| what type of consumer uses the ombudsman service? |
The chart below shows that our “average” customer is between 35 and 64 years old. Eight out of ten people who use our service are in this age bracket – largely reflecting the fact that this is the generation of homeowners most likely to have complaints relating to mortgage endowments sold in the 1980s and early 1990s. Complaints about mortgage endowments make up two thirds of our total workload.
what age are consumers who complain to
the ombudsman?
 |
| age |
|
| younger than 24 |
|
| 25 to 34 |
5% |
| 35 to 44 |
24% |
| 45 to 54 |
29% |
| 55 to 64 |
27% |
| 65 and older |
14% |
|
Complaints we receive from people under 35 are generally about
motor and travel insurance and banking services. However, over half
the complaints we received during the year about investment bonds
and stocks and shares were from people over 65.
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... and what gender are they?
 |
| gender |
% |
| female |
28% |
| male |
72% |
|
More men than women complain to the ombudsman service. However, a significant proportion of complaints relate to accounts and policies (especially mortgage endowment policies) held jointly. And with joint accounts, the first-named account-holder – the name our system records – is traditionally a male partner.
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where
do consumers live who complain to the ombudsman service?
This chart shows the geographical spread of our "customer base". Comparing these figures with regional population data for the UK helps us target where we may need to focus our outreach work in raising awareness of our service. However, the regional location of those using our service continues broadly to reflect the spread of the population across the UK as a whole.
| region |
% |
| South East |
20% |
| Greater London |
12% |
| North West |
10% |
| South West |
10% |
| West Midlands |
9% |
| Yorkshire/Humberside |
9% |
| Scotland |
8% |
| East Midlands |
6% |
| North East |
6% |
| East Anglia |
4% |
| Wales |
4% |
| Northern Ireland |
2% |
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how did consumers first hear about the
ombudsman service?
| how
did consumers first hear about the service? |
|
| from the financial firm |
36% |
| through the media |
29% |
| other
(including other complaints bodies and claims management companies) |
14% |
| through a friend or relative |
11%
|
| from
the internet |
5% |
| from
a consumer advice agency (eg Trading Standards or Citizens
Advice Bureau) |
5% |
The chart above shows the ways in which people with complaints
found out about the Financial Ombudsman Service – based on
what consumers tell us in our monthly surveys. The rules of the
Financial Services Authority (FSA) require firms to tell their customers
about the ombudsman when they first do business with them –
and again, should the customer subsequently have a complaint. So
it is to be expected that most people should first hear about us
from the financial firm they are complaining about.
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what newspapers do consumers read who complain
to the ombudsman service?
The chart below shows the newspapers that the consumers who used
our service during the year told us they read. This information
helps us tailor our messages more effectively to target the people
who do – and don’t – know about and use
the ombudsman service. The percentages for each newspaper are almost
identical to those we recorded in the previous year.
| newspaper |
% |
| Daily Mail / Mail on Sunday |
34% |
| The Express / Sunday Express |
13% |
| The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph |
11% |
| The Times / Sunday Times |
8% |
| The Mirror / Sunday Mirror |
7% |
| The Guardian / Observer |
6% |
| The Sun |
5% |
| Financial Times |
4% |
The Independent /
Independent on Sunday |
3% |
| other newspaper (including regional publications) |
9% |
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16% of our customers told us in our monthly surveys that they had
some form of disability (15% in the previous year) – predominantly
hearing impairment and mobility difficulties. There is strong demand
for our publications in Braille, large print and on audiotape –
and we use TypeTalk and sign-language on request. This is part of
our commitment to be flexible and accommodate our customers’
needs wherever we can.
Our customer surveys indicate that around 4% of people who use
our service define themselves as “minority ethnic”.
During the year we have worked with an agency specialising in ethnicity-driven
research to try to help identify why proportionately fewer people
from ethnic communities bring complaints to the ombudsman service
– only 2% of our mortgage endowment complaints, for example,
are from consumers from a minority ethnic group. Our research indicates
that a multiplicity of complex factors are involved – reflecting
the different social and economic circumstances of the UK’s
diverse ethnic communities. However, in terms of awareness of consumer
rights in general, proportionately more consumers from ethnic communities
said that they had first heard about the ombudsman through friends,
relatives and community organisations – and noticeably fewer
said they relied on the media for this type of information.
For people who are not comfortable using English, we provide information and handle phone calls in other languages – and have done so during the year in 29 languages ranging from Albanian to Welsh.
how
do consumers who complain to the ombudsman rate the service we provide?
|
|
we
keep consumers well informed about progress on their complaint |
|
|
87%
agree |
|
|
13%
disagree |
|
|
|
|
|
we
explain clearly the reasons behind our decisions |
|
|
76%
agree |
|
|
24%
disagree |
|
|
|
|
we
resolve complaints within an acceptable length of time |
|
|
69%
agree |
|
|
31%
disagree |
|
|
|
|
|
our
staff are courteous at all times |
|
|
96%
agree |
|
|
4%
disagree
|
|
|
|
|
|
people
who use our service are likely to recommend it to friends and
family who have a financial complaint |
|
|
73%
agree |
|
|
27%
disagree |
We carry out a monthly customer satisfaction survey,
each involving a random selection of consumers with recent experience
of our service. The feedback we receive from these monthly surveys
tells us what our customers want and expect from us – and
where we need to focus our priorities in terms of the service we
provide. The chart above shows how customers who have completed
the survey rated our service – measured against a number of
customer service benchmarks.
We also calculate an annual baseline figure, so
that we can measure and compare, year on year, the general level
of satisfaction of consumers who use our service. During the year,
80% of consumers’ views of our service were generally positive
(the same figure as in the previous year).
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how
does the outcome of their complaint affect how consumers rate the
service we provide?
|
of those consumers who said they felt they had “won” their complaint: |
|
97% were satisfied with our handling of their case; |
|
2.5% were dissatisfied; and |
|
0.5% expressed no view |
|
|
|
of those consumers who said they felt they had “lost” their complaint: |
|
63% were satisfied with our handling of their case; |
|
31% were dissatisfied; and |
|
6% expressed no view |
|
|
|
of
those consumers who said they didn’t feel they had either
"won" or "lost" their complaint: |
|
94% were satisfied with our handling of their case; |
|
4.5% were dissatisfied; and |
|
1.5% expressed no view |
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|
