Interim Customer Services Manager – Fortis Life UK

Fortis Life is a new provider of life insurance in the UK... a part of the wider Fortis brand they are, though, wholly owned and funded within the UK.
Approximately 5 months before the planned launch it was decided to bring the Customer Services function in-house in preference to the original decision to outsource all support activities.
My assignment was to set up the customer service function, from scratch, in advance of the launch date.

Key achievements -  

• Take brief on formation of the Customer Service function
• Develop project plan
• Design and implement recruitment strategy
• Recruitment of Team Leaders, Underwriters and Customer Service Administrators
• Recruitment of Training Officer
• Development and implementation of training strategy, including training and competence approach
• Design, authoring and delivery of training materials/events to support strategy
• Develop operational policies and procedures in conjunction with business architects, systems developers/IT and compliance
• Develop service standards and service level agreements to support business objectives
• Create and implement complaints policy, procedure and systems
• Liaison with Compliance to achieve sign-off for all procedures, the training and competence scheme and complaints procedure
• Design and implement ‘performance and delivery assessment’ approach to monitor, manage and control quality/quantity of work
• Embedded “Treating Customers Fairly” principles in all elements of operation
• Liaising with MD, Senior Management Team and specialist areas (premises, IT, telephony, HR etc.) to deliver project
• Manage Customer Services function through launch and into ‘business as usual’... approximately 3 months after launch.
• Liaison with business partners to ensure customer satisfaction
• Coaching and development of Customer Services management team
• Trouble shooting and problem resolution
• Business process review

The assignment commenced late October 2007. Business launch was in July 2008 having been deferred due to technical and market considerations. The assignment was completed in November 2008, having achieved all set up, business and service targets.