You work for NATWHICHPAC BANK. Alex Kopf is a graphic designer, who worked for an advertising company before she was made redundant in June 2009. She approached your firm in September 2009 as a first home buyer, with a $20,376 deposit and the dream of owning her own studio apartment. At the time she was freelancing on small and intermittent projects as she was still adjusting to being self-employed.

As far as you can remember, Alex was a pleasure to deal with during the application process. She was clear about her financial requirements, committed to her financial objectives and utterly transparent when it came to her financial position. Unfortunately, Alexs preliminary assessment failed on the basis of her inconsistent and unreliable income. She was deemed to have inadequate funds and an inadequate buffer between her disposable income and the amount of the proposed repayments. On this basis, the bank declined to provide Alex with credit assistance.

Out of the blue, Alex contacts you to request a copy of her preliminary credit assessment. You check her file and, once again, you decline to assist on the grounds that the bank did not provide Alex with any credit assistance. By way of explanation, you quote the banks policy:

We must provide you with a copy of our preliminary credit assessment of your application if you ask within seven (7) years of when we assist you. We are only required to give you a copy of the preliminary credit assessment if we give you credit assistance.

Alex does not take kindly to your response. She highlights that she is well within the official time limit and that she is merely requesting access to information that concerns her. Regardless of the policy and the meanspirited control freaks who wrote it, she maintains a moral right to access her own credit assessment. After using a string of choice phrases to describe the policy and its makers, she informs you that she intends to escalate her complaint.

You encourage her to explore her options and to use the complaints resolution procedures that were included in her information pack. She mutters to herself that you have never helped her in the past and that it is nave to think that you would start doing so now. Angered by her past experiences, she snaps back that only someone with a pathological hoarding problem would hold onto procedural literature relating to an application that was rejected.

Activities:

1. Explain to Alex the standard procedures for resolving complaints internally and externally. Point out why the details are included in the client information packs and how she can access information on the complaints resolution process.
2. Which industry regulations and codes of practice would you have to interpret and comply with in relation to this complaint? Explain?