Sarah talks about businesses biggest issues when it comes to complaints being referred to the ombudsman When I managed the technical desk at the Ombudsman Service, I was conscious that I was speaking to a subset of regulated businesses that were willing to engage with the Ombudsman Service. I know that many try to distance …
The moment you realise your not speaking the same language as your customer… My blog this week is about clear writing. And while I was thinking about what I was going to say about clear writing, I did a quick search of the word ‘jargon’. A word that has become known (cue Darth Vader entrance …
What’s the big deal about final response letters anyway? I’m glad you asked. When I worked for the Ombudsman Service on the technical desk, I would often be speaking to businesses about how to resolve a complaint. Conversations would revolve around the circumstances – what had or hadn’t happened, who did what and when etc. …
Nothing bugs me more when I can spot that a member of staff hasn’t been properly equipped. I talked about this in my video the other day, but nothing gets my irritation levels veering towards a 10 out of 10 quite like having a bad experience with a business’ customer service department. And sometimes it’s …
If you don’t care, why are you here? Walking your walk. A couple of weeks ago now I was having a flick through Twitter – losing probably a good hour of my life that I’m never going to get back – when I spotted a tweet that caught my eye. And I was not alone. …
When Distress and Inconvenience goes bad because fairness has been left behind Last week I was talking about money awards and what they’re made up of. This week I’m still focusing on distress and inconvenience, but, I’m specifically looking at where it can cause trouble for the business and leave the consumer feeling that things …
Sarah’s asking ‘What do Trouble and Upset, Distress and Inconvenience, pain, suffering, reputational damage all have in common?’ Not the catchiest title in the world for a blog post I grant you, but still a very important question to ask businesses that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Because putting it plainly, unless you’re …
Caroline’s talking about Unconscious bias – the unseen force and its impact on complaints Unconscious bias is not normally a phrase you hear mentioned in complaints handling circles. It’s normally something we associate with recruitment, internal promotion/development processes and managing staff – with training reserved for the people carrying out those activities. But unconscious bias …
I’m sorry, what? Give it to me in plain English. It’s been a trying week for me this week. I’ve never been the most patient person when it comes to tech. I expect it to work and when it doesn’t I can guarantee that my temper will get the better of me. All this despite …
The Lettuce that broke the camel’s back – when customer expectations aren’t met. I know what you’re thinking. How on earth could a lettuce have driven me to breaking point? Let me paint the picture. I am often away on business and on this particular occasion it was my fourth consecutive night away from home. …
