One of the most important mantras in modern business can be encapsulated in a simple acronym – CX.

CX, or customer experience, is one of the defining benchmarks to ensure a company’s success over its competitors. As McKinsey puts it, ‘CX refers to everything an organisation does to deliver superior experiences, value and growth for customers. And it’s crucial in an age when how a business delivers for its customers is just as important as – if not more important than – the products and services it provides’.

For the JSE, the customers come first with JSE Investor Services (JIS), a wholly owned division of the JSE Group. JIS is a share registry, custody and investor services provider, maintaining the registers of companies with more than 2.5 million shareholder records under management and it provides various services and support to shareholders. It is responsible for 84 registers and 111 share plans, among them the top shares on the market.

‘JIS works to facilitate effective communication and transparency between listed companies and their shareholders, providing resources, platforms and initiatives to enhance investor relations and engagements,’ says Shadon Moodley, Executive: Shareholder Services at JIS. According to Moodley, JIS has several platforms, such as ShareHub, for investors to access account information. ‘We collaborate with regulatory bodies to enforce investor protection measures and promote fair market practices. Our platforms offer real-time data, in terms of account management and shares acquired.’ He adds that the company employs various means of communication for investor support such as email, WhatsApp and SMS communication, while the ShareHub online platform may be used as a convenient way to access educational material surrounding shares and update personal contact details

‘In addition, JIS extends its support and assistance to shareholders through its walk-in centre at the JSE offices in One Exchange Square, Gwen Lane, in Sandown, Johannesburg, where shareholders are met with a warm and inviting atmosphere by our consultants, Tiffany Francis and Lerato Dibakwane. With our diversity in all 11 official languages, any and all investors’ queries are addressed, while also offering guidance on processes and resolving issues related to account management. The JIS walk-in centre is open from 8 am to 4 pm daily to meet shareholders’ needs and to assist in anyway it can to make the shareholder’s journey pleasant and long-standing.’

Moodley says the walk-in centre was established to create a face-to-face experience for customers – something that has been given fresh emphasis following the isolating of the COVID years. ‘Shareholders love the idea of the walk-in centre as it gives the feeling of human connection and interaction.’

That said, the latest technology is being utilised by JIS, too, as the plan is to introduce a self-help desk to facilitate interaction. ‘JIS serves to create an amiable engagement with shareholders. Shareholders can connect for convenient voting, and access online portals for trading and information, among others,’ says Moodley. ‘There is something for everyone. Our share accounts have no age limits. Any share that is listed on the JSE can be purchased through our channels and receive effective allocation according to the investor’s request. Investors may acquire shares from anywhere in the world and stay connected with JIS.’

By Patrick Farrell
Image: Gallo/Getty Images