Jane Hawkes says her superpower is contacting the uncontactable – and that others can do it too.
She was speaking out after a new survey revealed alarming levels of poor customer service.
CONSUMERS are having to deal with a “worrying decline in standards” of customer service, a leading expert has said.
Consumer champion Jane Hawkes, founder of the ladyjaney.co.uk website was reacting to research which showed almost one in two people had experienced a poor customer service experience in the last year.
Offering her help on how to navigate the issue Ms Hawkes said: “There are some basic things everyone can do if they are unhappy about the service or a product they have received, including using laws which are there to protect us from shady or poor businesses,” says Jane.
“Sometimes it can be resolved easily – which is exactly how it should be. But with many businesses saving money by replacing humans with chatbots and email addresses and phone numbers simply unavailable, that’s where people like me can step in.
“In a nutshell, a Consumer Champion is someone who advocates the rights and interests of consumers. They work to ensure that companies treat customers fairly, that products and services are safe and reliable and that consumers are properly informed about their choices. Unfortunately this is not often the case.
“As a Consumer Champion I campaign for changes which will improve customer service standards, give a voice to those who otherwise would not have one, help customers understand (and assert) their consumer rights and call out companies that act unfairly and unethically. I champion the best of companies and challenge the worst.
“My superpower is contacting the uncontactable, and if you can’t get hold of someone in customer service, I can help.
“It won’t cost you a single penny either, just a minute or two of your time.”
Jane’s Top Tips: How to complain about poor customer service
Be clear and concise
When you contact customer service, explain your issue clearly and concisely and give details of the outcome you would like and a clear time frame for complaint resolution. Make sure to provide any evidence to support your claim, for example, dates, times, references, photos and correspondence. When complaining about poor customer service, stick to the facts and keep emotion out of it.
Complain to the right person
The customer service representative may not necessarily be best placed or most empowered to deal with your complaint. There’s nothing wrong in asking to speak to someone’s manager if you aren’t getting anywhere. Request information about official complaints processes that you can follow to get issues resolved and contact details of how you can escalate.
Raise the bar
Go to the top and escalate your complaint sooner rather than later. If banging your head against the proverbial brick wall with customer service departments, request that your complaint is escalated to the executive team for swifter and more appropriate resolution. Email addresses of CEOs for major companies can be found readily online.
Know your consumer rights
You don’t need to be a human encyclopedia to be make an effective and successful complaint. However, quoting relevant legislation to support your case shows companies that you know your stuff and can expedite better and quicker resolutions. Lots of key sector specific information can be obtained through simple online searches using key words.
The staple legislation which most complaints fall under is the Consumer Rights Act 2015 whereby a service should be carried out with due care and skill. A product should be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described and last a reasonable amount of time.
Don’t be fobbed off
Companies rely on customers falling at the first hurdle with the first ‘no.’ If you are entitled to a refund or redress for poor customer service then stand your ground. The way to win is to play hardball and show you mean business.
If you are still getting nowhere, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me on jane@ladyjaney.co.uk
