Motor Ombudsman urges direct dialogue
The Motor Ombudsman has launched a new campaign to promote direct dialogue between disgruntled customers and the business.
Its #talk2resolve campaign is live on Twitter, which aims to encourage customers to give businesses an opportunity to resolve disputes directly prior to involving an impartial alternative dispute resolution provider.
Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said, ‘When a consumer encounters a problem with the purchase of a car, repair or warranty claim, this may cause frustration and make communicating with a business difficult.
‘This means that some motorists will either choose to or unknowingly bypass the critical step of actually speaking to them to try to sort out the issue, and turn to an ADR provider immediately to try and bring the dispute to a close.
‘This can however, have the opposite effect and ultimately prolong the resolution process, because even if the business is accredited to one of our Codes of Practice, we cannot start work on a case until their own complaints procedures have been exhausted. Our #talk2resolve campaign is therefore encouraging the two parties to get together to talk to one another, as this ultimately gives the best chance of a long-term and amicable relationship.’
