Deutsche AM covers and services different type of clients and investors. Approximately 1.5 million end client accounts are serviced on our proprietary fund platform (IKS). These clients are serviced via telephone and e-mail by the Service Center (organizationally Germany Retail). However, the majority of Deutsche AM business is sourced by retail distribution partners such as commercial and private banks, independent financial advisors, and asset managers, as well as institutional clients such as corporates, insurance, and pension companies.
Client Service (Service Center)
For the Service Center, a dedicated client satisfaction survey is conducted on an annual basis. Our motto is to offer our customers and sales partners the best service at all times in an ever-changing world. A significant aspect of this customer-centricity is the annual quality surveys in the end customer segment and with our sales partners. Emphasis is placed on the perceived service quality, professionalism, and transparency of our service processes, among other things. The comprehensive approach ensures that customer feedback continuously flows directly into our quality assurance and optimization measures. In doing so, we respond quickly, deploying our innovative strength as a service for our customers and sales partners.
Institutional Clients
For institutional clients and investors, a client satisfaction survey was conducted by TELOS for 2017 (as of October 2017). The 2017 TELOS study is a client satisfaction survey for institutional clients in Germany on their mandated asset managers. In the context of the survey, 300 institutional investors such as insurance and corporates were interviewed. The results for Deutsche AM in the category Large national and international asset managers confirm, in comparison to the peer group, high standards in terms of client satisfaction. Deutsche AM outperformed the peer group in nine out of twelve categories.
Deutsche AM achieved very strong results especially in price/quality ratio, product offering, advise quality, reporting and market expertise. In the category price/quality ratio Deutsche AM even achieved the best results in the entire peer group. However, in the risk management category, clients saw a weakness. The Deutsche AM result was below average among peer group competitors. In 2018, Deutsche AM will focus on emphasizing towards clients our state-of-the-art risk management process.
Deutsche AM also received a strong rating in the summarizing question of the survey related to general client loyalty:
- if investors would recommend Deutsche AM to other investors,
- if they intend to stay with Deutsche AM, and
- if they would select Deutsche AM as asset manager again.
Distribution Partners
The Deutsche Fondspreis 2018, Category Service, the most important and respected client satisfaction survey for retail distribution channels (banks, IFAs etc.) in Germany, is conducted annually by FONDS professionell. Within the survey, 5,504 financial advisors and professionals were asked via a reader survey to rate the retail distribution channels in six different categories with grades from 1 to 5.
The channels were, for example, analyzed in their basic qualities, which are defined as their image as well as the performance of their products. In addition, they were rated in the categories internal- and regional sales and in their internet and marketing appearance.
Within the annual FONDS professionell KONGRESS in Mannheim, Germany, on January 24-25, 2018, the so-called Serviceaward was given to the best performing retail distribution channels. Deutsche AM finished second, with top ratings and votings in all categories. In addition, Deutsche AM even managed to improve on its excellent ratings from 2017.
For the next year, it is our goal as Deutsche AM to further improve our client satisfaction through client-centered and simple solutions.