating your loans can give you many money-saving benefits including a lower interest rate, lower monthly payments, and borrower incentives. So speaking to the right person on the phone can really be worth the time. And what I mean by right person is speak with a Student Loan Consultant, someone who is specifically trained to be an expert on the subject of student loans and whose sole purpose is to help student loan borrowers in need of better loan management.A Student Loan Telemarketer is not the same as a Student Loan ConsultantThough both may call you, it’s important to know the difference between a telemarketer and a student loan consultant. A telemarketer says and does what they’re told to, while a student loan consultant’s main role is customer service and satisfaction. Many times, if you get a great student loan consultant on the phone, they’ll be happy to inform you of everything you ever wanted to know about student loan consolidation and the options available to manage your loans after college better. A good student loan consultant is happy to answer your questions because they genuinely want to help.So choosing to consolidate your loans should not be the biggest issue, it’s with WHOM you should consolidate that should be your concern. After all, consolidation puts you into a relationship with your lender for years to come and the student loan consultant you speak to can be a good indicator of the type of company they represent, and who you will be dealing with.As mentioned, student loan consolidation is a great financial tool, but pay close attention to these tell-tale signs to make sure the person you’re speaking to is not more interested in filling their own pockets then filling yours.Tips on How to Handle Consolidation Calls1) Don’t be bullied or rushed into making a decision. It’s important to feel comfortable and not rushed by the person you’re speaking with.Make sure you’re treated with respect: Work with a company who makes it a point to listen to their clients needs. Find a company that doesn’t take one single call they make or receive for granted. Real customer service oriented Student Loan companies want to know that each of their borrowers is happy with their consolidation solution. This is why companies like OneSimpleLoan thrive on testimonials from their customers, daily. Check out [http://www.onesimpleloan.com/testimonials.asp] for real testimonials from OneSimpleLoan’s happy customers to see exactly what I’m talking about.2) Make sure you’re talking with a student loan professional and not a telemarketer (some people are trained to make calls, not to help you consolidate your student loans properly and efficiently). You can tell right away if someone is reading from a script or going through the motions. Consolidation involves your personal finances and it’s nothing for someone to play around with.Work with a company who has an excellent Training program: Few student loan companies invest enough into the training of their student loan consultants. It’s important to work with a company that does. OneSimpleLoan for example puts their Student Loan Consultants through a tiered training program, which each include an entire week of in-house training letting them excel into three levels of service.3) Do some research on the company you’re speaking with before you decide to consolidate your loans. Visit their website, check out to see if they’ve had any Better Business Bureau complaints issued against them. Ask questions…if the answers don’t sound right, hang up!Make sure the company is credible: Find out what kind of credentials the company you’re speaking with has, such as membership in their local or state chamber of commerce and Better Business Bureau. Companies, like OneSimpleLoan, pride themselves because of these prestigious memberships and for having superb understanding and implementation of student loan laws and regulations.Look for Consistency and valuable resources: The worst thing is having to go through a detailed process with one person and then having to explain it to someone else. Is the consultant willing to give you their full name? Can you call them back with questions? Borrowers who consolidate with OneSimpleLoan appreciate the fact that they are assigned to one consultant to help them through the entire consolidation process.4) Listen to the person on the phone. Do they mention grace rates, borrower benefits, deferment, or forbearance? If no, they may be holding back on giving you a full range of options to help you manage your student loan debt.Make sure they’re easy to understand: Sure, the person on the phone may sound like they know what they’re talking about, but do you? It’s important that the Student Loan Consultant tries to make the process of consolidation as easy to understand as possible by using simple to understand terms and treating each borrower like a personal friend whom they’re helping.5) Make sure you’re speaking with someone with expertise on the subject. Get the phone number and name and even the lender ID code, if available, of the company that’s calling you or that the person represents.Work with a company that experiences successful growth: They may be few, but there are student loan companies that do hire and train professional staff, have a resourceful website and a dynamic stature that make them successful members within the student loan industry.Find out how simple and quick the process is: Before you start the consolidation process, ask the company you’re on the phone with how long their consolidation process will take. It’s better to know and prepare yourself from the beginning than grow impatient later.It’s important to work with a company who’s process is hassle-free. A good student loan company can help you complete your consolidation paperwork in less than an hour – some even do most of the written work for you! In fact, many borrowers who have consolidated their loans with OneSimpleLoan comment on how easy and quick the consolidation process is because of the quality of attention and service they received from the Student Loan Consultant who helped them.Most of all, work with someone who you can tell enjoys their job of helping you.In addition to their employees, many student loan companies do have your best interests at heart – after all, a job is a choice and many who love customer service choose to help student loan borrowers make the best choices about their loans. In fact, customer service is at the heart of many of the most successful student loan companies, of which OneSimpleLoan is no exception.