Agility and transparency in complaint response times

In a sector where customer trust and satisfaction are critical, complaint management plays a strategic role. More than an operational metric, complaints reflect the customer’s perception of service quality and the effectiveness of responses. Transforming this indicator into a driver of continuous improvement was the starting point of this project, which brought together different areas of the organization in a common effort: to respond faster, better, and in a sustainable way, strengthening credibility and customer proximity.

The company and its commitment to excellence in customer service

The institution was established through a strategic partnership among several leading banking entities and was a pioneer in introducing innovative solutions such as ATMs, POS terminals, and debit and credit cards, which transformed the branch service experience.

Positioning itself as a universal bank, it focuses on creating value for all market segments, with a presence grounded in excellence, quality, and innovation in the distribution of financial products and services.

With the goal of establishing itself as a benchmark bank in customer service, the company maintains an ongoing commitment to efficiency and continuous improvement, reflected in prudent capital and cost management.

Turning complaints into opportunities for trust

The number of complaints is a direct indicator of customer satisfaction and team performance. In the first half of 2024, there was a 400% increase in complaint volume compared to the same period last year. In this context, the bank launched a project focused on treating complaints as a source of service improvement, reducing response times, preventing recurring occurrences, and strengthening customer trust.

The challenge was to align all internal and network areas, adopting a holistic and collaborative approach focused on root causes and on delivering fast and effective solutions.

The strategic approach to improving response time and strengthening trust

The project, with a total duration of six months, was divided into two three-month sprints. The first sprint set a target of responding to 90% of complaints within 30 days, while the second aimed to achieve 80% of responses in less than 10 days.

To achieve these goals, 10 improvement initiatives were launched, grouped into three streams:

Reaction stream

The first line of action focused on immediate response capability. This stream focused on:

• Creating processes, scripts, and tools to empower the front office and the BIM Line to resolve issues immediately.
• Implementing automatic status messages for open complaints, reducing follow-up contacts.
• Improving the complaints workflow and integrating new tools to streamline work queues and eliminate manual tasks.

With these measures, the organization significantly increased efficiency in complaint management, reducing waiting times and ensuring more transparent and proactive communication with customers.

Service stream

This stream focused on structuring and planning the service, strengthening internal coordination, and promoting the use of more efficient channels. This workstream focused on:

• Developing tools to support team coordination rituals and reviewing meeting content.
• Creating a workload and capacity planning tool to optimize complaint handling.
• Introducing digital channels for clarification and complaint submission, relieving pressure on the front office.
• Defining cross-functional service levels, ensuring transparency and regular communication regarding “complaints”.

These initiatives improved organization and operational predictability, enabling teams to respond to customer needs with greater consistency and effectiveness.

Root-cause stream

Finally, the third line of action focused on eliminating the root causes of complaints, adopting a preventive approach supported by data and technology. The focus shifted from merely resolving issues to anticipating failures, leading to the following actions:

• Piloting demand leveling measures and transaction error mitigation, reducing recurring complaints.
• Using workflow automation to proactively detect errors and propose corrections before a complaint is opened.
• Creating a dedicated data analytics team to analyze root causes and conduct improvement pilots on-site.

By addressing root causes, the organization established solid foundations for sustained improvement, fostering a culture oriented toward prevention, analysis, and continuous innovation.

The impact of the transformation on complaint management

Despite the challenging context, the project delivered significant improvements in service levels:

• Sprint 1: the 30-day legal service recorded an improvement of 45 p.p., with the service level increasing from 50% to 95%, exceeding the established target.
• Sprint 2: the accelerated 10-day service recorded an improvement of 44 p.p., with the service level increasing from 13% to 57%

Figure 1 – Chart illustrating the results achieved

The project to improve complaint response time demonstrated how a structured approach, focused on root causes and team empowerment, can transform a critical indicator into a differentiating factor and a source of trust.

Through cross-functional collaboration, strengthened digital tools, and the promotion of a culture of accountability, the bank took a solid step toward improving customer experience and operational excellence.

We respect our clients’ confidentiality agreements. While names have been altered or omitted, the results are real.