Episode Details

Inside complaints data: Insights from Heather Gray, Lead Ombudsman Superannuation at AFCA

Episode 5 Published 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Description

#5. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson chat with Heather Gray, Lead Ombudsman, Superannuation at Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Highlights

Complaints as Feedback: Complaints are valuable for identifying service improvement areas, even though funds aim to minimize them.
Drop in Insurance Delay Complaints: There has been a notable reduction (39%) in complaints about delays in insurance claims within super funds, indicating successful improvements.
Importance of Communication: Clear and timely communication—especially during incidents like cyber attacks—is critical in maintaining trust and managing complaints.
Systemic Issues vs. Human Error: Sarah is surprised to learn that maybe a high proportion of human error-caused complaints is actually right!
Data Usage: Complaint data is transparent and shared with trustees, allowing for benchmarking and industry-wide improvement.
Rising Member Expectations: Members now expect higher service standards from funds, paralleling experiences in other industries.
Clarity in Correspondence: Superannuation communications need to be clear, tailored, and actionable to prevent confusion and reduce complaints.

Guest: Heather Gray

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Your Cohosts

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.