Complaints management

The Bank’s purpose is to build a positive client experience and enhance client service satisfaction during the complaint handling process. The documents governing the issues related to complaints are the product rules and the “Complaints Handling Instructions”. The results of adopting this policy are manifested by the improved complaints handling process, shorter complaints examination and delegating more powers to employees who have been trained on the principles of straightforward client communication. The risks associated with the failure to adhere to the policy include the loss of reputation, legal and financial risks stemming from the “Act on complaint examination by financial market entities and on the Financial Ombudsman” and the “Act on payment services”.

Clients can submit a complaint through several channels: in the branch, by phone, through electronic banking and by mail. Clients who are especially active are invited to participate in tests and give opinions on new products and system solutions. All problems reported by clients are subject to analysis. The conclusions from analyzing complaints and client suggestions are taken into consideration when streamlining products and services. 239 initiatives were collected in 2019 in the Voice of Customer (VOC) program to eliminate the causes of complaints; 123 of them were implemented or partially implemented.

Many actions were undertaken to streamline the complaints process for the purpose of shortening the complaints examination period and enhancing the level of client satisfaction:

• Complaints about selected fees and card transactions are resolved at the level of the customer’s first contact with a Bank employee.
• The “Embrace the Problem” project has been introduced, which aims to support branch personnel in dealing with complaints by informing them about the most frequently reported complaints and the need to accept reasonable and complete notifications.
• Client responses use simple language with clear text layout.
• Thanks to the development of the principles of cooperation between the Bank’s distinct units, information from client complaints is used to improve products and processes and prevent the occurrence of similar complaints in the future.

[GRI 102-11, GRI 102-15, GRI 102-30] Complaint reports are forwarded to the people responsible for individual products and processes allowing the Bank to analyze the quality of services it offers on an ongoing basis and take optimization measures. A broad range of ratios related to complaints is reported on a monthly basis, while the effects of the overall complaints handling process are presented regularly at the Process and Operational Risk Committee meetings and also at the meetings of the Supervisory Board’s Audit Committee.

Group companies manage complaints on their own. Millennium Leasing has in place the procedure for submitting and reviewing complaints submitted by the clients. Millennium Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych (TFI) offers its products through distributors of participation units and does not have direct contact with clients. Client complaints are submitted to Millennium TFI as well as to distributors. The Bank reviews complaints related to the customer service provided by its employees. To the extent involving the quality of products offered by Millennium TFI, complaints are handled, at TFI’s request, by the transfer agent who keeps the registers of participants and conducts transactions regarding the participation units. In the Brokerage House, complaints are handled jointly by the Bank when they pertain to the services provided by Bank Millennium as the Agent of Millennium DM.