Serenité announces new customer service benchmarks

Hiring well-known loan servicer Concord Servicing enhances performance, enables Serenité to concentrate more fully on member relationship-building

Capitalizing on the “need to be good or be gone,” Serenité Private Residence Club at Camelback Mountain in the Poconos is doubling down on customer service benchmarks on everything from facility design and member connection to such fundamentals as payment processing provided by Concord Servicing.

Serenité is a luxury mountaintop vacation destination focusing on the importance of spiritual and physical wellness. It offers modern living in a state-of-the-art vacation community built atop the Northridge of Camelback Mountain with 360-degree views overlooking stunning forest lands, ski slopes and miles of mountain range.

Notes Gregg Bittner, Serenité Chief Financial Officer, “Before Concord came on board, we did all payment processing and custodials in-house. As this is their expertise, they can focus on these vital areas and we can concentrate on our core competencies. So far, this is far exceeding our expectations—allowing us to pull back resources and better define and perform on what we are delivering.”

Those core competencies include planned amenities—a three-story pool house featuring a bar, vitality pool, steam/saunas, rooftop deck, pool deck, and lap lanes with a 360-degree view from the top of the mountain. The resort has an Aspen-like feel to it, with a state-of-the-art gym featuring Peloton equipment, and fire pits where people can “rewind, recharge, rejuvenate,” notes Bittner. He adds, “People can come up Thursday and return Sunday without having to go anywhere else or even visit for a midweek stay if they so choose.”

Bittner adds that a request from an external lender last year led to the search for a third-party payment processor. “We asked around and everyone said ‘Concord.’ It was a no-brainer. Conversation with their team was great, and everything fell into place. Their customer service to us has been great. Getting treated well is a nice feeling for us, emulating how we treat our members.”

He adds, “Concord walked us through what we needed to learn. It’s a good partnership that will scale as we grow. Both Evan and Lorena on the Concord team have been good sounding boards and have guided us effectively. Evan actually got to enjoy our product during an East Coast trip, and is proving a good network connector for us as well. Everyone’s thrilled, including the third-party lender. They provide objective checks and balances for us.”

Concord President and CRO Shaun O’Neill points out, “Our partnership with Serenité shows how well the relationship can work when all parties are committed to working together in the best win-win way possible.”

“We focus on providing the best aspects of a country club and high-end hotel all in one facility,” notes Bittner. “Customer service is our highest priority. This includes contracting with some of the highest rated designers and architects skilled in such niche areas as hydrotherapy. Instead of just putting in saunas, hot tubs and the like, we want to make sure they’re as elegant, user friendly, and quality-laden as possible. Our aim is for our members to say we’re one of the nicest places they’ve ever been—that they feel like they’re on the other side of the world when really they are within two hours of New York City / Philadelphia.”

Portions of the resort have been built out and are operational, with completion of the resort targeted in two years. Notes Bittner, “As we build out, our sales center is the nucleus. We want members to be treated as good friends, like part of the family. Many employees know members on a first-name basis, and even spend time together.” At Serenité, treating the members with respect and providing 5-star service is their most important objective.

About Serenité
Serenité Private Residence Club at Camelback Mountain in the Poconos is a private club where members stay and vacation. The club combines the luxury amenities and services of a boutique resort with the comforts and security of a “home-away-from-home” featuring stately-appointed, fully furnished residences. Serenité is embracing the true spirit of the mountains with a focus on physical wellness and mental wellbeing with the integration of world-class level hydrotherapy spas and outdoor wellness hiking trails, while bringing together a genuine family atmosphere. Club events and socials give members of all ages something to enjoy and look forward to all four seasons of the year. The member community is the core of Serenité. www.ownserenite.com

About Concord Servicing Corporation
Founded in 1988, Concord is a full-scope loan servicer delivering innovative, flexible, and scalable portfolio servicing solutions to meet the demands of loan originators and capital providers (and their customers) in a variety of asset classes—including home improvement, solar, energy efficiency, and vacation ownership. Three-plus decades and a positive reputation among existing clients and partners document the ability to handle new challenges efficiently, accurately, and completely. Concord’s corporate headquarters and base of operations is in Scottsdale, AZ, with a regional office in Mexico City and a staff of 275+ professionals. Concord services 2 million+ consumer obligations, with a portfolio size of $7.7 billion ($2 billion+ is in asset-backed securitizations). In addition to primary loan servicing, Concord also serves as a master/backup servicer for approximately 110,000 loans with combined balances of $2.25 billion. www.concordservicing.com

Tags: custodials, Serenite, Concord, Servicing, Win-win, relationships, Processing