Welcome Call Policy and Process – Almika Renewable Finance

Overview

The Virtual Welcome Call (VWC) is a required step in Almika’s loan verification process. It helps confirm borrower identity, verify borrower understanding of key loan terms, and satisfy Almika’s compliance requirements before a project can move forward to Notice to Proceed (NTP).

All Welcome Calls must be completed through the Virtual Welcome Call system. Links are automatically sent to the borrower by text and email immediately after loan documents are signed.

A project cannot move to NTP until the required Virtual Welcome Call(s) have been completed, reviewed, and approved.

Policy

Purpose

The purpose of the Virtual Welcome Call is to:

Confirm borrower understanding of key loan terms, APR, and payment details
Verify borrower identity for compliance purposes
Ensure the borrower acknowledges all required disclosures and agrees to proceed
Provide a recorded compliance record for transparency and quality assurance

All Welcome Calls must be completed through Almika’s Virtual Welcome Call system. Manual or live Welcome Calls are no longer part of the process.

A Virtual Welcome Call is only considered complete once:

ID verification has been successfully completed
The video has been fully submitted
Almika has reviewed and approved the call

Until all required Virtual Welcome Calls are approved, the project will remain pending and cannot move to NTP.

Process

1. Link Delivery

Once loan documents are signed, the Virtual Welcome Call links are automatically sent to the borrower by text and email.

Each link is personalized to the individual borrower. If there is a co-borrower, each borrower receives their own separate link and must complete their own call.

2. Borrower Completes the Call

The borrower must complete the Virtual Welcome Call on their own and have their ID ready before starting.

The borrower must control the device for the entire call
No one else should answer on the borrower’s behalf
Sales representatives must not coach the borrower or select answers for them
The borrower should complete the call using their own personalized link

3. ID Verification

As part of the VWC, the borrower completes ID verification. This step must be completed successfully for the call to count as complete.

If the wrong borrower uses the wrong link, the information collected will not match the correct borrower record and the call may fail review.

4. Review and Approval

After the borrower submits the Virtual Welcome Call, Almika reviews the call and ID verification for accuracy and compliance.

A project moves forward only after the required VWC(s) have been reviewed and approved.

Dealers will know a call has been uploaded successfully when they receive an email notification confirming the call has been submitted.

5. Co-Borrower Requirement

When a co-borrower is listed, both borrowers must complete their own Virtual Welcome Call before the project can move to NTP.

Each borrower must use their own personalized link. No borrower should use the other borrower’s link.

6. Retaking a Call

Virtual Welcome Call links do not expire. If a borrower needs to retry the call, they can use the same link that was originally sent by text or email.

If Almika fails a call during review, Almika will resend the links to the borrower so the call can be completed again.

Dealer Best Practices

Following the steps below can help prevent avoidable delays:

Set expectations with the borrower before the VWC begins
Let the borrower know they must complete the call on their own
Make sure the borrower has their ID ready before starting
Encourage the borrower to complete the VWC before the sales representative leaves the home
If there is a co-borrower, make sure each borrower completes their own call using their own link
Do not coach the borrower, hold the device for them, or choose answers on their behalf

The VWC is intended to be a quick and simple step in the process and takes about 5 minutes on average to complete.

Troubleshooting

The Virtual Welcome Call is completed through a third-party platform called Call Pilot. If a call does not appear to go through, there may be several possible causes.

In many cases, the best first step is to have the borrower retry the call using the same original link.

Common issues include:

User Error
The borrower closes the call before it is fully uploaded. The final screen includes a loading bar and then lets the borrower know it is safe to close the call.
Signal Issue
A weak signal may interrupt the upload. If the borrower is on Wi-Fi, try completing the call off Wi-Fi. If they are not on Wi-Fi, try connecting them to Wi-Fi and retrying.
Server Delay
In some cases, Call Pilot’s servers may be slow and the call may take time to push through to Almika. While uploads are normally instant, delays of a few hours can happen.

A VWC is considered successfully uploaded when the dealer receives the email notification confirming the call has been submitted.

Key Takeaways

All Welcome Calls must be completed through the Virtual Welcome Call system
VWC links are automatically sent by text and email after loan documents are signed
The borrower must complete the call on their own and complete ID verification successfully
A project cannot move to NTP until the required VWC(s) are completed, reviewed, and approved
Co-borrowers must each complete their own VWC using their own personalized link
Links do not expire and can be reused if the borrower needs to retry the call