Intelligent Investing Online
Allan Gray has a new, secure website that is attracting over 250 visitors a day and more than 400 new users per month.
Initially aimed at making investment reporting accessible and immediate, Johan de Lange, Director Allan Gray Investor Services, says the intention is to make the site fully transactional in the future. It forms part of an ongoing desire to maintain and improve service levels for investors and their advisers.
Over time as the business has grown, Allan Gray has taken a series of strategic steps to exert more control over the level and quality of client service experienced by investors, and to ensure the way that service is delivered meets investor needs. "Our Investor Services division is focused on ensuring that we deliver sound long-term investment performance to our investors in an efficient and client-centric way," says de Lange.
He quotes studies that highlight the need for effective client service. These show that companies lose clients not necessarily because competitors win them, but mainly through indifference or poor attitude or unsatisfactory handling of complaints. It is therefore important to Allan Gray that it continually reinforces its client-centric principles. "In practical terms this means having queries dealt with by someone who properly identifies you and the nature of your query, questions appropriately, checks the details in order to eliminate any potential confusion, provides related information and accurate paperwork and offers further services for follow-ups whilst always being responsive."
De Lange explains the firm has already installed a new administrative software system and has brought client administration in-house and linked it more closely to the client service team. The subsequent trebling of investor accounts and call volumes has given rise to looking at new ways to manage the challenges of this growth and to ensure that the group maintains the high standards that it aspires to provide to investors. "This has resulted in a number of internal actions to improve processes, accuracy where human intervention is necessary and a focus on areas of client service and administration where we believe we may enhance investor experience and build long-term capacity."
Allan Gray Online can be accessed by both investors and Financial Advisers. Investors are able to access investment reports online as and when it suits them. It provides confidential and controlled access to investment information and offers the flexibility to view investment information online, download, print or email it as required. It also is updated daily with the previous night's prices.
For Financial Advisers, the online service provides immediate access to information that relates to their business. De Lange explains that this includes the ability to view assets under administration by product, fund, client and Management Company, as well as providing access to their client and fee statements.
The site can be accessed via Online Accounts at www.allangray.co.za, or by directly typing the following URL in to your web browser: https://online.allangray.co.za/.
