Trustfund adopts fresh operational techniques to boost customer base

TRUSTFUND Pensions will continue to blend its services to respond to the changing needs of its customers even as contributory pension scheme enrollees are increasingly becoming more conscious of services Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) render.

Speaking at the end of the week-long Corporate Compliance and Ethics Week by Trustfund in Abuja at the weekend, the Managing Director of Trustfund Pensions Plc., Mrs. Helen Da-Souza, explained that the enrollees of the contributory pension scheme are becoming sophisticated on daily basis which has not only put PFAs on their toes, but made invention a must in a bid to survive and maintain existing customers and add new ones.

Her words: “Even though the contributory pension scheme began in 2004, the level of awareness and sophistication recorded in pension sector of the Nigerian economy has been phenomenal. Now customers are very well aware of their rights and the kind of services they want. This has put all the PFAs on their toes to invent innovative ways of, not only getting new customers, but also maintaining the existing ones. Here at Trustfund, we are constantly reeling out innovative techniques to ensue we maintain our leadership position in the pension industry.

For instance, we have fora where we meet our customers periodically to interact with them directly to know their challenges and how we can solve those challenges. We also use those fora to clear areas of misunderstandings. No doubt, these avenues have provided the opportunity of knowing our customers better and how to meet their demands.”

On her part, Trustfund Chief Compliance Officer, Mrs. Rachael Osa Obi, said: “It costs five times as much to win a new customer than to keep a current one. Customers are not loyal by nature. Connecting to our customers on an emotional level is the key to establishing a lasting relationship with our brand. We must go beyond simply registering customers to developing strong bonds. It is essential that we provide unique customer experience by proactively anticipating our customers’ needs and expectations and exceeding them every time. That is excellence.”

She insisted that working to improve quality and achieve excellence is not a fad or a project, adding, “it is a way of thinking, a way of acting and a way of doing business. No matter how much time or money is invested in trying to become ‘excellent’, it cannot happen until we all develop and share a common understanding of what our business entails and how to execute it with dedication and full commitment to adding value to our company. Thus, achieving true excellence is possible if our collective desire to excel is strong and formidable.”

While stressing that service excellence is an attitude that should permeate in every department towards ensuring customer satisfaction, Obi stated that delivering excellent service requires more than a streamlined customer service department or slogan on the wall.

“It is a consistent, premium service in every department, set by a service oriented tone that drives our company strategy at every level. With service excellence, there are no losers. Customers win. Employees win. The company wins. Delivering first-class service is a successful strategy to retain our customers. We must strive to identify our customers’ needs and keep delivering a level of service that ensures loyalty and increased profits,” she explained.

Obi submitted that ethical values propagated during the weeklong activities which include integrity, commitment, accountability and responsibility, respect are all values that Trustfund as a family must imbibe in order to achieve excellence.