Customer Feedback Management Policy

Successful customers and successful communities create a successful bank. Our focus is on providing the highest industry standard of service; therefore we are always keen to know what our customers think we do well or where we could improve.

We have built our reputation by caring about our customers, partners and communities. While we love to hear from our customers about what we do well, we are just as keen to hear when we have not met our customers’ expectations or their suggestions for improvement.

This policy provides an outline of how our staff and representatives will handle customer feedback which includes compliments, suggestions and complaints.

The purpose of this policy is to provide the foundation for implementing a consistent approach throughout the Group that will facilitate the Group’s compliance with its regulatory obligations and Australian Standard AS ISO 10002-2006.

We consider Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) to be an important and necessary first step in the complaint handling process, as it gives the Group the opportunity to hear customer concerns and expressions of dissatisfaction and address them genuinely, efficiently and effectively.

Addressing complaints at IDR in this way can also assist in improving business systems and products or services, which is integral to growing a successful business.

This policy sets out the minimum procedures for safeguarding our customers' confidence by dealing with their feedback and the key principles to be followed to enable the Group, each Business Unit and individual staff members to implement and understand their obligations in the handling of customer complaints.

This policy forms part of the Group’s broader regulatory compliance obligations.

Means:

• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited;
• Bendigo Bank agencies;
• Bendigo Bank franchises (including Community Bank® branches);
• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Related Entities (excluding Rural Bank which operates under its own Risk Management Framework, with oversight from Group Risk).

This policy is to be considered and where appropriate applied to joint venture, alliance and partner activities.

The Customer Help Centre has developed this policy with the assistance of senior management and business unit managers.

Each department of the Bank is responsible for overseeing compliance with this policy.

The Group is always keen to find out ways to improve its customer service.

If customers have any complaints, compliments or suggestions related to the products or services provided by the Group, our staff can accept and discuss the feedback on the spot.

If however a customer is not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint, the Customer Help Centre is able to assist.

The Customer Help Centre can be contacted on 1300 361 911 between 8.30am – 7.30pm AEST/8.30am – 8.30pm AEDT Monday to Friday.

The Customer Help Centre’s role is to ensure that all complaints are fully documented, investigated and resolved in a timely manner as prescribed in the Australian Securities and Investments Commissions (ASIC) regulatory guide (RG165).

Our complaint management process is offered to all customers free of charge.

There are nine ways a customer can choose to tell us about a complaint –

1. In person- by speaking to a member of our staff or representative directly;
2. Post/Letter - by completing the relevant Customer Feedback Form or issuing a letter and sending it to us;
3. Telephone- by contacting our Customer Help Centre by phone on 1300 361 911 between 8.30am and 7.30 pm AEST/8.30am and 8.30pm AEDT Monday to Friday;
4. Fax – by contacting the Customer Help Centre on 1300 367 615
5. Website- by selecting Contact us > Customer Feedback
6. Secure Email- by logging into your e-banking
7. Email- feedback@bendigoadelaide.com.au
8. BEN Facebook- Join us on Facebook
9. BEN Twitter- Join us on Twitter

When we receive a complaint from a customer, we deal with these instances promptly, fairly and consistently across the Group.

Where possible, we will endeavour to resolve a customer’s complaint in the most direct manner, before it is referred to the relevant External Dispute Resolution (EDR) scheme.

When we receive a complaint from a customer we will provide them with:

• The first name and department contact number of the person who is investigating the complaint;
  
  
• Details about the complaints handling process; and
  
  
• An assurance that the complaint is being treated seriously and confidentially.

Any remedies that we may provide will reflect what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

Each Group entity that holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) or Australian Credit Licence or is otherwise required to maintain a membership with an ASIC approved EDR Scheme, will remain members of the external dispute resolution scheme that cover complaints made about us.

The Group’s EDR Schemes are the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.

Customer Help Centre is the point of contact and responsible for managing the relationship with the Financial Ombudsman Service (with some exceptions).

Details of all feedback from across the Group must be recorded in LINX which will form the Groups centralised register.

The centralised register helps us identify issues from across the Group that may impact on our customers, which if looked at in isolation, may not be seen as a systemic issue or part of a bigger issue that needs to be resolved.

This Policy will be reviewed every two years by Customer Help Centre in conjunction with Group Operational Risk with any changes approved by the Board Risk Committee.

The following are related documents:

• Customer Feedback Management Procedures
• Bendigo Bank Resolving Complaints brochure
• Code of Conduct

Each Executive/Senior Leader has the day to day responsibility and accountability for maintaining compliance with this policy in their business units.

Each Executive/Senior Leader is responsible for ensuring details of all feedback in their business units is recorded in LINX which will form the Group’s centralised register.

Officers with supervisory or line management duties are responsible for ensuring the business unit is operating in a manner that deals with customer complaints as per the requirements of this policy. This includes ensuring all staff receive the appropriate training and supervision and understand the requirements of this policy.

Any potential compliance breakdowns must be reported to the next level of management and actioned to minimise the risk of breakdowns in the future.

Group Operational Risk (through Group Regulatory Compliance) is responsible for:

• Assisting the Business Units (including subsidiaries) with regulatory compliance by providing guidance, support and advice with respect to compliance with this policy.
• Working with Business Units (including subsidiaries) to develop solutions for breaches with this policy.
• Assessing and reporting breaches of this policy as set out in the Group Regulatory Compliance policy.