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- guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 28 April 2010 09.18 BST
Today the City watchdog said it was considering action against two high street banks for the way they handle customer complaints. Here we offer some tips on how to get results if you do have a problem with an account.
Start in the right place
Contact your bank and tell it what the problem is. All banks have their own internal complaints procedure they must follow. If the complaint is something you think could be resolved at branch level do it this way, as speaking face-to-face to someone can often be more productive. If you do do this, or if you complain over the phone, make sure you get the name of the person you speak to and make a note of the date and their response.
If your complaint is something you feel needs to be tackled at head office, write to the bank making sure you use the correct address and state on the envelope that the letter is for the complaints department. Keep a copy for yourself.
If you, or a relative who is complaining, is particularly vulnerable or feels overwhelmed by the process, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to complain to the bank on your behalf.
Make sure the bank knows you are complaining
Banks have eight weeks to resolve your complaint, though you should expect an initial acknowledgement much earlier. Although the official start of a complaint should kick off with any expression of dissatisfaction on your part, it is best to state clearly at the outset that you are making a complaint so that the bank cannot claim it didn't realise this later down the line. The eight weeks starts ticking from when you do this.
Emma Parker of the FOS says: "Sometimes people try too hard to be polite and almost go overboard making their complaint not seem like a complaint." This won't help your case at all. While you should stay polite, don't get carried away.
Stay composed
The most important thing you can do with any complaint is to keep to the point. Try not to stray off the issue or bring your feelings about the company into it. Definitely don't swear or take to writing in capital letters. Make sure your account number and other customer details are near the top of the letter and that you address all the points you want to make succinctly.
If you are planning to make your first complaint by phone, write yourself a prompt sheet of the points you want to make, and make sure you have all the details of your problem to hand.
Manage your own expectations
At the end of your discussion with the bank, make clear what you would like it to do to rectify the situation. The resolution could involve some form of compensation if the problem has been going on for a long time or has especially inconvenienced you – but you need to be realistic.
"People often ask for things like £10,000 because they have been distressed," says Parker. "While some payment for distress or inconvenience might be reasonable, you can undermine your complaint from the start by being unrealistic in what you are asking for."
Take things further
If, after eight weeks, the bank has not resolved your complaint, or has not resolved it to your satisfaction, you can take it to the FOS. It will look at your complaint independently and the service is free. It aims to put you back into the position you would have been had the complaint not begun, and it may decide the bank should award you an additional amount for distress – but this is not guaranteed.