Marlborough, MA, Dec. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Financial intermediaries, most notably financial advisors and their staff, play a central and crucial role in the financial services industry. Indeed, with many investors relying entirely on the advisor’s office to transact on their behalf, the quality of service those professionals receive when reaching out to providers is a critical piece of the overall customer experience.
Each year DALBAR recognizes those providers which stand out amongst their peers in the quality of telephone service and support being delivered post-sale to financial professionals with the Financial Intermediary Service Award. For 2018 the following companies have earned this distinction:
- BlackRock
- Goldman Sachs
- MFS
- Pacific Life
- Park Avenue Securities
“By providing effective and efficient support to financial advisors, these firms free up resources within the advisor’s office to focus more on the client, assessing their needs, building the relationship and finding the solutions that are most appropriate,” explains DALBAR Director Brendan Yeager. “Anticipating questions and making sure that the advisor is aware of all relevant information translates directly to a more informed end customer and ensures that they are receiving the best service possible.”
In 2018 Park Avenue Securities became the first brokerage firm to earn the Financial Intermediary Service Award. “Considering how central the brokerage firm is to the advisor and the frequency with which they interact, the importance of a best-in-class advisor experience is magnified,” Mr. Yeager elaborated. “Park Avenue Securities really recognizes this and has made the advisor’s service experience a key component of their value proposition.”
The Financial Intermediary Service Award can only be earned after companies undergo a thorough year-long audit of their telephone service. In order to qualify for the Award, companies must exceed stringent benchmarks in criteria covering all aspects of their interactions. These criteria include both the interpersonal aspects of the relationship as well as their ability to keep the advisor fully informed and address the important transactional aspects of the request.
DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community’s leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of a superior standard of care in the financial community.
For more information about DALBAR, the Financial Intermediary Service Award or about DALBAR's other Customer Experience Audit programs, please visit www.dalbar.com or contact Brooke Halloran at 617-624-7273 or bhalloran@dalbar.com.
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