"A real highlight of our Five Pillars experience has been Jason's presentations of relevant financial planning strategies for us"

C & L W

Finance Manager, Oyster Bay

"Five Pillars Financial Planning has provided us with direction and purpose in trying to achieve our financial goals. Their strategies have created real growth in our finances, and the clarity and professionalism of their advice has made our wealth creation pathway easy to understand. And all done in a friendly and co-operative manner which makes life a lot easier for us!"

EK

Architect, Hornsby Heights

“We decided that we needed to get advice on how to better develop our retirement plans and make smarter use of the legislation to enhance our superannuation benefits. We selected Five Pillars for this advice because they were looking after a number of senior managers at my work who were happy with their advice and the results being achieved."

JM

Engineer, Drummoyne

“I found Five Pillars at a time when I did not have a plan, I did not have an advisor and I did not understand what my choices were to look after myself financially. Jason and the team were very, very helpful. They gave me clear options of what I could do then and that ultimately there would come a time when life would get easier. Now 5 years later I am confident that I have a plan that works for me, I have advisors I trust and financial investments which mean I will be able to look after myself when I stop working. It did not happen overnight. It happened with consistent sound guidance. I am very grateful to Five Pillars for their services and professional integrity which allows me to trust them and their advice.”

LC

General Manager, Darlinghurst

“With Five Pillars we have a plan to actually achieve our goals instead of just dreaming about them. Their in depth goal setting and fact finding process clarified our goals precisely, and that meant that our plan was built with a clear path towards accomplishment.”

MC

General Manager, Mortlake

Fabulous Customer Service

I was reliving the experience of my Financial Planners at Five Pillars Financial Planning to Sarah, when she suggest that I should blog about it.

You see I’ve been plagued by the worst possible customer service from several industries and suppliers lately that I reflected on what GOOD (or fabulous) customer service actually looks like. I only meet with my planners when I really need to – so it’s not like I’m there every month, a bit like my telecommunications provider, but the difference is outstanding.

I rang Five Pillars to make a tax appointment. The lovely Lisa on reception books me in, confirms the details by email AND phones me the day prior as a polite reminder. I turn up as expected, Lisa sees me from the elevator and opens the door for me, coupled with enormous cuddles for little Angelique accompanying me.

There I see my name on the entrance board welcoming me today (along with the other clients attending the office that day). Lisa then checks to see if I need security parking in her building rather than parking on the street (which has over 100 spaces available, right in front of the train station).

Next, Lisa offers me my favourite refreshments which she clearly has on her CRM system as she doesn’t need to ask if I have milk or sugar or if I’d prefer tea or coffee. She knows I’m diabetic and doesn’t add the temptation of a complimentary almond cookie with my tea.

Lisa offers to play with Angelique while I’m having my tax meeting. Not only does she offer, but she emailed me the day prior to ask if she should prepare some toys in the office to keep the baby entertained.

Angelique screamed her head off after splitting her lip on an office chair, no-one over-reacted and she calmed down almost immediately – but provided tissues to soak her tears, offered chocolates to bribe her into submission and gave me 5 minutes of cuddling her before we finished our meeting.

THAT’s what I call fabulous customer service. It’s the small things that people do that make you feel special. They solve your problems, make life a little bit easier and damn it, they take responsibility for their actions, follow through and make the journey a pleasant one. It’s Lisa the receptionist that did all of that for me and she continues to do that with every contact we have.
Considering I pay my telecommunications provider approximately half of what I pay my financial planners, I question if I should be accepting half of the service. Then again, all service providers need to keep their customers to stay in business, so shouldn’t keeping the customer happy actually be a priority?

I love the way Five Pillars treats me and that’s the reason I’ll stay with them. Sure they are a little more expensive than other planners, but that’s not why I went with them. If that’s the attention to detail they are paying to my tea & coffee preferences, I’m delighted to know that it’s the same level of attention they are applying to my financial affairs.

Keep it up Five Pillars, it’s a new benchmark you’ve set for me. Watch out telecommunications provider, you’ve got a shortened amount of time before I cancel 5 separate contracts with you.
If you’ve experienced fabulous customer service, can you please comment about it because I really need to renew my faith that some industries actually DO care.

VB

Business Director, Castle Hill