Enterprise Complaint and Feedback Management Software

In times of economic uncertainty, customer retention is the biggest challenge facing firms. Matthew Hendy outlines the three step process that has been adopted by leading companies to successfully increase customer retention, whilst allowing them to transform their company into one that is led and informed by their customers' voices.

The FSA recently announced that it will begin to assess compliance with the Treating Customers Fairly guidelines in January 2008 rather than September 2008.

Recent Charter UK research highlights the importance of good customer service in retaining your customer base during tough trading conditions. However, we know that it is not just about making customers happy, but also about saving money in complaints handling efficiency and appropriate goodwill payments.

Charter UK would like to congratulate all the winners at the recent Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service awards, particularly our own customers who were among those recognised.

Charter UK is delighted to announce that Julian Osborne of Alliance and Leicester is the lucky winner of our prize draw at the recent Call Centre Expo 08. Mr Osborne and his wife will be going on a two-night break at Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa in the New Forest.

Award-winning Careys Manor offers luxury accommodation in beautiful surroundings and a state-of-the-art Thai Spa. The prize includes treatments and Mr Osborne was particularly pleased with the timing, "It is both my birthday and my wife's in the coming weeks, so this is the ideal opportunity to spoil ourselves."

As a Senior Marketing Manager for Alliance and Leicester, Mr Osborne is responsible for the correct application of the company's marketing data. He visited Call Centre Expo in conjunction with attending the TPS Forum and was drawn to the Charter UK stand to find out more about our complaints management software and the latest developments in Charter Continuum.

Charter UK Marketing Manager Andrew Aldred commented "We are really pleased with how the Call Centre Expo event went for us and the response to our prize draw."

A new consumer watchdog, made up of merged bodies the National Consumer Council, Energywatch and Postwatch, begins its work on Wednesday.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) today (25th September 2008) releases proposals for the way it will implement its decision to publish data on the complaints it handles about named financial businesses.

Charter UK would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists of the National Customer Service Awards which was held on Tuesday 23rd September at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. We'd especially like to recognise all our customers who were nominated for an award – especially Daniel Opoku of Southwest Trains who won the ICS Frontline Customer Service Professional of the year and Jill Jones of Thames Water who received the Lifetime Achievement award.

The main UK banks have been told by the Office of Fair Trading that their overdraft charges are probably unfair. The OFT's view is revealed in a confidential memo circulated among senior staff at RBS/Natwest. The regulator tells RBS it has 'serious concerns' that's its overdraft terms might be unfair to its customers.

Most small business owners have lodged a complaint with their gas or electricity supplier, and half have yet ro receive a satisfactory response, according to new figures.

Most small business owners have lodged a complaint with their gas or electricity supplier, and half have yet ro receive a satisfactory response, according to new figures.

Ofcom yesterday outlined options for improving the way in which consumer complaints are handled. Ofcom receives thousands of complaints every week from consumers who are dissatisfied with their experience in the communications sector. However, research shows that consumer awareness of complaints handling procedures is low with less than fifty per cent aware of communications providers' Codes of Practice for complaints.

Banks have been given another six months grace to put off dealing with customers who want their overdraft charges refunded. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has extended a decision which it first put in place a year ago. The FSA said it had done this to help the courts decide the fairness of bank overdraft fees.

More consumers are declaring themselves pleased with the way they are treated despite higher prices and tighter budgets, according to the latest national measure of customer satisfaction by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).

Minister for Transformational Government Tom Watson today launched the new Customer Service Excellence (CSE) standard – a practical tool to support and drive public services that are more responsive to people's needs.