104,000 people have died in New Zealand in the last 3 years. Are they still on your database?

Under the terms of a new Approved Information Sharing Agreement (AISA) the Marketing Association can now share the official deaths records for organisations to use in a wide range of positive ways.

When an organisation receives confirmation that a customer has died, they need to handle the situation with care and respect while ensuring proper business procedures are followed. Here are some examples of how organizations may wish to use this information:

1. Legal and Compliance

  • Name Suppression: can follow best practice to prevent sending future communications to the deceased customer.
  • Account Closure or Transfer: Legally, many accounts (such as banking or insurance) need to be closed or transferred to the estate or beneficiaries. The organization can use the death confirmation to trigger the necessary processes

2. Banking, Billing and Financial Accounts

  • Stop Billing or Collections: If the customer had recurring payments (subscriptions, utility bills, etc.), confirmation allows the organization to halt billing to avoid further charges.
  • Debt Forgiveness: Businesses may forgive debts upon a customer’s death.
  • Refunds or Settlements: Any refunds may be issued to the estate or final settlement amounts may need to be calculated and transferred.

3. Insurance and Healthcare

  • Verification of Claims: For Life and Health insurance companies, this confirmation can be used to process claims for life insurance policies or other death-related benefits. Benefits can be paid to beneficiaries without the need for families to provides a death certificate.

4. Customer Support and Relations

  • Communicating with Next of Kin: Customer support teams can ensure that any communication regarding the deceased customer is redirected to the appropriate next of kin, executor, or estate representative.
  • Account Updates: The organization may update records to reflect the customer's death and create protocols for communicating with family members respectfully.

5. Marketing and CRM Systems

  • Remove from Mailing Lists: To avoid distressing family members, marketing systems should remove the deceased customer from mailing lists to prevent further communication or promotional offers.
  • Customer Segmentation Updates: Companies can update their customer database to reflect the customer’s status, ensuring future marketing efforts are not directed towards deceased individuals.

6. Product/Service Termination

  • Service Termination: Organizations that provide ongoing services (like utilities, subscriptions, or memberships) can use the death confirmation to terminate the service or account in a smooth and respectful manner.
  • Transferring Ownership: For certain products or services (e.g., properties, assets, or warranties), the organization may need to transfer ownership or benefits to the heirs or beneficiaries.

7. Estate and Succession Planning

  • Handling Estate Accounts: If the customer had estate-related accounts, trust funds, or legal arrangements, the organization could use the confirmation to begin transitioning those assets to the designated heirs or executors.
  • Transferring Assets: Financial institutions, pension providers, or asset managers may need to work with the executor to transfer assets according to the will or legal guidelines.

8. Internal Processes

  • System Updates: IT teams may update customer databases to reflect the customer's status, ensuring no further transactions, communications, or automated actions are taken without oversight.
  • Using official confirmation of a customer's death appropriately helps organizations maintain respect for the deceased and their families, and ensure their operations proceed smoothly and professionally.

Source: Keith Norris, 20, February 2025