How to Complain

complain to:
(enter organisation name here)

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is valid in the UK only

Welcome to Commercial Organisations, Associations and Institutions

Who/What Are We?

www.howtocomplain.com - chaired by John Bridgeman CBE ex-DG of the OFT - is the UK's premier complaints submission website. We launched in 2001 with the aim of providing consumers with all the information necessary to complain constructively to corporations, institutions and other organisations and to allow these groups - by positive response - the opportunity to improve customer service, loyalty and retention.

What We Are Not

howtocomplain.com is neither watchdog, judgemental nor an interferer but simply an independent and impartial online submission medium for genuine complainants. It does not allow its free-to-consumers facility to be used as a 'ranters and ravers' soapbox to denigrate corporations, institutions/organisations or individuals.

We do not process complaints in any way, thus we do not provide an outsourced complaints-handling facility.

What Are We Offering Your Organisation?

We are internationalising and commercialising the site this year and our offer to your organisation is to provide it with the use of our website as a sole or complementary complaints submissions medium.

What Is Our Product?

Our main product is a 'Branded Page' subscription on our website.

Your 'Branded Page' could contain, for example, an address by your CEO (or equivalent) stating your organisation's business ethos (or mission statement for institutions, etc) and customer care/complaints philosophy. Logos, graphics and publicity content may be added as desired.

How Would It Work For You?

Should you decide to subscribe, then simply typing your organisation's name in our website's search-box would take complainants directly to your 'Branded Page'

After your introductory content (see previous paragraph), instructions for complaint-submission (templates, pdf files, etc) would be included. Complainants can submit a complaint directly from this page to your customer services centre, or they could be linked to individuals, subsidiary companies or branches.

How Would Your Customers Know Your Complaints Procedure?

By printing the legend: "Got a complaint? Then go to howtocomplain.com" and/or to your own call-centre, on your literature and till receipts will direct your customers appropriately.

Why Not Just Solicit Complaints On Your Own Website?

This is all very well, you may think, but what would be the advantage/benefit to your organisation of a 'Branded Page' subscription, when you may already have a complaints submission facility on your own website? The use, through your 'Banded Page' of us as a complementary (or sole) online complaints submission medium would benefit you by:

· Lending credibility - because of our independence and impartiality - to an annual analysis of consumer complaints (complaints made, resolved, unresolved, categorised, etc). This analysis might be for your own use or be entered in a public national complaints league table (you decide).

· Demonstrating confidence, openness and transparency in your complaints system by informing consumers that complaints may also be channelled through a complementary, independent and impartial organisation.

· Engendering positive publicity (1): a press-release announcing the set-up may be reported widely and positively, particularly now that customer service and openness is foremost in the government's (cabinet office, OFT, DTI, etc) and people's minds.

· Engendering positive publicity (2): howtocomplain.com has over 600,000 hits per month, thus a 'Branded Page' will bring your organisation and its work to the attention of people whom you might otherwise not reach.

· Turning negative to positive publicity and increasing customer satisfaction: research shows that 66% of consumers lack the confidence and information to complain but do speak to up to thirty friends about perceived bad service, etc. We, as an informative, independent, one-stop (we have over 4,000 organisation to complain to) and impartial online facilitator are redressing this state. Thus your 'Branded Page' could turn this negative "thirty friends" negative word-of-mouth phenomenon into a positive recommendation.

· Providing you with a central database of categorised customer complaints information.

How Much Would It Cost?

We would charge you a set-up fee and an annual subscription fee for your 'Branded Page' on our website with up to twenty email out-channels (to anyone@xxx.com?). Outlying branches / members can be indexed-linked for a minimal set-up fee and a monthly subscription. Prices will be given when we know your exact requirements.

What Other Products/Services Do We Offer?

Future products/services will include complaints tables (who is complaining about what and how often, complaints outcomes, etc), sector complaints analysis, polls, customer feedback and complaint league-tables (for voluntary participating organisations only), complaint handling and customer loyalty and retention consultancy services.

Home page and sector-page banner advertising is now available.

The Next Step?

Should you feel that a 'Branded Page' subscription could help you in your complaints project (customer service, loyalty and retention), then please do contact us. Please note that this is a generalised marketing memo, which may suit most organisations: if you are interested in the principle, but your specific requirements are not met, then together we will tailor a solution that does so.

Want to Contact us?

To contact us for further information please click here.

Want to see a mock-up Branded Page?

To see a mock-up of a branded page please click here.