From Numbers to Heart: A Credit Analyst's Journey at Tri Petch

I am a credit analyst with experience at several companies, all located in the city center, befitting my Sukhumvit lifestyle. When I first applied for a job at Tri Petch Group, just getting there was hard as in the past, there was no BTS station at Phahon Yothin 24. HR staff told me to come at 9 am, but I didn't leave the office until 4 pm. Getting a job here wasn't easy. There were many tests, even harder than getting a license.

My first day at work was memorable. The Japanese company was very strict about time. We had to be on time for work at 8:30 AM. I never walked to work nicely. I always had to run, run, run day after day. This made me learn that time is very important and we need to respect it. Since time is limited, we have to manage it effectively for our own benefit and to meet the company's KPIs.

On my first day at Tri Petch Group, everything was ready for me. I simply had to show up. They also had a mentor to teach me. I could see his determination from the documents he prepared to teach me. However, the training lasted only half a morning. In the afternoon, my supervisor told the other staff to let me work now because we hired an experienced person. So, my work life here has been “learning by doing” from day one until now.

As a credit analyst, my first thought was, “This job is all about numbers.” My responsibility is to look at financial data, check credit scores, and consider risk for auto loans. I believe that if your credit score is good, the loan will be approved. But if the credit score is not high enough, the loan will be denied.

Day after day, my work routine consisted of working behind a computer, immersed in documents and credit analysis models. While I understand the figures, what I find myself lacking is the awareness that behind those numbers are real people's lives.

One day, I learned that most of our customers here didn’t have perfect financial records. Their income isn't very high, and they have already had some debts. When looking at only the numbers, there might be less possibility of loan approval. Even so, most of those customers want a loan to buy a pickup for their delivery business. Also I found that they had clear business plans and already had customers waiting for their services. They just lacked the vehicle to start their businesses. If they didn't get the loans, their business would probably fail, and their families might suffer. I thought about it for a long time. That was when I started to understand that loans won’t just be numbers but the opportunities in someone's life.

After that, I changed how I thought about my job. I have learned that being a good credit analyst is not just about reading financial reports but reading the lives of customers at the same time. At Tri Petch Group, I learned the idea that the president always said “We have to grow with our customers.” It's not just about approving loans. We need to make sure the loans help customers live better lives. And the company can also manage risk well under the 4 Wins model (Customer, TIL, TIS, and Dealer). My supervisors also shared knowledge from working at Tri Petch Group. They taught me to look beyond the numbers, to open my heart to listen to the customer’s perspective and find ways to support them without putting the company at too much risk. We need to support TIS marketing and have good relationships with Dealers. This is the beginning of a sustainable business.

At first, I thought “this job was just looking at numbers.” But now I understand that every case is not just a paper but it's someone's life, someone who is looking for a chance. Tri Petch Group doesn't just give car loans but we help customers build their future so we can grow together. This makes my work more meaningful every day. “Because even though numbers never lie, sometimes the heart is more important than the numbers.”

It's been 10 years since I joined Tri Petch Group. We recently celebrated TIL's 40th anniversary. We've been through a lot together, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, which shook the world and caused many companies to fail. But Tri Petch Group still stays strong, like a big tree that really provides shelter and stability for its employees.

By Nattaya Pattaracharit