Genuine support: How Annie Brett is driving our purpose through customer obsession at Great Southern Bank
Annie Brett’s career journey took her from a high-powered corporate environment to a role that ignited her purpose: putting people first. As Head of our Customer Contact Centre, she’s leading the way by inspiring our teams and driving our purpose - for all Australians to own their own homes. Read on to learn how Annie is motivated by this people-first approach.
Forever customer-obsessed
Annie Brett has built a fulfilling career spanning more than 20 years in the finance industry. Over that time, one thing hasn’t changed: her dedication to supporting customers.
“I’m a big believer in that no matter what my title is, my job is to take care of people and provide genuine support to our customers,” says Annie.
Annie’s dedication to helping others has fueled her impressive rise at Great Southern Bank. Since joining us in 2019, her passion has been evident in her roles as Credit Services Manager, Senior Manager of Financial Assistance (Collections and Recoveries), and now as Head of Customer Contact Centre.
In all her roles, Annie champions initiatives that foster meaningful change and better outcomes for our customers. This customer-obsessed approach ensures that each and every customer receives a personalised experience.
We don't have a one-size-fits-all solution,” says Annie. ”Every opportunity and every service we offer to a customer has to be in their best interest.”
Currently based in our Melbourne office, Annie is as motivated as ever to improve our services and provide high-quality personalised solutions to meet our customers’ needs.
“I think because we’re a customer-owned bank, we have a different lens in the way we approach customers and customer service. Our job isn’t just to help customers access funds and open accounts; it’s about providing a holistic service that assists everyone, no matter what they are going through in their lives.”
People first
If you ask anyone at Great Southern Bank, they’ll tell you our purpose is the biggest driver for our team members. By supporting her team, Annie ensures we can provide vital support to all customers, especially those who may be struggling to stay in their homes.
By partnering with Uniting Care, one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit social service providers, we connect customers experiencing financial hardship with professionals in their field.
“This service is intrinsically connected to our purpose of helping Australians own their own homes,” Annie says fervently. “By providing access to counsellors, financial experts or councillors and medical assistants, we’ve got all the tools in the toolkit to help our customers stay in their homes.”
By leading from the front, Annie’s enthusiasm for customers is contagious. The positive ripple effect this creates is evident in her Customer Contact Centre team and their approach to work.
“It sounds clichéd, but I really am a people person,” says Annie. “I don't work from home. I always come into the office because of the energy and the genuine love for my team. My job is to take care of them so they can genuinely support our customers.”
It’s that great love for her team, her role, her customers and her bank that means Annie is a firm believer in the adage:
“Find a role that you're passionate about and you'll never work a day in your life.”