Every summer, the same quiet risk runs through the intermediary market. Advisers, case managers and administrators go on holiday. Specialist lending cases, which have never once checked a calendar, keep arriving.
Most firms plan properly for the first of those. Diaries are blocked, clients are informed and colleagues pick up the phones. It’s the second that catches firms out.
When the person who keeps cases moving is away, the adviser can still be at their desk while the pipeline slows. And when a specialist case lands during that period, it often needs expertise that isn’t used every day.
Specialist cases are rarely patient. Completion dates, chain pressures and time-sensitive client circumstances don’t respect annual leave.
A case that needed action on Tuesday doesn’t politely wait until September. Behind every delay is a client who believes someone is progressing their application.
CONSUMER DUTY CONSIDERATION
Under Consumer Duty, that’s worth taking seriously. Customer service is one of the four outcomes, and continuity of service forms part of that expectation.
A client whose case loses two weeks because a firm is running thin over the summer hasn’t received a good outcome, and “it was August” isn’t likely to be a satisfactory explanation.
The good news is that this is one of the more solvable challenges in our market. Whether a firm handles specialist cases internally, through a network arrangement or via a referral partner, the questions are largely the same.
Who owns the case while I’m away, by name? What’s the commitment on updates for both me and my client, and is it documented?
How is my client relationship protected, and is there a clear no cross-sell commitment? Are fees transparent and demonstrably fair value?
And can the provider evidence consistent service through independent reviews and recognised industry awards?
Any cover arrangement worth relying on should be able to answer those questions without hesitation.
The intermediary market is entering what is traditionally its thinnest six weeks of the year.
Firms that treat summer continuity as part of their customer service proposition, rather than simply an operational inconvenience, are more likely to protect both their client relationships and their pipelines.
Clients don’t care about holiday season when they need our service. And they shouldn’t be able to tell it is.
