Recently, an article was published regarding the experience of CFA Australia CEO Dr. Scott Hollier at an ANZ branch. The incident related to Dr. Hollier and his daughter attempting to change a child bank account to an adult one, which required attendance at a branch. This led to alleged inappropriate and discriminatory actions by ANZ branch staff.
Although the experience was difficult, Dr. Hollier has received some encouraging signs that ANZ is taking action to address the issues that led to his poor treatment by the branch staff. The day after the incident, the ANZ complaints team reached out to Dr. Hollier, providing an unreserved apology and pledging to provide ANZ staff at the Cloverdale branch with disability training to ensure such treatment does not occur again. This was confirmed in a second phone call a day later by the ANZ regional manager for the area, who indicated that the manager was calling from the Cloverdale branch after completing processes to ensure improvements in supporting customers with disability were made.
Dr. Hollier welcomes the commitment made by ANZ, stating, “While the experience was difficult for both my daughter and me, it’s encouraging that the complaints process has resulted in a pledge for real and practical change. To support this change, I’d encourage people with disability to visit the ANZ Cloverdale branch and see firsthand the improvements that have been made and provide consumer feedback on the experience.”
The original article has also received support on social media, and Dr. Hollier has thanked people online who have supported his quest for change. “When the ANZ branch manager invited me to complain on social media, I thought it was important to do so. The support from other people with disability and advocates was fantastic, and it demonstrated just how important it is for these issues to be raised when they happen.”
Dr. Hollier has now successfully resolved the issues, and his daughter has received the account related to his original request.