Senior Complaints Specialist

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Purpose of the Role:

The Senior Complaints Specialist exists to continue wowing our customers by protecting the brand, safeguarding their experience, and finding meaningful solutions whenever they face challenges or have concerns.

This role ensures that every interaction, particularly when handling complaints or complex queries, leaves the customer feeling heard, respected, and confident in Dis-Chem Life. Through empathetic, professional, and solution-focused engagement, the Senior Complaints Specialist diffuses tension, builds trust, and strengthens customer sentiment, turning potentially negative experiences into opportunities to reinforce the value, reliability, and care that Dis-Chem Life delivers.

This role is central to enhancing customer loyalty, protecting the business reputation, and ensuring that even in challenging moments, our service stands out as exceptional.

Role Summary

The Senior Complaints Specialist is responsible for the end-to-end management of complex customer complaints, ensuring timely, fair, and high-quality resolution while maintaining strict compliance with regulatory standards.

The successful candidate will combine empathy, professionalism, and analytical insight, enabling them to manage sensitive situations with confidence, restore trust, and turn challenges into positive experiences for customers.

Success is measured by customer satisfaction, resolution turnaround, compliance adherence, and the ability to extract actionable insights to improve processes and prevent repeat complaints.

Benefits:

• Purpose-driven role with direct impact on customer experience and brand reputation.
• Exposure to a growing financial services organisation with a strong regulatory focus.
• Opportunities to shape complaint handling processes and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, high-performance team environment with coaching and career growth opportunities.
• Training to strengthen technical, regulatory, and interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution and customer experience excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Complaint Management and Resolution

• Receive, log, and acknowledge complaints promptly in line with SLA standards.
• Conduct thorough investigations into complex complaints to identify root causes.
• Resolve complaints in a timely and fair manner while ensuring a positive customer experience.
• Escalate high-risk or unresolved complaints to management or compliance teams as required.
• Apply internal policies, procedures, and regulatory guidelines consistently to protect the brand.

Customer Advocacy and Trust

• Act as a customer champion, seeking solutions that protect the customer and strengthen their trust in Dis-Chem Life.
• Engage customers with empathy, professionalism, and a solution-oriented approach.
• Transform challenging interactions into opportunities to build loyalty, leave customers impressed, and reinforce brand confidence.
• Communicate clearly, providing reassurance and clarity throughout the complaints process.
• Actively listen and validate customer concerns while maintaining composure under pressure.

Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare regular reports and dashboards on complaints, trends, and resolution outcomes.
• Analyse recurring issues and recommend process improvements to prevent future complaints.
• Provide insights to management to inform training, policy updates, and operational changes.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure all complaint handling adheres to FAIS, Treating Customers Fairly (TCF), and internal compliance requirements.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of customer and company information.
• Keep abreast of regulatory changes impacting complaint management practices.

Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

• Work closely with Operations, Risk, Compliance, and Customer Experience teams to resolve complaints efficiently and prevent recurrence.
• Mentor and guide junior complaint handling staff to ensure quality and consistency in customer engagement.
• Recommend and implement improvements to processes, scripts, and workflows to enhance service delivery.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional empathy and emotional intelligence, able to diffuse tense situations and build trust.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, clear, reassuring, and professional.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple complex complaints simultaneously.
• Integrity, accountability, and sound judgment in all decisions.
• Resilience under pressure and ability to maintain professionalism at all times.
• Collaborative team player with the ability to work independently when required.
• Committed to delivering wow moments while protecting the brand and customer trust.

Skills and Experience:

• 3–5 years’ experience in complaint management, customer experience, or regulatory roles, preferably in financial services or insurance.
• Strong knowledge of FAIS, Treating Customers Fairly (TCF), and other relevant regulations.
• Hands-on experience with complaint management systems or CRMs.
• Proven ability to handle complex complaints and maintain positive customer outcomes.
• Experience preparing reports, dashboards, and recommendations based on complaint analysis.
• Mentoring or leading junior team members is advantageous.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or Higher Certificate in Business, Finance, Law, or related field (essential).
• Clear Criminal and Credit Record (essential).
• FAIS Fit and Proper status advantageous.