Source: https://unternehmen.union-investment.de/ueber-uns/archiv-annual-report-2020/customerservice
Jan Dorstewitz, Development Manager Digital & Innovation in Customer Service
The investment and custody business operated by Union Investment stands for high-quality, flexible and efficient solutions. Jan Dorstewitz reports on how customer service managed to deliver this service commitment in the challenging past year and beyond.
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This was a very challenging situation, especially in such an eventful year as the previous one. “Technically speaking, the Covid-19 pandemic was not a major challenge for us,rdquo; Dorstewitz recalls. “Most colleagues had already been working from outside the office several days a week before the onset of Covid-19, so the complete changeover to working from home went almost unnoticed.rdquo; Business operations were maintained without any decrease in quality.
“There were of course unspoken concerns about the effects of the virus and about how our clients would react.rdquo; But in stark contrast to the financial crisis of 2008, investors remained level-headed. “It was only in April and May that we received slightly more enquiries from retail clients than usual,rdquo; Dorstewitz reports. The bank branches were closed and the websites of many banks referred clients to Union Investment if they had any questions about their investments. “Acting on behalf of several banks, we then assisted clients with order processing.rdquo;
“I regularly take advantage of Union Investment&’s customer service, frequently for guidance on Riester pensions. What I like most about the service is that the forms sent to me have already been filled in. In general, help is always provided without delay and my contacts are very obliging. In this respect nothing has changed since before the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Thomas Bidner Client Advisor, Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Würzburg eG
“The click path designed by Union Investment provides us with excellent support when opening a securities account for legal entities. Its clear and transparent design simplifies handling significantly and serves as a useful reference tool.”
Tobias Buck CFPreg; and Team Leader for Private Banking and Corporate Clients, VR-Bank Ostalb eG
“I call customer service regularly and am always delighted with the impeccable level of service provided. Last year, we tried out a pilot for video conferencing. We were not able to implement everything we had come up with initially. But we will continue to work on this. For example, we want to be able to connect customer service into the consultation call with the client as needed.”
Michael Schießl Head of Retail Client Banking, Raiffeisenbank Straubing eG
Dorstewitz continues, “We also wanted to provide assistance to the banks during the lockdown, just as we did for retail clients. We managed this by simplifying processes and devising solutions on a case-by-case basis. We were quick to provide assistance to the banks at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with simplified legitimation processes. This was accompanied by a significant extension of the time limit for submitting documents for opening a securities account.rdquo; In addition, the upload function for bank forms was expanded, desktop sharing for intermediaries was used to good effect and order placement via was made available via instant messenger. “We benefited from the fact that we had already done a lot of preliminary work on digitalisation,rdquo; says the 42-year-old. Click paths proved to be particularly helpful. Hesse explains the new format as “step-by-step instructions for carrying out complicated processes - such as opening a securities account for legal entities - which advisors can click through.rdquo;
All the training events for bank advisors that the customer service department would normally offer regularly have been converted into webinars throughout the organisation. “We have been offering this service since 2018, enabling us to build on the experience gained from running these events,rdquo; says Dorstewitz, himself a qualified trainer. “Even so, we’re facing a steep learning curve with digital training sessions, as it’s much harder to interact with others.rdquo; How do you manage it despite that? “The important thing is to communicate on equal footing. The first questions we always ask are, ‘What problems are you having? In which consultation did you encounter problems? Where would you have needed help?’ In this way, we enter into a dialogue and find solutions together.rdquo;
One solution that Union Investment is continuously working on irrespective of the pandemic is the omnichannel strategy. This will enable clients to navigate the channels that are relevant to them, with their data available across all channels. Describing the mission, Dorstewitz says, “The client journey will be simpler and faster, and all possible cases will be covered.rdquo; To achieve this, he and his colleagues are working with wholehearted commitment to further develop all digital and analogue services.
Jan Dorstewitz is a “child of customer servicerdquo;. He began his career at Union Investment in 2005 while completing his studies in business administration, and subsequently specialised in Riester pensions, providing advice to clients in response to their enquiries. Dorstewitz qualified as a trainer and now runs events for banks and internal training courses. At the beginning of the year, he took on the role of Digital & Innovation Development Manager in the investment and custody business.
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