How Vana Cut Collection Costs by 70% with AI

The Challenge: Collections Crisis

In early 2024, Vana faced a perfect storm:

• Delinquency rates jumped from 18% to 31% in 6 months
• Collection costs exceeded $85 per recovered loan
• Agent turnover hit 120% annually
• Recovery rates dropped to 22%
• Customer complaints about aggressive collectors increased 3x

"We were hemorrhaging money. Every dollar we collected cost us $1.20. We were literally paying to collect our own money." — Carlos Mendez, CFO of Vana

The Manual Operation: Unsustainable

The math was brutal: To collect $100,000 monthly, Vana spent $120,000 on operations.

The Solution: Kleva AI Implementation

Phase 1: Pilot Program (Week 1-2)

We started with 1,000 accounts to prove the concept:

• Deployed 5 AI agents handling Guatemalan Spanish
• Integrated with Vana's loan management system
• Set up compliance rules for Guatemala regulations
• Configured payment collection via multiple channels

Phase 2: Rapid Scaling (Week 3-8)

After seeing 43% better results in the pilot:

• Scaled to 15,000 delinquent accounts
• AI agents made 8,000+ calls daily
• Added WhatsApp and SMS follow-ups
• Implemented smart scheduling based on contact patterns

Phase 3: Full Deployment (Week 9-12)

Complete transformation of collections:

• AI handling 100% of first-contact attempts
• Human agents focused on complex negotiations
• 24/7 operations (customers could pay anytime)
• Real-time performance optimization

The Results: Transformation in 90 Days

Unexpected Benefits

1. Customer Satisfaction Increased

"Our NPS score went from -12 to +28. Customers actually thank us for the respectful collection calls now." — Maria Lopez, Customer Experience Manager

2. Employee Morale Improved

The 8 remaining human agents now handle complex cases and payment arrangements. They're problem-solvers, not call-center workers. Turnover dropped to zero.

3. Data-Driven Insights

Kleva's analytics revealed patterns Vana never knew:

• Best contact time: 7-9pm (not business hours)
• Optimal payment plan: 3 installments over 45 days
• Key predictor of payment: Answering within 3 rings
• Most effective opening: Mentioning loan purpose, not amount

4. Compliance Perfection

Zero regulatory violations since implementation. Every call is recorded, transcribed, and automatically checked for compliance.

ROI Analysis

What's Next for Vana

Encouraged by the results, Vana is expanding Kleva's role:

• Proactive outreach: Contacting customers before they miss payments
• Customer service: AI handling payment questions and loan inquiries
• Loan origination: Initial screening and documentation collection
• Regional expansion: Opening operations in Honduras and El Salvador

"Kleva didn't just solve our collections problem. It transformed our entire business model. We're now a tech-forward lender that happens to be in Guatemala, not a Guatemalan lender trying to use tech." — Roberto Vega, CEO of Vana

Key Takeaways

1. Speed matters: Full transformation in 90 days, ROI in 45 days
2. Culture fit is crucial: AI must speak local Spanish perfectly
3. Hybrid is best: AI + humans outperforms either alone
4. Data drives success: Insights from AI calls improved overall strategy
5. Compliance is non-negotiable: Perfect regulatory adherence is possible