Great Southern Bank

The significance of saying goodbye to moving boxes. It's a pain point for those who rent - alongside the process and expense of moving itself - the buying, packing, unpacking and storage of moving boxes. To be able to say goodbye to them for good after unpacking for the final time is a milestone goal for many Australians. Like our customers Rhiannon and Alex who recently moved into their first home with the help of our Toowoomba team. “Having to periodically pack up and move between rental properties was a key driver of Rhiannon and Alex’s goal [of home ownership]. We were happy to help them say goodbye to their moving boxes for good and hello to home ownership just outside of Toowoomba earlier this year,” says Branch Manager Haylie Goulding.   Our No Place Like Home research revealed that renters are three times more likely to be expecting to move home in the next two years, and 41% of long-term renters who have moved in the last two years say it was because of cost of living or housing affordability. We know housing stability is important, that’s why we're delivering on our purpose of helping more Australians to own their own home. Read more about Rhiannon and Alex’s story in the full No Place Like Home report here: https://lnkd.in/eBmazg7M #HomeOwnership #NoPlaceLikeHome #Research #FirstHomeBuyers

“Comedy is an outlet for me to process and understand my own emotions” This month’s Human of Great Southern Bank is Stuart Foreman. Stuart is an Operations Officer who works on releasing securities and paying out loans. His role is essential to our bank achieving its purpose of helping all Australians own their own home. Stuart’s favourite value is Genuine, and we think this sums him up perfectly. “When you’re true to yourself you not only trust the judgements and decisions you make, but others trust you as well." An Operations Officer by day, Stuart moonlights as a stand-up comedian, after being convinced by a friend to revisit his passion. “I’m a storyteller at heart and love the opportunity to connect with audiences about all the ridiculous things I do in my life,” he said. To coincide with R U OK? Day, we asked Stuart what he does to stay mentally healthy. “Talking about mental health on stage is therapeutic for me. As is being able to share a laugh with the audience and create some light." What do you do to stay mentally healthy? #HumansofGreatSouthernBank #RUOKDAY

How do we genuinely help our customers?       Delivering on our purpose of helping Australians own their own homes is not just about the homebuying journey. We are committed to supporting our customers through good times and bad, including during their times of need. Whether they are facing significant medical bills, have been impacted by a natural disaster, have had an unexpected death in the family, or they require emergency assistance, our Financial Assistance team is ready to offer support.       In the last 12 months, our Financial Assistance team has helped over 4200 customers experiencing vulnerability, with 113 customers accepting referrals to CareRing, a community services program by our partner Uniting Vic.Tas.      CareRing provide free, independent financial advice and essential service support spanning employment, disability and housing. When our team identifies that a customer may benefit from additional assistance, they support them with a referral to CareRing - who then ensure the customer has access to the appropriate services with follow up support.      Senior Manager of our Financial Assistance team, Kylie Olsen, says genuinely helping customers is about appreciating their whole story.      “As a bank we’re in an important and privileged position to support those who are experiencing vulnerability, especially with our connections to community care organisations. When our customers come to us and share their stories, we’re not just talking to them about money, we’re making sure they’re connected to services that can support their physical and mental wellbeing.”         Our team does a lot of work behind the scenes to help customers who are experiencing vulnerability - learn more in the images below and in this blog: https://lnkd.in/er_Mjdr7.      This week we acknowledge R U OK? Day. Our team connects meaningfully with our customers every day, often having conversations that change lives. Learn how to ask RUOK?: https://www.ruok.org.au/

Can you construct a credit model? But first...What’s a credit model? Broadly speaking, it's a way to make sure we’ve got all the information to lend responsibly to our customers. Credit models are vital to keeping our bank sustainable, and helping us achieve our purpose of helping all Australians own their own home. Building bespoke models for credit decisions isn't in everyone's wheelhouse, but it is in Senior Credit Strategy Manager Daniel Lee's. In fact, his expertise and efforts in constructing and refining the models and data used for our Small Business Banking offering landed him a 2024 Values Award for his impact. With a focus on quality and compliance Daniel also took the initiative to develop a data exchange protocol and key data dashboards while working collaboratively with our partners to resolve challenges. All of which played a significant role in ensuring the successful launch of Business+ (https://lnkd.in/gQiNVdyd). It was no mean feat but Daniel humbly says he loves being able to "Make a positive impact and achieve major milestones along the way." His knack for critical analysis extends out of the office to his skill in solving a Rubik's cube in five minutes, and his action-oriented approach stems from his favourite quote, 'There is no failure - you either win or you learn.' This one was definitely a win Daniel! Thank you for all of your efforts and ensuring your eagle eye is across all things credit for the Small Business Banking team. #Recognition #ValuesAwards #SmallBusinessBanking #Credit #Compliance Steve Adam

What would a million dollars do for your home ownership dream? If you're familiar with our bank you'll know that our purpose is to help all Australians own their own home. Our recent Million Dollar Moment promotion brought this to life, with four lucky Australians getting the chance to win one million dollars towards their homeownership dream.    Head of Marketing Deborah Woodford said that the promotion highlighted just how serious we are about helping Australians into their own homes.   “This promotion was launched alongside our four-year partnership extension announcement with Carlton Football Club. It became a real focal point for our brand. "While the million-dollar prize wasn't won this time, the finalists walked away with $10,000 each to continue to support them on their home ownership journey, and as a bank we were able to demonstrate, in a very unique and innovative way, our brand's purpose and how dedicated we are to helping Australians into their own homes." This promotion wouldn’t have been possible without partnership and collaboration with the fantastic MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia, Greenroom Digital, dentsu, Richards Rose, Carlton Football Club, Dylan Buckley, Ash Aidone, Alicia Lloyd, Darcy McGuire - thank you for your contributions! Need a feel-good Friday moment? Watch the video below. #HomeOwnership #CustomerOwned #PurposeLed #FirstHomeBuyers

Australians are seeing the challenge of the current financial environment as a setback rather than a stop sign. The third and latest instalment of our No Place Like Home research report indicates that instead of giving up on their financial plans Australians are shifting their goals and timelines, with a focus on making clever financial decisions in the current economic climate to still be able to achieve paying off their mortgage. Our Chief Customer Officer Megan Keleher shares her thoughts and several insights from the report below ⬇ How confident are you feeling about your long-term financial plans? Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gBfZ3bDP #HomeOwnership #NoPlaceLikeHome #Research #CustomerOwned

We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Anderson as a new Non-Executive Director of our bank. Kim has more than 30 years’ experience as a CEO and senior executive at organisations including Southern Star Entertainment and ninemsn, and is currently a Director at CAR Group Ltd, Siteminder Ltd, Infotainment and the Sax Institute.   Kim’s fresh perspectives and insights will help guide our customer-owned bank as we continue to offer a great banking alternative to customers. Find out more about our Board: https://lnkd.in/gFWb3TQ4   #Board #OurPeople #WomenInLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership

What's one of the most important bridges between a bank and its customers? Our bank is connected to our customers by relationships. One of the most important? The one between our Broker Development Managers (BDM) and our network of brokers. Like that of Senior Broker Development Manager Simon Naidu and broker Pratyush Bhandoria from Kian Solutions who have built an exceptional relationship with customer experience at the centre of their interactions. Celebrating a 2024 Australian Broker 5-Star BDM award and a recent nomination for AFG's non-major bank BDM of the year, it's clear Simon's approach to building broker knowledge and confidence is having an impact. When we asked Pratyush, he said Simon's expertise and ability to navigate complex situations have been crucial in securing the best outcomes for his clients, who in turn become Great Southern Bank customers. "Working with Simon and the Great Southern Bank team has been an outstanding experience. Simon's expertise, accessibility, and commitment to excellence have consistently added value to my business. His proactive approach and reliable support have made a significant positive impact on my clients and their mortgage needs," Pratyush says. Simon says Pratyush’s passion for helping his clients navigate their journey to homeownership is a big reason for their successful outcomes for customers. “Pratyush is passionate about what he does. He seeks to be efficient and provide outcomes in a timely manner while working within the responsible lending framework, so that's always front of mind for how we work together. One of the things I really enjoy about working with Pratyush is that he is genuinely aligned to our purpose of helping all Australians own their own home. We often talk about how we can make processes easier and help more people in their homeownership journey,” says Simon. Pratyush’s client Alok said his recent property purchase experience with our bank has been memorable for all the right reasons. "Pratyush included Great Southern Bank in my shortlist, and I experienced why. The interest rates were competitive, and it was an effortless process. I really appreciated a welcome call from the branch team too. It was nice to connect to a real (and very polite) human and be offered help with managing my home loan and the different products available to me." Congratulations on your recent award acknowledgements Simon, and thank you for sharing your experience with us Pratyush! With more than 70% of home loans coming from brokers, we know the relationship and support between BDMs and brokers is critical - do you agree? #Brokers #MortgageBroker #HomeOwnership #CustomerOwned #CustomerObsession

"Every call is an opportunity to make a positive impact" What drives this month's CX Superstar? Making a difference in someone's day, even if it's small. Contact Centre Specialist Melinda Win has an appreciation for the diversity of conversations she has each day, and loves the chance to connect with people from all walks of life. Not surprisingly that appreciation is regularly reflected back in outstanding compliments from her customers. "Each customer brings their own unique perspective and needs, and I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to best assist them. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood, so taking the time to really listen can make a big difference. Patience is also crucial—sometimes the solution isn’t immediate, but showing that you’re committed to helping them find it goes a long way," Melinda says. Melinda is known for walking customers through their challenges with simple and effective explanations and tips. Recently she supported a new customer who was feeling overwhelmed regarding their banking. "I walked the customer through all of our products, explained how to use our online banking services, and answered every question they had. By the end of the conversation, they felt confident and well-informed. They expressed how much they appreciated the comprehensive support, and I could tell that it left them with a great impression of our bank. It was incredibly satisfying to know that I played a role in creating a positive start to their relationship with Great Southern Bank.” When it comes to small but meaningful impact, we think that's a fantastic example – especially as we know how important it is to share knowledge to enhance financial literacy. Thank you for the positivity and customer obsession you bring to the team everyday Melinda! #CXSuperstar #CustomerObsession #Banking #Finance  Peter Jasmine Annie

Using compliance powers to protect. Senior Manager of Process and Business Controls Andrew Barnes used his intellect, care, passion and drive to do something extraordinary. That's what our Chief Operation Officer Naushad Ahmed shared as he acknowledged Andrew for his 2024 Values Award win recently. That extraordinary thing? Coordinating a Power Of Attorney (PoA) uplift to better protect our most vulnerable customers - and it quickly led to saving one customer nearly $250,000 of their life savings. Orchestrating, managing and delivering the uplift, including developing training sessions and extensive support materials, meant Andrew collaborated across divisions and translated technical compliance information into easily digestible formats. He did it with his distinctly genuine professionalism and respect that is sought-after by leaders and his peers across our bank. He says knowing his work has an impact on our customers is one of his favourite things about his role. "I love having the opportunity to ensure we deliver the best customer experience while meeting our commitments and obligations. It's a complex and evolving landscape, and knowing that our efforts significantly impact our customers' journeys keeps me motivated and passionate about my work," says Andrew. Andrew's passion for being part of a journey extends to his role as a father. "I'm a dad to a wild and curious 17-month old. The adventures are never ending so our weekends are usually filled with parks, animal encounters and time with friends. I also love sneaking in a nice dinner with my partner here and there." Congratulations and thank you for being part of how we deliver on our promises to our customers Andrew! #Recognition #CustomerObsession #ValuesAwards #Genuine Samantha