Treating Customers Fairly

Be Positive

I had a very interesting exchange of emails earlier this week from an IFA in the North West. Initially the tone of his email was a little abrasive as he chastised me for scaremongering and went to great lengths to point out that his firm had an excellent visit from the FSA last year and have fully embedded TCF. Initially I was taken aback, particularly as he insinuated that I was unprofessional and called me a "supposed assistant gamekeeper".

Before sending a response I went through a number of options. Should I simply ignore this man who simply doesn't understand me? Should I tell him where to get off and ask him to kindly mind his own business? (although attractive, I decided that this option would be a little hypocritical as I am writing a public Blog).

After much thought I realised that he may have a point. In my desire to reach the 87% of Advisers who missed the FSA's March TCF deadline, I overlooked the fact that a growing number of Firms have already made the necessary changes. In fact, some firms probably didn't need to make any changes at all. The FSA themselves expect that 80% of firms will have achieved the required standard by their December 2008 deadline. That's a higher percentage than the number of people who pass their driving test first time and oddly enough we don't name and shame the 20% of non first time passers.

So I replied to my correspondent with an apology. In my drive to reach the Firms who aren't yet up to speed I was in danger of alienating those who have. I was becoming less of a "supposed assistant gamekeeper" and more of a "supposed financial journalist" concentrating on the negatives rather than celebrating the positive work that has been done and the added customer focus that TCF has brought.

A number of emails were exchanged and I believe that from an initial shaky start I may have made a new friend? We will see what he says when he reads this!

And from all of this I have been reminded that it is not all doom and gloom. Yes, some firms still need to do a great deal of work to achieve TCF Compliance but for others the focus needs to be much more about how they can best communicate the good things they have done when the FSA get in touch. 

What happens next?

So, we now have enough information and feedback from the first round of engagement from the FSA in the North West to know how the process will work across the country. The Regulators campaign plan thus far is as follows:

1. TCF Letter - This is "First Contact" and invites the Firm to attend a TCF Roadshow.

2. TCF Roadshow - All Firms who receive the letter are expected to attend the roadshow. Anecdotal evidence suggest that failure to attend the roadshow causes a Firm to receive greater scrutiny later in the process. During the roadshow the FSA runs round table discussions and case study exercises to explain the principles and goals of TCF.

3. TCF Assessment - All Firms who are asked to attend the roadshow then receive an assessment a few weeks later. This is conducted as an interview with the Firm's Principle, lasts about an hour and takes one of three forms: a. Telephone Interview; b. Face to Face at a central venue; c. Face to Face at the Firm's Office. During the interview the Adviser will be asked a series of questions designed to enable him or her to demonstrate that TCF has been successfully implemented. So far the feedback that I have received from about 40 Firms suggests that the telephone interview is the least pleasant experience simply because it is more difficult to communicate the complexities of Leadership Principles and TCF over the phone.

4. TCF Validation Audit - 25% of all Firms will receive an on site validation audit. Early feedback indicates that these can be in depth. I was contacted by a Firm who had their visit last week. The FSA Auditors were there from 9:30 am to 7:10 pm. They checked 10 client files, audited the MI data and T&C data and interviewed the Principle. Although this was not an unpleasant experience for the Firm in question it does demonstrate that TCF is being taken very seriously by the Regulator.

I am attending a TCF validation visit next week so I will be able to feedback on this experience in a later post.

The FSA TCF Roadshow

The FSA have already reminded the industry that TCF must be implemented in spite of the difficult financial conditions faced by Brokers. As the FSA caravan trundles around the UK the key watch word has to be engagement. The initial letter that each firm receives prior to the FSAs arrival states that in no uncertain terms firms are expected to engage in the process. The first stage of the process is the Roadshow. All firms in a particular area are invited to the roadshow. Every firm is expected to attend. Of course going to the roadshow doesn't necessarily keep you off the FSA radar but it certainly doesn't put you on it, waving a flag and shouting "look at me, look at me" as non attendance might.

I will cover more of the roadshow content in a later post but if anyone who has attended one of these events has a view I would like to hear from you.

The ostrich mentality is not a successful defence in this latest round of Regulator scrutiny. If you engage with the FSA you are likely to find that they are helpful and willing to listen to your practical experiences of embedding TCF. If you do not engage they could morph into a terminator style pursuer with a relentlessness the like of which has never before been seen in the industry.

TCF Visit Drill

EQI Consultancy have developed a series of Drills and Audits relating specifically to TCF. The first of these is the TCF Visit Drill.

EQI Consultancy have prepared a half day TCF Visit Drill which is designed to simulate an FSA TCF Visit. Don't worry, there are no role plays, ou will simply be asked the questions that you are likely to be asked and they will talk through your responses. Clients who have already completed this have found it to be highly valuable and a great way to boost confidence and prepare for a visit.

TCF Visit Drills are charged at £250 +VAT and as they are proving very popular are available on a strictly first come first served basis.

To book a TCF Visit drill: http://www.eqionline.co.uk/index.php?substance=contact&substance2=contact&header=home

Mention Treating Customers Fairly Blog and receive a £50 discount.

.