Complaints Specialist

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

What we're building

We are growing our complaints team and are looking for a customer focused Complaints Specialist to support our transformation. Working within the Customer Services function, you will help us put the customer at the heart of the business. Canada Life is committed to providing the best service and experience possible for our customers and advisers.

Job summary

Placing the customer at the heart of everything we do in line with our Company values by:

• Investigating and resolving complaints thoroughly, accurately and without bias ensuring a fair outcome;
• Being a customer champion and taking ownership;
• Fixing customer detriment and offering appropriate redress, taking customer vulnerability and personal circumstances into account.
• Completing investigations and issuing responses within stated service and regulatory timescales.
• Communicating clearly and effectively with policyholders, internal departments, the Regulator and other external organisations.
• Learning from our complaints by investigating root cause and ensuring preventative actions are identified, logged and implemented.
• Delivering complaint training and coaching to team members across Customer Services.
• Producing reports and MI where required.

What you'll do

• To investigate and resolve complaints that you have been allocated, identify root cause and deal with associated queries fully documenting how they are resolved.
• To ensure all communications are handled accurately and to adopt the most appropriate method of communication in line with the divisional, regulatory and complaint procedures. Be prepared to liaise with colleagues across Customer Services to resolve the complaint. Corresponding with customers and advisers as necessary. Present your case to the Ombudsman/Regulator and negotiate appropriate settlements where required.
• Recording all complaints onto the complaints database, ensuring that all regulatory and compliance requirements are met and data can be reported as required.
• To maintain a high level of technical and specialist skills, experience and knowledge, enabling high quality complaint resolution and root cause analysis to ensure improved customer experiences.
• Support the co-ordination of the completion of open actions and redress / compensation payments linked to complaints. Any Risks identified are logged and recorded appropriately.
• To put the customer at the heart of everything we do, managing and responding to complaints ensuring that that the legislative, customer and Company requirements and standards are all met within stated timescales.
• To work with the Customer Services teams to ensure that we are assessing processes ensuring they deliver fair outcomes.
• To deliver exceptional quality to our customers and their advisers, by ensuring we address and thoroughly investigate every point raised within the complaint without bias. Respond within the states timescales and by keeping the customer informed throughout the process
• Listen to our customers and use the root cause to learn from our complaints and improve processes and training.
• To ensure familiarity with risk management programmes as they impact this position, and follow appropriate risk management procedures to control, monitor and report on business activities.
• To ensure compliance with Company policies, regulatory, professional and legal requirements
• To act as an escalation point for complex cases.
• To mentor new team and existing members.
• Ensure that customer vulnerability is identified and taken into consideration when investigating the complaint
• Prepare MI reports when required

Who you are

• Demonstrable experience of working in financial services organisations and/or customer service environment.
• Knowledge of equitable release mortgages advantageous.
• A good understanding of the TCF Principles
• Knowledge and experience of complaint procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Professional manner when dealing with complaint cases
• Strong communication skills, telephone and written.
• Competent user of technology with strong PC skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office packages.
• Sound negotiation skills, when dealing with complex/ financial complaint cases
• Analytical experience and ability to identify trends and root cause and identify solutions.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and provide measured and well-articulated responses
• Ability to coach and feedback effectively to teams and individuals, peers and senior managers
• Ability to take ownership and make decisions

What you'll like about working here

As a Canada Life UK colleague, you'll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance, along with a generous pension and bonus scheme. You'll also receive the support you need with your personal and professional development.

Diversity and inclusion

Canada Life is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our role as an employer of choice is to provide the right environment for talented people to do their best work, by respecting, understanding and valuing individual differences