our service standards
what to expect from us when we deal with a dispute between a consumer and a business providing financial services
The Financial Ombudsman Service was established by Parliament as the official expert in settling individual disputes between consumers and businesses providing financial services. Our aim is to resolve disputes fairly, reasonably, quickly and informally.
We know that we can't please everyone all the time – and our decisions are often disappointing for the side that doesn't hear what they wanted to hear. But whatever the outcome of your case, we hope you will be satisfied with the level of service we provide.
We know that, as in any organisation, things can sometimes go wrong. Please tell us if this happens, so that we can put things right and learn from any mistakes.
This page tells you about the service standards we aim to meet and what to do if you are unhappy with the service we have provided.
our contact with you
In all our contact with our customers – consumers and businesses – we aim to be polite and professional. For security and training purposes, we may monitor or record phone calls.
Many of the disputes we are asked to settle involve complex financial and legal issues. But we always try to set out our views and decision clearly, without using jargon.
dealing with cases as promptly as we can
We aim to settle eight out of ten disputes within six months. How we allocate and prioritise cases is affected by the number and type of complaints that consumers refer to us. But some cases can take longer, particularly if they involve very complex issues or require a formal decision by an ombudsman.
When we start work on your case, we will keep you informed about the progress we are making and about what you need to do next. You will always know the name of the person handling your case and you can contact them direct with any questions - by letter, email or phone.
taking your views into account
We will always take account of what you tell us about the case. But we also have to consider carefully the other side of the story. We listen to the facts and arguments from both sides and balance them carefully to help form our view. If you disagree with our view, you can ask us to reconsider the matter. We will explain how you can do that.
In the majority of cases, we are usually able to settle the dispute informally to the satisfaction of both sides – by making suggestions and recommendations that the business and consumer both accept. In a small number of cases, one of our ombudsmen will need to make a final decision, to settle the matter.
Our ombudsmen and adjudicators base their decisions on what they consider is the fair and reasonable approach in the particular circumstances of each individual case. And they will set out clearly the reasons for their decision.
An ombudsman’s decision is final. There is no further appeal to another ombudsman. This means you must make sure you have given us all your facts and arguments before an ombudsman makes their final decision – otherwise it will be too late.
accessibility - meeting your needs
We aim to be accessible to everyone. We can provide information about our service in different formats (for example, in Braille, large print, and on audiotape), and we can receive calls via TypeTalk.
We can also provide information about our service in languages other than English. And if you want to call us but prefer to use a language other than English, we can get an interpreter on the line right away.
If you have other accessibility needs, please let us know. We will try to help.
if you are unhappy about the service we have provided
If you are unhappy with the conclusions we are reaching, tell the adjudicator handling your case. If we cannot resolve the dispute informally to the satisfaction of both sides, it will be for one of our ombudsmen to make a formal decision on the case. The ombudsman’s decision will be final.
Please also let us know if you are unhappy with the level of service we have provided – whatever the actual outcome of the individual case. For example, we want to hear if you think, in handling the case, we have:
- treated you rudely or unfairly;
- failed to explain things properly; or
- caused unnecessary delays (but please bear in mind our usual time-frame for resolving disputes, as explained above).
We take complaints like this about our service very seriously. If we get things wrong, it’s important that you tell us, so we can try to put matters right. This also helps us to improve our service in future.
In the first instance, please tell the member of staff you are dealing with that you want to complain about the level of service you have received. You can do this by phone – or in writing, if you prefer.
This member of staff and their manager will try to put right anything we have done wrong as quickly as possible. Usually things can be sorted out straightaway at this stage. If you remain dissatisfied, please write to our service review manager setting out your concerns.
Our special procedure for handling complaints about the level of service we provide is open to consumers and businesses. This is an entirely separate procedure from the usual process that applies if you disagree with our views on the merits of your case – and want us to re-consider facts and arguments.
We have a consumer factsheet with more details about the service standards we aim to meet – and what to do if you are unhappy with the service we provide:
consumer factsheet on putting things right [PDF version opens in new window]
how we will deal with your complaint about our service
We will aim to send you a full response in writing within 20 working days. If we cannot do this because of exceptional circumstances, we will let you know what is happening and when you can expect a full response from us.
If our investigation shows that your complaint about our service is justified, we will tell you how we will sort out the problem. Where relevant, we will also tell you how we plan to make sure the mistake does not happen again.
what to do if you are still not happy - the independent assessor
If you have given us the opportunity to respond to your complaint about the level of service we have provided, and you’re still not happy, you can contact the independent assessor – Michael Barnes CBE.
If you would like to know more about our procedure for handling complaints about the level of service we have provided, please contact:
Service Review Manager
Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza
183 Marsh Wall
London
E14 9SR