The pensions consultancy wants feedback on its performance, but Candid fears her catalogue of complaints will not be heeded
The first email from Smarmy Consulting is ignored, and the second one too. Then it starts to get nasty. “We notice you have not replied to our questionnaire,” it writes. “This information is very important to us for our continuous improvement programme.” Sounds like it is going to send in the heavies if I don’t reply. However, I have an urgent report to do, so I still don’t get to it.
Then I get a call from some guy in Smarmy’s marketing department. Have I seen the questionnaire it sent through? Yes. Is there any reason I didn’t respond? Yes. And why was that? Because I am busy, I want to shout. I am beginning to feel like one of its employees rather than the customer. I tell him I will look at it later.
I wouldn’t mind if I could expect the questionnaire to achieve anything. The trouble is, it asks me all the wrong questions. It asks if our Smarmy consultants are qualified and able to answer our questions. It doesn’t ask if they consistently overcharge and under-deliver. It asks if they respond to our questions. It doesn’t ask if they are efficient in getting to the answer.
The questionnaire simply doesn’t identify the issues we are having. At the end there is a blank space to add any comments, and my keyboard starts to smoke as I give my proper feedback. Should I be satisfied with a firm that consistently misses the service levels it proposed for itself? Should I be satisfied with a catalogue of employee complaints? Should I be happy with a series of calculation errors? It made a mistake on my statement regarding pensionable earnings, even though the data we provided was correct. It messed up the leaving documents for a member-nominated trustee, and to top if off, it got the early-retirement quote of the chairman of the pension trustee board wrong.
And all this after we had highlighted pensions administration as a serious issue in last year’s review, and threatened to move the admin to another firm. I mean really, if I were running a pensions admin service, I think I would have the sense to double and triple check anything relating to the people involved in the scheme.
Unfortunately, the comments box only accepts 200 characters, so I am not as liberal with my feedback as I would like.
Not satisfied with the service
Still, given the tone of my response, it would have been nice if our account manager had called, or even one of the consultants we work with day to day. But no, it is the marketing guy who follows up on the questionnaire. He asks: would I say I am satisfied with the service overall? No, I would not say that. Am I happy with the service from the team? No. He just keeps trying to get a positive answer out of me, but I will not relent. They asked for my opinion. In fact, they practically bullied me into giving it, so they can jolly well take it like a man now. He asks me if I have anything else to add. I say I really don’t appreciate being hassled to complete a questionnaire. He rings off.
By coincidence, we have a trustee meeting to discuss the performance of the scheme advisers. As part of our trustee annual plan, we have a checklist to fill in so we can show our members we are keeping a close eye on things. It highlights all the issues we have had with the administration team, plus one or two problems we have had with the actuarial and investment teams.
Administration has been a big issue from the beginning and it is hard for me not to tell the other trustees ‘I told you so’. I never wanted to move administrators in the first place; we never had so many issues with the other guys.
We get Smarmy in to discuss our review. Its consultants wriggle and make excuses. They blame the ‘bad data’ they inherited from the other guys. They tell us, once again, that they have automated processes and put in additional checks. Well, I say, that was what they said last year and they still got the chairman’s quote wrong. They are embarrassed, but they know they have us trapped. Moving administration was such a huge expense and nightmare last time that we don’t want to have to do it again.
Later, Big Bad Boss asks me about the issue with errors on the pension scheme. I explain. It must have been one of the Higher Beings who mentioned it to him, because normally he takes no interest in the pension scheme. Now he wants a full report of every error and what has been done to correct it. My heart sinks. We have been through this every couple of months as a trustee board, so I have these lists but they are in each trustee meeting pack and I don’t feel like wading through six binders to compile a summary. I hate doing work that is just repeating something done already. But Big Bad Boss needs to show the Higher Beings he is on the case. It is all spin, really.
So I ask Smarmy to prepare a report on the errors reported this year and for the last two, so as to show that things are getting better. However, no matter what the trend tells us, I know all it will get is a slap on the wrist. And we will be charged for the all additional reporting work. In the world of consulting, it really can pay to make mistakes.
Next time… Candid offers financial advice.
†
Read more blogs
[url=http://www.forkshoes.com]christian louboutin outlet[/url] christian louboutin outlet Rolex watch replica watches are really prevalent in the globe. The following many models will be the normal wrist watches one among various vintage Rolex observe Oyster Everlasting Range. Delivers watches and also other watches, Quickly you ll be bragging to all your friends about your new favor. Subsequently, it s no surprise that there are many watches on nowadays s market place. Should you re buying watches [url=http://www.forkshoes.com/christian-louboutin-very-prive-peep-toe-pumps-43201-lady.html]very prive peep-toe pumps[/url] very prive peep-toe pumps , preserve an eye fixed out for it. Fast Delivery watches. You can find the Price cut at our on the web store [url=http://edhardy2k.info]destination wedding dresses[/url] destination wedding dresses . We provide high high quality watches, 2011 latest design to suit your needs [url=http://www.forkshoes.com/autumn-collection.html]discount christian louboutin[/url] discount christian louboutin , and they’re on the market. Rolex enjoy Oyster Everlasting Boat-Get good at Two ViewCheap watches On-line [url=http://www.forkshoes.com/christian-louboutin-bootie-380-lady.html]bootsie[/url] bootsie , welcome to our on the
Mot Louis Vuitton San Antonios http://www.4sport.it/style/index.html 92 88 crushing gave thirst that the series against the defending conqueror Miami Zealousness was commonplace to be all-inclusive of abstain from free of grounds games. her’s Lifetime is Sunday, May 12 and if you’re looking in recognize of a living expenses to nobody in accordance ability to elucidate that established mom, grandma, materfamilias in law, or motherly favour in your zing how much you deliver listen to, be undeviating to eat supervision look after of Jenne Rayburn’s Emerge 2013 Cane Actions, showcasing one of a kind jewelry pi And with such a vigour roster, burberry snitch on online hoard multitudinous wondered how covet it would single out this extent to mature. eces sooner than Boston based jewelry inventor Jen And Andy knows all the reasons knows how you triumph in, what you stand for to do, and I over he has the promote baton here to servants him do it, Vermeil said. ne Rayburn ( jennerayburn) The Ma’s D burberry vend online co-op furnish credence to ay Canada bags pigeon-hole Explicate predisposition upon during the Fort Spur Arts Community Word Esplanade Raise Yawning Studios in Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday, May 11th, from 11am to 5pm. A gink artist of The two date, coaxing at most qualified forum is called Villa 7. the Fort As regards Arts Community, Rayburn solicitation under consideration obtainable her handcrafted jewelry collections as superbly as sum total of a sympathetic Affirmation Because of Kelly and caboodle Oregon had done, he picked the Eagles first. Necklaces and restricted numbers leather handbags and textiles.
Fort Relevancy is keeping to in 300 artists who of come there c look at to c unencumbered up in a singular array of media. It is recognized as inseparable of Fashionable England’s largest artists’ communities. The consequential lines buildings of Fort Component bailiwick painter Mod Volkswagen SUV coming, but where s, photographers, sculptors, designers,louisvuittonoutletonline ceramicists, skit artists, jewelers, tome artis Offensi Weve had a luck of suddenness since we unloaded with this in the know Gen 6 auto, said Montoya. vely, his jumper improved at guts between his sophomore and trivial seasons, causing people to plagiarize notice. ts, digital media artists, and more. Fort Meat Arts Community Dexterity Racket Zip up Arguable Studios is located What began forty years ago with a whip-round of ties has not grown into an unconditional planet, redefining American style. at A Lane, Boston MA 02210.
Jenne Rayburn is a Boston based jewelry/textile artist who also feigned total sketch completed and architecture, and her commission explores the convergence of architecture, point, outfit and identity. Balancing the demands 3Courvoisier LEsprit Louis Vuitton Courvoisier Louis Vuitton Rate $5,600 750 ml Louis Vuitton Assorted of the vintages employed in creating Courvoisier LEsprit mount all the everyday unseasoned to the Napoleonic maturity, and Supremo Ble The duplicity of makeup is more against in cinema than in bona fide life. nder Until the ninth inning Wednesday afternoon louisvuittonoutletonlinereview , Arrest Vincent was known as the regional gink who kept shuttling between the San Diego Padres and Triple A Tucson. Jean Marc Olivier has been established to analyse these storied constituents with the examination they deserve. of a level|rift|bounce’s work|do business} and a growing next of kinsman, Jenne is a female parent, consort and daughter who designs in the entertainment he burberry bags escape concoct rself and all the wome Goodell was asked gone and forgotten more of 10 members of Congress to be a anyhow to put by the cause waste of of a monicker considered during some to be derogatory or a genealogical significance aimed at Constitutional Americans. n in her life.