Service excellence

Robert Klein founded Safeguard Properties in 1990, and his motto has always been that
customer service equals resolution.

In his early years, one of his properties suffered $18,000 in plumbing damages because of a
mistake made by one of the company’s contractors.

“We have a problem,” the client’s CEO said in a phone call to Klein.
“We don’t have a problem,” Klein replied. “I have a problem. You hired me to do the job right,
and it wasn’t.”

Despite the fact the mistake was made by another party and that an $18,000 repair was a huge
burden for a young company, Klein fixed the problem. Because of his willingness to accept full
responsibility, that same client gave Safeguard its first $1 million contract within a month of
that call.

As his business continued to grow, Klein’s strategy was always to listen to what clients wanted and needed, and to forge close relationships with clients at the ground level as well as at the
executive level. Doing so has allowed him to address property issues in the field while focusing on cost efficiency and performance guarantees at the executive level. This has garnered
him a reputation of being an innovative CEO, and he continues to look for creative solutions
and relevant information for all of his clients.

As the mortgage industry has changed dramatically, so has Safeguard. Because of new trends,
the company has evolved from a regional business model to a national one. With that change
comes risks, but Klein remains focused on responsibility to clients and has invested heavily in
technology to give clients 24-7 access to property information.

Eighteen years after the company’s founding, Klein, despite not having any background in the
industry when he started the business, has grown Safeguard to become the largest private
mortgage field services company in the nation, responsible for nearly 700,000 work orders each
month on defaulted and foreclosed properties.

HOW TO REACH: Safeguard Properties, (216) 739-2900 or www.safeguardproperties.com