Why customer experience remains Arkle Finance’s greatest differentiator

Speed, simplicity and trust are becoming the defining measures of customer service in asset finance. For Arkle Finance, winner of the Finance Connect Customer Experience & Service Excellence Award 2026, those principles have become the foundation of its business.

As Finance Connect continues its series profiling the winners of the Finance Connect Summer Awards 2026, we spoke to Sam Gathercole, Head of Operations at Arkle Finance, about what exceptional customer service looks like today, how technology is helping improve the customer journey and why people remain the key ingredient in delivering outstanding outcomes.

For Gathercole, the award is recognition of a business-wide commitment rather than the efforts of any one team.

“Winning this award is incredibly meaningful because it recognises the hard work, dedication and passion our team brings to delivering outstanding service every day,” she said.

“Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do, and this award reflects the collective effort of colleagues across Credit, Operations, Sales and Collections who work together to make doing business with Arkle easy.

“We’re particularly proud that this recognition comes as a result of improvements we’ve made to simplify processes, increase accuracy and create a smoother journey for both brokers and customers. It validates our belief that operational excellence and customer experience go hand in hand.”

Making business easier

While technology continues to reshape financial services, Gathercole believes customers still judge lenders on one simple question: how easy are they to deal with?

“Exceptional customer service is about making things easy,” she said. “Customers and brokers expect speed, transparency and consistency, but they also want to deal with people who genuinely care and take ownership.

“In today’s market, great service means combining efficient processes and technology with human expertise and empathy. It’s about providing clear communication, resolving issues quickly and creating an experience where customers feel valued rather than processed. Ultimately, exceptional service is measured by how easy and enjoyable you make it for customers to achieve their goals.”

Measuring what matters

Rather than relying on a single metric, Arkle Finance measures customer experience across every stage of the lending journey.

“We closely monitor service levels, turnaround times, first-time accuracy and customer feedback to understand how effectively we’re meeting customer needs,” Gathercole explained.

“We also look beyond traditional metrics to understand where friction exists in the customer journey and how we can continuously improve. Success isn’t just about completing a transaction – it’s about creating a positive experience that builds trust, encourages repeat business and strengthens long-term relationships.”

Technology with a human purpose

Technology has played a major role in helping Arkle improve both efficiency and customer outcomes, particularly through the development of its own digital solutions.

“Technology has allowed us to remove friction, improve consistency and respond faster to customer needs,” said Gathercole. “One of the most significant examples has been the implementation of our internally developed digital solutions, which have transformed how we process deals and improve right-first-time outcomes.

“By embedding controls, simplifying workflows and reducing rework, we’ve been able to accelerate turnaround times and reduce unnecessary interactions for brokers and customers. Technology should never replace relationships, but when used well it enables our people to spend more time focusing on what matters most – supporting customers and delivering great outcomes.”

Looking further ahead, she expects customer service to become increasingly proactive, supported by AI and automation, while remaining firmly rooted in human relationships.

“Customer service will become increasingly proactive, personalised and data-driven,” she said. “Advances in AI and automation will enable organisations to anticipate customer needs, provide faster responses and reduce administrative effort.

“However, whilst technology will continue to play a bigger role, I believe the organisations that stand out will still be those that balance digital innovation with genuine human interaction. Customers will continue to value expertise, trust and relationships, particularly when making important financial decisions. The future isn’t about replacing people with technology – it’s about using technology to create even better customer outcomes.”

Celebrating excellence

Reflecting on the Finance Connect Summer Awards, Gathercole said the evening highlighted the strength of the wider asset finance community.

“The Awards Evening was fantastic and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of so many talented individuals and organisations across the asset finance industry,” she said.

“Finance Connect created a memorable event that perfectly balanced recognition, networking and celebration. We were honoured to be recognised amongst such strong competition and proud to represent Arkle on the night. Events like these are important because they shine a spotlight on innovation, collaboration and excellence across our industry, and we’re grateful to Finance Connect for bringing everyone together.”