Bankstone Objectives Statement
The Directors and Senior Management of Bankstone Ltd are committed to ensuring that the FSA’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles are applied in all areas of our day-to-day business activities.
In adopting the principles of TCF, we recognise that fair treatment of our customers is about adding value to the service we offer by aiming to:
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protect the interests of our customers at every stage in the claim: from the moment they first report a claim through to its conclusion
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meet, as best we can, each customer’s unique requirements by offering a transparent, efficient and professional claims service, constantly reviewed to identify any potential areas for improvement
In practical terms for the different areas of our business this means:
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ensuring that promotional material is clear, compliant, jargon free and appropriately targeted
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ensuring that staff, both on and off site: have thorough training in all products which they advise on or sell, understand for whom these products are (and are not) suitable, and are encouraged to challenge products where they see inconsistencies, ambiguities or potential unfairness in the product literature or features
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ensuring that staff have thorough training on all aspects of claims handling and are encouraged to challenge procedures where they see areas for improvement
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ensuring that customers are updated on a regular basis on the progress of their claim
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ensuring that claims are dealt with in an efficient and speedy manner that takes account of the customer’s needs
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keeping detailed records of customer instructions and of the advice and options given at all stages of the claim to help ensure we treat customers fairly and can deal with any complaints that may arise swiftly and fairly
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encouraging after sales contact with clients where appropriate to correct or improve on the service already offered
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ensuring that customer complaints are assessed fairly, promptly and impartially, in line with the relevant FSA deadlines and rules
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encouraging staff to recommend improvements to service following customer complaints ‚ and monitoring the outcome
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ensuring that staff are kept up to date with relevant training in relation to competence, data protection and other matters directly affecting the quality of service offered to customers
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offering regular training in the principles of TCF at all levels of the business
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regularly monitoring and reporting on all of the above TCF activities as part of the company’s monthly statistics/MI, in order to assess TCF performance across the business and recommend changes where appropriate
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ensuring that TCF values, which are set and communicated by Senior Management, are supported by all staff and understood in the same way