Real help from real people: Meet Earnest’s Client Happiness team

Financial decisions have a way of creating questions at inconvenient times.

Maybe you’re comparing student loan refinancing offers¹ and trying to understand what the numbers would actually mean for your monthly payment. Maybe you’re considering a personal loan to consolidate high-interest debt and aren’t sure where to begin.

You could open 14 more browser tabs. You could ask Reddit. Or you could talk to a person who works with loans every day.

Earnest’s award-winning Client Happiness team is here to answer questions before, during, and after the application process. You don’t need to have an application in progress, and you don’t need to commit to taking out a loan. When you call, you could talk to a real human in less than two minutes*.

What is Earnest’s Client Happiness team?

Client Happiness is Earnest’s customer support team—but “customer support” doesn’t quite cover it.

Client Happiness Associates help people understand their options and navigate Earnest’s loan processes. Depending on what brings you to Earnest, that could mean answering questions about student loan refinancing, exploring a personal loan, completing an application, or getting help with an existing loan.

Sometimes that means answering one quick question. Other times, it means staying on the phone while someone completes an application so they don’t have to figure it out alone.

That approach recently earned Earnest a 2026 Bronze Stevie® Award for customer service. But the best evidence comes from the people who have actually called us.

As one Earnest client put it:

“The customer service representative asked to stay on the line while I finished the application in case I had any more questions. Who does that?”

^{-Earnest Client. Edited for Brevity, Individual results may vary.}

Our answer: Client Happiness Associates do.

You don’t have to apply before asking for help

Many people assume they can’t talk to a lender until they’ve applied—or that once they make contact, they’ll be pushed toward completing an application.

That isn’t how Client Happiness works.

You can contact the team while you’re still gathering information, comparing options, or deciding whether an Earnest product could be right for you. There’s no application required and no obligation to move forward.

A Client Happiness Associate can explain how Earnest’s products, requirements, and processes work. They can help you understand unfamiliar terminology, answer questions about the application process, and identify information you may still need before making a decision.

That doesn’t mean an associate will make the decision for you. Borrowing and refinancing are personal financial choices, and the right answer depends on your circumstances. The team’s role is to provide clearer information—not to pressure you into choosing Earnest.

What can a Client Happiness Associate help with?

You don’t need to know the right terminology before you call. You can start with the question you actually have, even if that question is simply, “I don’t understand what I’m looking at.”

Depending on where you are in the process, a Client Happiness Associate may be able to help you:

• Understand how Earnest student loan refinancing and personal loans work

• Review Earnest’s basic eligibility requirements

• Understand available interest rates, loan terms, and repayment options

• Understand how to potentially save money across your total loan repayment 

• Determine what information or documents you may need for an application

• Navigate the application process as a borrower or cosigner

• Understand what happens after an application is submitted

• Answer questions about Auto Pay or an existing Earnest loan

• Discuss available options if you’re concerned about making a payment

The team can also help translate the language of student lending into something more useful. Because “variable APR,” “loan term,” and “interest-only payment” may be technically accurate descriptions, but they don’t automatically tell you what a choice could mean for your budget.

What makes Client Happiness different from a traditional call center?

Most of us know the particular dread of calling customer service: the phone tree, the hold music, and the feeling that the person on the other end is trying to end the call as quickly as possible.

Client Happiness was built to feel different.

You can reach a real person quickly

Most Earnest callers can talk to a real human in less than two minutes*. That means less time navigating menus and more time getting to the question that brought you there.

You can call before you apply

The team doesn’t only help existing clients or people with an application already underway. You can contact Client Happiness while you’re still exploring your options.

Associates take the time to explain

Loans are complicated, and people don’t always arrive with one simple question. Client Happiness Associates can talk through the process, explain unfamiliar terms, and help borrowers and cosigners understand what they’re being asked to do.

The team can help with different kinds of financial goals

People come to Earnest at different points in their financial lives. One person may need help covering the remaining cost of college. Another may be exploring whether refinancing could change the rate or terms on existing student debt. Someone else may be considering a personal loan to consolidate high-interest debt.

Client Happiness Associates understand that the reason behind the question matters just as much as the question itself.

The team works with borrowers and cosigners

Applying with a cosigner can introduce a second set of questions: Who fills out which part? What information will each person need? What is each person agreeing to?

Client Happiness Associates can help both people navigate the process together.

One parent described working with an associate this way:

“Lisa V. was outstanding from start to finish. She made the entire student loan process incredibly easy for both my son and me. She was extremely thorough and walked us through every step with professionalism and patience.”

^{-Earnest Client. Edited for Brevity, Individual results may vary.} 

You can reach the team in more than one way

Client Happiness is available by phone, email, and chat during current support hours. Visit the Earnest Help Center for the latest contact information and availability.

Inside Client Happiness: A conversation with Sara Luft

To understand what personalized support looks like beyond the talking points, we asked Sara Luft, Director of Client Happiness, about the questions the team receives, the conversations that stick with them, and what borrowers should know before choosing a lender.

Why does Earnest let people contact Client Happiness before they apply?

Sara: We know that taking out a student loan or refinancing existing debt is a big decision. People should be able to ask questions and understand the process before they decide whether they want to move forward.

We talk with people at all different stages. Some are ready to apply and need help with a specific step. Others are comparing options or trying to understand whether they might be eligible. We’re happy to meet someone wherever they are in that process.

Our goal is to provide useful information and help people understand what Earnest offers. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is give someone a clearer idea of what to research or consider next.

What questions do people hesitate to ask?

Sara: People sometimes apologize because they think their question is too basic, but there really isn’t a question that’s too small. Most people don’t work with student loans every day. We do.

A lot of the confusion comes from terminology. Someone might understand the definition of an interest rate or a repayment term but still not know how those pieces fit together. We can slow the conversation down, explain what the terms mean, and help them understand where to find the information they need.

What does personalized support look like in practice?

Sara: It starts with listening. Two people may call with what sounds like the same question, but their circumstances and the reason they’re asking can be completely different.

Sometimes someone just needs a straightforward answer. Sometimes they want us to stay on the phone while they complete an application. Other times, a borrower and cosigner need help understanding which steps belong to each person.

We don’t want someone to leave the conversation with more questions than they had when they called. We want them to understand what comes next.

How does the team help borrowers and cosigners work through the process together?

Sara: Applying with a cosigner can feel complicated because two people are participating in one application. They may have different questions, receive different communications, and need to provide different information.

We can explain each person’s role, help them understand the steps, and answer questions along the way. Having someone available to walk through the process can make it feel much more manageable for everyone involved.

What should people consider when choosing a student loan lender?

Sara: The interest rate is important, but it isn’t the only part of the experience. Depending on the loan, you could have a relationship with your lender or servicer for years.

It’s worth looking at the full picture: the repayment options, fees, borrower protections, who will service the loan, and what kind of help will be available if you have a question later. You want to understand both the numbers and the support behind them.

A good question is enough reason to call

You don’t need to wait until you’re certain you want an Earnest loan. You don’t need to wait until you’ve started an application. And you definitely don’t need to wait until something has gone wrong.

If you’re trying to understand your student loan options, a Client Happiness Associate can help you make sense of what comes next.

Talk with Earnest’s Client Happiness team by phone, email, or chat. We’ll meet you wherever you are in the process.

Disclaimer: This blog post provides personal finance educational information, and it is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice.

*Based on average call times from August 2024 to present. Subject to change. 

1 Please note that you will lose benefits associated with your underlying federal loans, such as federal Income-driven Repayment Plans, Economic Hardship Deferment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or other deferment and forbearance options, if you refinance into a private loan. If you file for bankruptcy, you may still be required to pay back this loan.