Make financial services feel premium again.
From Downtime to Delays: What’s Driving Banking and Insurance Complaints
South Africans expect premium service from banks and insurers—and they speak up when it slips. The financial ombud system has been busier than ever: the Banking Ombud opened 21,641 cases in 2023 (+11% YoY) and recovered R25.7 million for consumers; in 2024 it opened 15,412 cases and closed 11,535, with only 21% of formal findings in customers’ favour—signals of complex, time-consuming processes that frustrate users[1].
On the insurance side, non-life complaints rose to 12,188 in 2023 (+5.6%), and combined long- and short-term ombuds returned R386 million to complainants—clear evidence of communication gaps and unmet expectations[2].
Public sentiment maps the fault lines: banking still shows net positive chatter overall, but 60%+ of service conversations are negative, with downtime driving 54% of risk talk and fraud 14%; in insurance, the claims process carries –45% net sentiment, turnaround time is the #1 complaint (64%), and call centres score as low as –85%[3].
Pricing transparency is another pain point—2025 fee comparisons highlight meaningful differences and complexity across account types, which routinely confuses customers[4].
Where are clients not feeling taken care of?
Inconsistent Brand Communication
Marketing defines the product and trains teams, but messages fragment at the last mile—especially across broker networks and regional branches. Customers hear different answers to the same question.
Helpful & Knowledgable Staff
Clients aren’t just buying a policy or an account—they’re buying certainty. Too often, they leave unsure about fees, cover, exclusions or “what to do next”.
Simple tasks feel complicated
Opening an account, adding a beneficiary, changing an address, filing a basic claim—steps multiply, hand-offs drag, and confidence drops.
Pricing, fees & value lack transparency
Hidden fees, unclear excesses and inconsistent quotes across channels erode trust and invite complaints.
What customers are actually experiencing (and what we test)
Understanding:
Do clients really grasp fees, risks, exclusions and next steps? We use “explain-back” checks to prove it.
Ease:
How many steps, minutes and hand-offs to complete everyday tasks—branch, app, call centre or broker?
Consistency:
Does the answer, price or policy match across app, web, branch and broker?
Care:
Are issues solved on the first contact? Do clients feel guided, not bounced?
Value:
Are fees and excesses clearly shown before commitment, with no surprises later?
What can we do to fix it
Mystery Shopping Programmes
Banking & Insurance
See your business exactly as customers do.
Ongoing mystery shops across app, web, call centre, branch and broker—from onboarding and debit-order disputes to quote-to-bind, mid-term changes and simple claims.
Rapid NPS/CES pulses for real-time feedback on clarity, ease and care.
Full CX index tracking to benchmark journeys and spot broken hand-offs.
The Result: Evidence you can act on—clarity, parity across channels, first-contact resolution, and a clear red-flag map.
Staff Training Programmes
Frontline, Branch, Call Centre & Brokers
Close the exact gaps the mystery shops uncover.
Plain-language explainers for products, fees, excesses—plus teach-back practice so teams confirm understanding.
“Rescue the journey” playbooks for stalled OTP/KYC, app hiccups or claims uploads—ownership and next-step scripting that feels premium.
Broker toolkits: one-page offer sheets, objection handling and compliance cues.
The Result: Higher Clarity Scores, faster journeys, better first-contact resolution—service that feels concierge-level.
Brand Engagement Programmes
Make One Message Travel Intact
From head office to the last mile.
Unified messaging packs: same promises, same numbers, same documents—everywhere (app, web, branch, broker).
Simplified fees & excess tables clients can grasp in 10 seconds.
Journey content & feedback loops: checklists, “what to expect” timelines, proactive updates, and live dashboards tying NPS/CES to fixes.
The Result: Consistent communication, fewer pricing/fees complaints, and trust that sticks.
