Company: Pineapple Tech PTY LTD
Industry: InsurTech, Financial Services & Short-Term Insurance
Location: Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Work Model: Full-Time, On-Site
Opportunity Type: Mid-Level Professional
Posted Date: 8 July 2026
Closing Date: Immediate / Ongoing Screening
About Pineapple Tech & The Customer Excellence Mission
Pineapple Tech PTY LTD is a dynamic, award-winning short-term insurance provider dedicated to completely transforming the traditional insurance landscape through simplicity, transparency, and digital accessibility. By integrating cutting-edge technology, mobile-first architectures, and data-driven strategies, Pineapple ensures the highest standards of integrity, customer joy, and operational efficiency.
As the platform continues its rapid market growth, the operations group is seeking a professional, experienced Customer Excellence Specialist to join the dynamic Sandton team. This role is responsible for providing exceptional, top-tier service to high-value clients by managing complex queries, resolving technical policy issues, and ensuring seamless execution. Serving as a crucial liaison between customers, claims, underwriting, and management, you will contribute directly to the success of Pineapple’s InsurTech evolution by ensuring each interaction upholds the brand’s premium service delivery.
Key Performance Areas & Accountabilities
The Customer Excellence Specialist will drive day-to-day client optimization across four core operational quadrants:
1. Frontline Support & Advanced Query Resolution
- Omnichannel Execution: Handle high-yield inbound and outbound communications for Customer Excellence clients, ensuring prompt, empathetic, and professional resolution.
- Policy Diagnostics: Provide highly accurate policy information, troubleshoot complex account anomalies, and proactively follow up to secure long-term client retention.
- Escalation Management: Defuse and manage sensitive customer escalations effectively while logging comprehensive interaction histories into internal CRM systems.
2. Account Maintenance, Underwriting Coordination & Documentation
- Lifecycle Amendments: Process client policy updates, profile cancellations, and risk endorsements efficiently and in accordance with company standard operating procedures.
- Data Governance: Ensure all customer details, communication footprints, and underwriting records are captured with high data accuracy and stored securely.
- Performance Reporting: Assist the Customer Excellence Manager by compiling client performance reports, auditing account data, and prepping files for internal reviews.
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Workflow Optimization
- Internal Liaison: Coordinate closely with internal departments—including Claims, Underwriting, and Retentions—to clear blockages and accelerate query resolutions.
- Workflow Evolution: Track ongoing service delivery metrics, escalate persistent structural issues requiring management intervention, and suggest innovative solutions to optimize backend workflows based on direct customer feedback.
4. Financial Compliance & Quality Assurance (QA)
- Regulatory Adherence: Ensure flawless alignment with the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act, Regulatory Examination (RE5), and Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles during every interaction.
- Information Security: Protect private consumer data and maintain absolute data confidentiality in strict compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
- Audit Readiness: Participate in continuous internal Quality Assurance assessments and proactively flag or escalate compliance gaps.
Candidate Profile & Minimum Entry Requirements
To satisfy statutory financial compliance regulations and Pineapple’s operational baseline, applicants must strictly possess the following credentials:
- Academic Threshold: A completed Degree or Diploma in Customer Service, Business Administration, Insurance, or a related quantitative field.
- Regulatory Mandate: Must hold a valid Regulatory Examination 5 (RE5) certificate and be fully compliant with Class of Business training requirements.
- Experience Baseline: 1 to 3 years of experience in a customer service, client relationship, or administrative support role, with clear preference given to experience within the Short-Term Insurance, Banking, or Broking sectors.
- Software Stack: Practical proficiency with advanced CRM platforms and the Microsoft Office Suite.
Required Technical & Behavioral Competencies
- Regulatory Fluidity: Deep, functional understanding of FAIS, TCF, and POPIA frameworks within a client care environment.
- Cognitive Agility: Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and analytical problem-solving abilities under pressure.
- Composed Demeanor: An empathetic, calm, and professional communication style when dealing with frustrated or escalated clients.
- Ethical Drive: High levels of personal accountability, attention to detail, reliability, and corporate ethics.
Career Advice for Pineapple Tech Applicants
- Feature Your RE5 and Class of Business Status Prominently: In the South African insurance industry, regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. Place your RE5 qualification and Class of Business certificates in bold text right at the top of your CV under your name. If an automated tracking system scans your resume and doesn’t see “RE5,” your application could be filtered out automatically.
- Quantify Your Customer Care Achievements: Instead of just writing “handled customer queries,” provide hard metrics from your previous roles. Use phrases like “Managed an average volume of 40+ complex insurance queries daily while maintaining a 94% Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score” or “Reduced policy processing turnaround time by 15% through close coordination with underwriting teams.”
- Showcase Your Tech-Savviness: Pineapple is an InsurTech company, not a legacy insurance broker. Highlight your experience working with modern, cloud-based CRM systems, live-chat tools, or automated ticketing software to prove you can adapt seamlessly to their fast-paced, tech-driven ecosystem.
Sample Interview Preparation Questions
Regulatory Compliance & Technical Insurance Questions
- Question (Applying TCF Principles): “Can you give us a practical example of how you apply the ‘Treating Customers Fairly’ (TCF) framework when a client calls in to complain that their premium has increased unexpectedly, but they claim they weren’t notified?”
- Question (POPIA Data Breaches): “Under the POPIA framework, handling personal financial data requires strict security. If you accidentally send a policy amendment document containing one client’s sensitive ID and banking details to a completely different customer, what immediate steps would you take to rectify the error?”
Behavioral & Conflict Resolution Questions
- Question (De-escalation Tactics): “Imagine a high-value client calls the Sandton office furious because their claims process has stalled, and they are threatening to cancel their policy immediately. Walk us through how you would de-escalate their anger while collaborating with the claims team to solve the issue.”
- Question (Cross-Functional Friction): “Sometimes, providing excellent customer service means pushing back on internal departments like Underwriting or Claims to get an answer for a client. How do you balance maintaining good internal team relationships with fighting for the customer’s needs?”
How to Apply
To insert your profile into Pineapple Tech’s talent acquisition pipeline, assemble your compliance-ready digital application package immediately.
Compile your Updated CV, a clean copy of your Identity Document, your RE5 Certificate, and any relevant Class of Business Qualifications into a single, high-contrast PDF file.