Background

The client initially engaged TCC to support the firm with business-as-usual complaints, and TCC provided a team of approximately 20 contract associates. In theory, this should have been a straightforward engagement, but in practice, the client needed additional support with refining its processes. The initial TCC team had been successfully delivering this project. However, the client faced a huge spike in ongoing advice servicing complaints, so TCC was asked to step in and provide additional resource on a much larger scale.

The challenge

The client had been targeted by a complaints management company, representing the firm’s 15,000 customers, which claimed the client had charged its customers for annual ongoing advice service reviews which were never offered. The client had engaged a big four consultancy to support with the complaints management, but the consultancy failed to fully understand the brief and engaged the wrong type of resource that couldn’t deliver the project. The client asked TCC to outline our understanding of the problem, and we presented the view that the client needed a suitability of advice review programme rather than a simple complaints project.

The solution

The client had initially received and logged the complaints to be reviewed but needed to rapidly assemble a team of suitability of advice reviewers to handle the FCA regulated complaints and investigate whether the ongoing advice review requirements had been met. If the requirements were not fulfilled, the team were to conduct provisional calculations to determine the level of redress to be paid to customers.

This engagement began with a team of 50 suitability of advice reviewers alongside five team leaders and a project manager. The programme was supplemented with a robust quality control function, made up of 12 quality controllers and a team leader. The resource requirements continued to grow, with the project peaking at around 200 roles, which is still ongoing.

With our deep market expertise, TCC swiftly shortlisted suitable contract associates and implemented rigorous processes, including thorough technical interviews, to ensure only the highest-calibre candidates were selected for this project.

The overall project manager, provided by TCC, developed a comprehensive route to competency and training schedule, which took candidates approximately six weeks to complete. This academy style of training ensured that the candidates could deliver exactly what was needed for this specific type of complaint.

Due to the large scale of this project, we placed diploma level 4 qualified candidates along with level 3 qualified resource with experience in suitability advice reviews. To ensure that our level 3 qualified candidates could efficiently deliver the tasks, the associates undertook competency training and with the support of the team leaders, all candidates were rapidly upskilled to successfully deliver the project.

The length of the project also meant that contract associates could be promoted to more senior roles, encouraging them to stay for its full duration and keeping attrition rates low.

The TCC difference

TCC has a proven track record in delivering some of the most technically complex projects in the market. Our trusted reputation allowed us to rapidly assemble a knowledgeable, experienced team of professionals, many of whom had worked together before, and begin successfully delivering the project within a few weeks.

As the project gained momentum, it began to attract interest from contract associates who had not previously worked with TCC, allowing us to expand our associates pool. This external interest reflected the project’s well-regarded reputation and high profile within the industry.

The client benefited from TCC’s developed bespoke processes that aligned with the project’s specific needs and supported the client to shape its approach to complaint handling. We added significant value by helping refine the firm’s internal processes and methodology – which the client truly valued.

We successfully displaced the incumbent provider and scaled the operation significantly to manage the project even at its peak. We’re now in the process of scaling down the operations.

The work has continued to evolve and due to the strength of our delivery, we’ve been entrusted with new related projects.