Woman shaking mans hand
Woman shaking mans hand

Working together for good customer outcomes

Our expectations

We (Southern Cross) expect all Advisers (you) to understand and apply the fair conduct principle of treating consumers fairly in all your interactions with your clients (our members).

What is the fair conduct principle?

It is a requirement under the CoFI Act (Financial Markets (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Act 2022 that a financial institution must treat consumers fairly. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • paying due regard to consumers interests.
  • acting ethically, transparently, and in good faith.
  • assisting consumers to make informed decisions.
  • ensuring that services and products most likely meet the needs and requirements of consumers (present and future) when viewed as a group.
  • not subjecting consumers to unfair pressure or tactics or undue influence.

Your role and responsibilities

We (Southern Cross) expect all Advisers (you) to understand and apply the fair conduct principle of treating consumers fairly in all your interactions with your clients (our members).

What is the fair conduct principle?

It is a requirement under the CoFI Act (Financial Markets (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Act 2022 that a financial institution must treat consumers fairly. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Follow a needs-based advice process
    A documented needs-based advice process considers the unique circumstances of each client and includes regular reviews to ensure that the solutions provided continue to meet the client’s changing needs.
  • Actively engage with members
    Taking a proactive approach ensures you consistently meet client expectations consistently, rather than responding to problems after they happen.
  • Have a strong knowledge of Southern Cross’s products and services
    Complete Southern Cross product training and pass an accreditation assessment before handling any Southern Cross health insurance applications. This ensures you can discuss and recommend Southern Cross products in an informed way.
  • Act in line with Southern Cross Intermediary Agreement
    Engage with Southern Cross members in accordance with the standards and expectations set out in the Southern Cross Distribution Agreement between you, and Southern Cross.

Southern Cross’s role and responsibilities

  • Communicate changes to Southern Cross products and services
    Engage with you to ensure you are up to date with any changes we may make to our products and services. In turn you can then discuss with your clients.
  • Training on Southern Cross products and services
    Ongoing training and annual accreditation assessments of Advisers ensures Advisers can continue to discuss and recommend Southern Cross products in an informed way.
  • Monitoring and reporting
    Compiling information from various sources builds a good picture of how Advisers interact with Southern Cross members and the practices used. This serves as an early alert system to potential client dissatisfaction. The reports point out areas that might need more investigation, helping to identify practices and trends that need a closer look.
  • Member communications
    Provide all communications in relation to a Members policy directly to the Member which includes but is not limited to, renewal advice detailing new premiums, change of plan benefits, change of concessions, prior approvals, claims information etc. All communications will be available through My Southern Cross online or the My Southern Cross App.

How we work with customers experiencing vulnerability

It’s important that all our members are treated with care and respect and have a fair and reasonable opportunity to access the services that we provide and make informed decisions.

We know that some of our members may due to capabilities or personal circumstances, need extra care and support to ensure the right experiences and outcomes for them relative to their situation.

Circumstances that may affect access might include:

  • Health and physical factors – such as physical or mental health conditions.
  • Language barriers – for example, where English is not your first language.
  • Age-related factors– ranging from lack of access to technology to dementia or Alzheimer’s.
  • Situational factors such as bereavement or other intense periods of personal stress.

We believe that every individual is different and has different circumstances. This means that as much as possible, we will respond to our members as an individual in a way that is appropriate to their needs. Our customer-facing teams are trained to be aware of and respond appropriately to situations of customer vulnerability.

Our role

  • Provide you with an understanding of how we define “a customer experiencing vulnerability” and what they should expect from us. This information will be made available to you through the Culture of Care module.
  • Ensure that the Culture of Care module is reviewed and updated as per the review period for the module.

What we expect from you:

  • That all Advisers complete the Culture of Care module when assigned, in line with your Distribution Agreement
  • If you are aware of a customer vulnerability that you feel we should know about:
    • Ask the customer what support they feel they need from us and communicate this.
    • Pass any relevant vulnerability information that the customer has consented to provide to Southern Cross.

Our complaints process

Southern Cross is focused on providing quality service to our members and have a complaints process and resolution scheme to support that. If you or your client (our member) is dissatisfied with our service you can raise a complaint directly with your BDM or by calling us on 0800 800 181, using our online complaints form or writing to us at Complaints at Southern Cross, Southern Cross Health Society, Private Bag 99934, Newmarket, Auckland 1149.

We’ll acknowledge receipt of the complaint within two working days or receipt (or as soon as practical after that time). If your client is unhappy with our response, you can request that the complaint be reviewed by our Chief Operating Officer.

If our member is not satisfied with the outcome through our internal complaints process, we belong to the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman’s approved dispute resolution scheme (IFSO). The IFSO is a free and independent dispute resolution service available to consumers that may help investigate or resolve complaints. For more information on our complaints process please review to: www.southerncross.co.nz/society/contact/complaints