The Role of the Customer Advocate
Rabobank is committed to ensuring fair outcomes and continuous improvements to the customer experience.
The Customer Advocate is here to be your voice at Rabobank and make sure you’re heard, understood and treated fairly. In addition the Customer Advocate will listen to Rabobank’s customers and provide a customer-centric voice when making recommendations to improve customer experience.
Whilst employed by Rabobank, the Customer Advocate is independent and the role is separate to Rabobank’s operating, risk and support groups including its internal dispute resolution teams, The Customer Advocate reports directly to the Group Executive, Chief Compliance Officer Region Australia, New Zealand and focus on
- identifying opportunities to improve the Rabobank’s products, services, systems and processes;
- helping Rabobank make better decisions through the use of data, insights and providing different perspectives; and
- minimising the risk of future problems by reviewing key customer themes.
Rabobank has appointed Michelle Metham as the Customer Advocate.
How to get help if you have a complaint
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Customer Advocate. The Customer Advocate will undertake an independent review of the outcome of your complaint and will keep you informed of the progress. The Customer Advocate will aim to provide you with a decision as quickly as possible.
If you ask the Customer Advocate to conduct a review of your complaint and you are still unsatisfied, you can still contact an external dispute resolution scheme. You also have the right to contact an external dispute resolution scheme, rather than refer your complaint to the Customer Advocate. Please be aware that time limits may apply to complain to AFCA and so you should act promptly or otherwise consult the AFCA website to find out if or when the time limit relevant to your circumstances expires.
However, if you raise your complaint with an external dispute resolution scheme before contacting the Customer Advocate it cannot be reviewed by the Customer Advocate.
How to contact the Customer Advocate
You can contact the Customer Advocate directly by sending an email to: customer.advocate@rabobank.com for an independent review.
External Dispute Resolution
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) provides independent dispute resolution handling complaints about financial services which is free for you. To contact the AFCA directly, call 1800 931 678, email info@afca.org.au or visit www.afca.org.au/. For financial services disputes or complaints visit www.afca.org.au/. This link will open in a new window.
AFCA provides a free and independent service to resolve complaints by consumers and small businesses about financial services firms where that complaint falls within AFCA’s terms of reference. Decisions made by AFCA are binding on Rabobank. However, time limits may apply to complaints to AFCA so you should act promptly or consult the AFCA website to find out if or when the time limit relevant to your circumstances expires. For more information, please refer to AFCA’s brochure ‘How to Resolve your Dispute’ from AFCA website or request a copy of this brochure from one of our staff members.
If your complaint is about the processing of your personal data by Rabobank, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), by visiting their website on www.oaic.gov.au, sending an email to enquiries@oaic.gov.au or phoning 1300 363 992.
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