Context
FOS has published a speech delivered by Abby Thomas, Chief Executive and Chief Ombudsman, regarding financial firms to do more to help struggling consumers. Thomas also highlighted the increasing pressure consumers are facing – with many feeling over-burdened by debt and finding it hard to communicate with businesses.
Key points to note and next actions
Steps businesses can take to improve customer support:
- Training staff to listen, to empathise, and to ask consumers what support they need.
- Designing policies and practices that focus on finding solutions that help customers.
- Offering greater forbearance to consumers in financial difficulty and signposting them to support agencies.
- Putting customers’ needs first and foremost when developing and designing digital transformation.