6
FREE IMPARTIAL SUPPORT
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.
Making the most of the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Making sure clients receive the very best support is something
we all work hard to achieve. But what happens when it doesn’t
meet the expected standard? What part can you – and other
agencies – play in helping clients when things go wrong?
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) provides free-toconsumers support for a wide range of complaints against
financial services organisations, including people experiencing
financial hardship. Although the body is well established, debt
advisors are not always aware of how simple it is to use or
how its work can support wider debt advice provision.
Here Outreach Officer, Stuart McFadden, explains the
processes and offers practical tips for those advising clients.
He says: “We’re a free, unbiased service that is all about
guaranteeing standards for everyone.
TIPS
1 Keep it simple – Tell us what happened in the
consumer’s own words – rather than getting bogged
down in regulators’ guidance or the legal position.
2 Don’t sit on it – If you have had the business’ final
response it’s unlikely to change its mind. The worst
case scenario is that your client may miss the time
limit in which they can bring a case to us.
3 Ask ‘does the consumer need representation?’ –
There is an option on our complaint form for someone
else to bring the complaint on their behalf. If your name
is in this section you will be the main correspondent.
“In the past we’ve suffered from a lack of awareness about how
4 Use the technical advice desk
easy we are to use so we’re keen to put that right. We know
If you are unsure, give us a call on 0207 964 1400.
there can also be a reluctance to bring complaints – when
people are in debt and stressed they might not want to or
worry it will be a long process – which it isn’t usually. They may
also believe they are in the wrong because they owe money but “Last year we received more than 2.2 million enquiries and
all customers have the right to be dealt with sympathetically. around 500,000 new cases. Typical scenarios include clients
“We know advisors’ time is precious but making a complaint is
easy and doesn’t have to be backed up with legal argument
or regulator guidance – the client just has to say why they are
unhappy. Our Technical Advice Line offers immediate guidance
too – you can call to find out if we can look at a client’s problem.
“if necessary we
can order lenders
to put things right.”
Stuart McFa