Discrimination in 2015
An entry into Grant Schneider's "What Have You Stopped Doing" contest
I'm a lender. It's 2015. I've decided that now is a good time to begin discriminating. In the past, I went above and beyond the call of an "equal opportunity lender". I would try to help anyone, and everyone. With almost a decade of experience in this industry, my "help everyone" mission 
has served me well. It introduced me to new people, taught me an awful lot about difficult loans and how to navigate and close them, and forced me to learn patience.
But no more. In late 2014 and into 2015, I've made the decision to start discriminating. In the lending industry, "discrimination" is a really dirty word, so let me be clear. I'm not discriminating on the basis, of age, race, color, national original, sex, familial status, religion, or handicap. I never have, never will. I think racists are ignorant and disgusting people. I think people that believe they're better than or more deserving than others are intolerable. I'm talking about time wasters. I am discriminating against time wasters.
So who falls into the "time waster" category?
The demanding procrastinator
You know the type - they're so busy that they don't have time to answer the phone or send you documents when you need them, and so busy that when they have a minute to talk, they're going to call you and get angry if you're not available. This person doesn't understand why you don't understand - they have a JOB. And a CHILD. HOW can you POSSIBLY expect them to find a fax machine or figure out how to scan a document during the day? Oh, and the evening? Heck no, by then they're too worn out. Although the demanding procrastinator will take a week to get you anything you need, you can bet your bottom dollar all hell will break loose if you dare let their rate lock expire! And contract dates? You mean to tell me they aren't merely suggestions? "Time is of the essence" doesn't apply to demanding procrastinators. In the past, I'd bite my tongue, consider it a trial of patience, and move forward to help these folks. In 2015.....nope. I'm discriminating against demanding procrastinators.
The crazy, overbearing ex-girlfriend/boyfriend client
Oh, you didn't answer your phone? Let me call you right back and try again. While your phone is ringing, I have you on speaker while I send you a text and simultaneously email you. That's ok that you didn't answer the first 2 times. I'll wait 15 seconds, and practice the "3rd 
time's a charm" technique of harrassing calling someone. Yes, these actions are indicative of the crazy, overbearing client. Anyone that does business with me knows that I generally answer my phone, and have a pretty quick response time. I'm also a HUGE fan of voicemail. Crazy, overbearing clients are not. They are a fan of leaving you with 20 missed calls in an hour. In the past, I'd bite my tongue. In 2015...I've decided that sometimes just not responding is the best way for the crazy/overbearing client to get the closure they need. It's not you...it's me.
The over-discloser
This person has all their ducks in a row....and some chickens, geese, and emu's to go along with them. They created 500 pages of files that they could send over to their loan officer, in every format except one that I can open. There's no WAY I could possibly need more information than what they've put together. The problem is, I asked for a recent 
paystub and bank statement. They don't have time to go into the 500 pages to find the specific paystub and bank statement I'm looking for, and they don't understand why I don't, either. "It's in there somewhere" is a phrase that often comes out of their mouth. "The other 10 lenders I talked to before you needed this" is another popular one. Well Mr(s) over-discloser, perhaps the next lender you talk to will request all of this documentation, or perhaps they have the time to dig through your life records to find a paystub. This guy? He's trying to run a business and grow his business, not spend half his day sorting through your high school transcripts from 30 years ago trying to find a paystub. Ain't nobody got time for that!
The Personal Concierge Seeker
This person does NOT want to pay top dollar, but they want you to pretend they are. In fact, they want to negotiate every penny they can out of you. I mean, why would you as a lender want to be compensated? You're only helping them with a 4-unit investment property renovation loan, and they're successfully self-employed (and successfully writing off all their income) with no asset reserves and a sub-par FICO score......slam dunk, amIright!?!?
The concierge seeker wants your attention. ALL of it. They are your only client, and your focus is on them and them alone. You better be available at 7am for the concierge seeker, and when they call at 10pm, you'd better answer your phone, or they may quickly become the crazy, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend client we discussed above.
There are others, for sure, but the gist is that I've realized that although I may lose some business by discriminating against the types of people/personalities that I'll work with, I will more than make up for that in the time I'll have focusing on productive activities. I've learned that if I work with folks like those above, it is such a physical and emotionally draining experience, that it's a surefire way to burn out.
For me to grow my business, I know I need to market, I need to network, and I need to be efficient. Working with some people makes these things impossible, as it brings unnecessary drama into the process, and causes hours upon hours of time & resources to slip away. In 2015, I'm discriminating against clients that don't work with my business model and cause a bottle neck for the rest of my clients that truly deserve the time & attention. In 2015, I'm going to stop being a lender that's everything to everyone. I think it's time I begin to discriminate.
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