Complaint Handling Scripts
Complaint Handling Scripts for Financial Advisors
When a client calls upset about losses, fees, or a missed trade, your words matter as much as your portfolio work. These scripts help you stay calm, stay compliant, and protect trust—especially during volatile markets when calls spike and every minute counts.
1) Initial Complaint: “My account is down—what did you do?”
Use when a client calls emotional during a market drop and you need to de-escalate fast.
“I hear how stressful this feels, and I’m glad you called me. Before we get into details, are you in a safe place to talk for a few minutes? I want to understand exactly what you’re seeing—can you tell me the account name and the date range you’re looking at? I’m going to pull up your performance report and the last notes from our plan review. We’ll walk through what happened, what we agreed to in your risk level, and what options you have today. If we need more time, I’ll book a 20-minute review call so we can cover it carefully.”
Tips for this scenario
- -Ask what screen they’re looking at (custodian portal, app, 1-day vs YTD) because many complaints start from viewing the wrong time period.
- -Use “risk level we agreed to” and “your financial plan” to anchor the conversation in suitability, not predictions.
- -If they’re panicking, offer a same-day 15–20 minute slot to prevent an impulsive sell-off.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
!Talking performance first instead of emotions first (clients need to feel heard before they can hear numbers).
!Saying “I’m sorry I did that” when you don’t know the facts—apologize for the experience, not liability.
!Explaining fees with vague value statements instead of listing what you actually did (rebalancing, plan updates, tax review).
!Accepting trade instructions casually without following your authorization workflow (written confirmation/recorded line/custodian process).
!Failing to document and summarize: no call notes, no recap email, no stated next step date—this creates repeat complaints.
