Westlake Portfolio Management — Customer Service Playbook

Contents

1 Westlake Portfolio Management — Customer Service Playbook

This document explains professional, practical customer service design and operations for a firm operating under the Westlake Portfolio Management name or a comparable registered investment adviser (RIA) managing retail and institutional portfolios. It focuses on measurable expectations, staffing, compliance, technology and escalation paths. The guidance is intended for directors, operations managers, compliance officers and client-service teams who must deliver consistent, auditable, and scalable service across phone, portal and advisor-assisted channels.

The prescriptions below reflect industry norms and regulatory constraints as of 2025: target service-level agreements (SLAs), record-retention windows, security baselines (TLS 1.2+/AES-256), and regular third-party assurance (SOC 2 Type II / annual penetration testing). Where exact contact formats or numerical targets are provided they are offered as standards to implement or adapt; treat sample contact templates as configurable placeholders for corporate directories.

Organizational structure and staffing

For a boutique-to-mid-size RIA with AUM between $500M and $2B, typical client-service staffing is 1 client-service representative (CSR) per 250–350 household relationships, or 1 CSR per $50M–$70M AUM when clients are high-touch. Larger institutional desks require a lower ratio (1 CSR per $150M AUM) because interactions are less frequent but higher impact. Day-to-day shifts should cover 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET to serve both west- and east-coast clients; weekend coverage can be limited to digital triage with guaranteed responses within 24 hours.

Operational roles should include: (1) Tier-1 client service (CSRs) handling routine transactions, reporting and basic reconciliations; (2) Tier-2 specialists for trading inquiries, tax-lot questions, and fee disputes; (3) a dedicated Client Success Manager for top 20% revenue-generating relationships; and (4) an Escalation & Compliance Liaison who owns regulatory reporting and internal audits. Cross-training is essential: each CSR should be able to complete 80% of common tasks without escalation to maintain a first-contact-resolution target.

Operational metrics, SLAs and KPIs

Define measurable SLAs at onboarding and publish them internally and in client-facing documentation. Recommended baseline KPIs for Westlake Portfolio Management-style operations are:

Response time: 95% of inbound calls answered within 30 seconds; voicemail callbacks within 2 business hours.

First Contact Resolution (FCR): target 75%–85% for routine inquiries; >90% for advisor-assisted interactions.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): target quarterly CSAT ≥85%; Net Promoter Score (NPS) target 30–50 for wealth-management clients.

Average Handling Time (AHT): 6–12 minutes per call depending on complexity; digital chat target 4–8 minutes active handling.

Ticket resolution: 80% of tickets closed within 5 business days; complex escalations resolved within 30 calendar days with interim status every 5 business days.

Track these KPIs weekly and report them monthly to the COO and Chief Compliance Officer. Use trend analysis to identify root causes of dips (staffing gaps, platform outages, onboarding spikes) and commit to corrective action plans with time-bound owners.

Channels, technology and integrations

A robust omnichannel setup includes phone (VoIP with call recording), secure client portal (document exchange + e-signature), email case-management tied to CRM, and an in-app messaging or live-chat option. CRM should be the single source of truth; configure it to store interaction transcripts, documented consents, and copies of trade confirmations. Integrate portfolio accounting (e.g., Orion, Black Diamond) with CRM to allow CSRs to access positions, performance and billing without separate logins.

Minimum-security tech stack: TLS 1.2+, MFA for all staff, AES-256 encryption at rest, role-based access control. SOC 2 Type II attestation annually; external penetration test at least every 12 months.

Suggested tooling examples and approximate guidance: a financial-focused CRM (Financial Services Cloud or equivalent), portfolio accounting with API access, ticketing system (Zendesk/Jira Service Management), and an encrypted client portal with e-signing. Budgeting: expect $50–$300 per user per month for enterprise-grade SaaS licensing depending on modules and support.

Automate routine items: daily statements, scheduled tax documents, fee invoices, and custodial reconciliations. Implement read-receipts and audit logs for document delivery; for critical notices also require acknowledgement via portal or recorded phone confirmation within prescribed timelines.

Compliance, privacy and record retention

RIAs must align customer service practices with SEC and state regulations. Key retention rules to embed in the service model: maintain client communications and material records for at least 5 years (SEC Rule 204-2) with the first 2 years available at the principal office. If operating as a broker-dealer or handling brokerage functions, be aware of Rule 17a-4 which requires 6 years of certain records. Keep an immutable, time-stamped audit trail for any regulatory examination.

Privacy and data security policies must map to applicable laws: FINRA guidance (if applicable), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for nonpublic personal information, CCPA for California residents and GDPR for EU clients. Require MFA for clients accessing account-level data; encrypt PII in transit and at rest; limit on-screen exposure of account numbers to last 4 digits in ordinary interfaces. Conduct privacy impact assessments for any third-party integration and document vendor SOC reports.

Client onboarding, escalation and practical workflows

Design onboarding as a 5-step workflow with published timelines: (1) KYC & suitability collection (expected completion 3 business days), (2) account setup and funding (3–7 business days depending on custodian), (3) allocation and initial trade execution (within 2 business days after funding), (4) first performance reporting (30 days), and (5) client training on portal and communications preferences (within 7 days). For high-net-worth clients or institutional accounts, expect enhanced due diligence and extended timelines; flag deposits >$100,000 for AML review.

Escalation matrix example (template): CSR → Tier-2 Specialist (24-hour SLA) → Client Success Manager (48-hour SLA) → Head of Operations (72-hour SLA) → Chief Compliance Officer (5 business days). For any suspected fraud or unauthorized trading, immediately suspend online access, notify custodian and file internal incident report within 1 business day; regulatory notifications should follow counsel guidance and firm policy.

Example client-contact templates (sample placeholders)

Use standardized contact formats in client communications and on the website. Example template (replace with firm data): Phone: (555) 800-4000; Secure portal: https://portal.westlakeportfolio.com; Main HQ (example): 100 Westlake Ave., Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98109. These should be customized and verified in your corporate stationery and emergency contact sheets.

Maintain a published service charter on your website that lists SLAs, hours of operation, escalation steps and contacts for compliance inquiries. Keep the charter up to date and require signatures from key stakeholders (COO, CCO, Head of Client Services) when any SLA or process changes are made.