What is an
ombudsman?
An ombudsman is an independent and
impartial means of resolving disputes without
having to go to court. The term ombudsman
comes from Sweden – it means
representative or agent of the people, and it is
used for men and women. Sweden had the
first ombudsman in 1809.
Independent
There are ombudsman schemes to cover
many different areas, dealing with complaints
from people about public bodies or private
companies. Some ombudsman schemes are
required by law; others have been established
by the industry they investigate. Whilst each
scheme is slightly different, there are some
common principles:
• Independence of the organisation they
are handling complaints about – it is this
independence which marks out the
ombudsman from other complaint
handling schemes.
• Fairness in the way they conduct their
investigations – an ombudsman is
impartial and not on the side of either
party.
• Effectiveness – an ombudsman must be
accessible and their findings should be
acted on.
How it works
Ombudsman schemes are clearly defined and
can only take on complaints which fit their
scheme’s criteria. An ombudsman will only
consider a complaint once the organisation
itself has been given a chance to sort it out.
Once the organisation’s own complaints
handling process has been exhausted,
customers can come to the ombudsman
scheme to get their complaint resolved if they
feel the organisation has not resolved it or not
resolved it satisfactorily.
An ombudsman is impartial. They are not on
the side of the customer or the organisation.
An ombudsman will assess the facts of each
individual case and offer an impartial decision.
Most schemes have set timetables for
responses and targets for completion of
complaint investigations.
In some schemes an ombudsman can order a
remedy – this might be an apology or financial
recompense for expenses caused by the
problem. In other schemes, the ombudsman
can only recommend that a remedy is
provided. However, in all cases the aim is to
return the customer to the position they were
in before the problem arose – this is called
redress.
Ombudsmen will also use what they learn
from the complaints they deal with, for
example by reporting on their findings or
making recommendations to companies or
regulators to help improve services.
• Openness and transparency –
ombudsmen are open in the way they
operate.
• Accountability – ombudsmen report
publicly on what they do.
The Ombudsman Association
(www.ombudsmanassociation.org) will only
recognise bodies which can meet these
criteria.
What is an ombudsman and why join us
September 2012
Why choose
Ombudsman
Services?
• We are easy to use
• We pass on the learning
• We work with you, not against you
Our approach
It is easy for companies and customers to
contact us: our service is accessible.
Customers can complain online using our web
form, by telephone, text phone, letter and
email. Our materials are available in
alternative languages and formats.
We are independent of the companies we
make decisions about and, because we are
funded by a combination of subscriptions and
case fees, there is an incentive for companies
to improve – the more companies do to
resolve complaints in-house the less they pay
in case fees.
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and
informally by achieving a resolution which is
acceptable to both sides or, when necessary,
after a formal investigation. When making
decisions, our investigation officers also make
recommendations about how you can improve
procedures and customer service to prevent
similar complaints in the future. We settle
most disputes within six to eight weeks
If we spot a trend or a new problem, we
provide advice to participating companies and
consumers on how to avoid the problem or
how to make a complaint.
We provide opportunities for companies and
consumer organisations to raise common
issues and to share information. Our recently
established liaison panels for property,
communications, energy and consumer
organisations give us a chance to discuss
things face to face.
What is an ombudsman and why join us
Our people
We have Investors in People status and
regularly refresh training for our 170
employees. Our staff train with the Samaritans
so we deal sensitively with callers.
Our enquiry officers help callers to fill out
complaint forms. Even if customers don’t
return their forms to us, they often use the
completed form to go back to the supplier and
resolve the complaint directly. Our help in
filling out the form means more complaints are
resolved, without incurring case fees.
We have a dedicated relationship manager to
help you handle complaints quickly and
effectively. Our ombudsman team members
are experts in handling complaints from each
sector.
Our pedigree
Ombudsman Services is independent – taking
neither side, we make a fair decision based on
the facts of the case and can require a
remedy to be provided. We are a member of
the British and Irish Ombudsman Association
(BIOA) and we operate according to their
principles of good governance.
We have nearly ten years’ experience in
resolving complaints, covering
telecommunications, energy, property and
copyright licensing. We are approved by
Ofcom, Ofgem, the Office of Fair Trading
(OFT) and the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (RICS). Over 8,500 companies are
signed up to our service. We handle around
165,000 contacts a year and investigate about
18,000 complaints.
How to join us
Visit our website: www.ombudsman-services.org
Email us: [email protected]
Follow us on twitter: @OmbudServices
September 2012