Gordon Birtwistle & Burnley Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference today backed a series of proposals that will radically change the relationship between customers and companies.

The proposals include introducing a ‘Universal Service Code’ for organisations providing a service to the public. This will commit them to:

• Make one of the first options in their telephone response system be to speak to a human being
• Make their customer service phone number free to call from both mobiles and landlines
• Train staff to deal quickly and effectively with customer enquiries
• Make and keep appointments for visits, installations and phone calls within a one hour timeframe

The proposals also include:

• A duty for energy companies to publish information on all available tariffs on their bills
• The immediate clearing of bank payments and transfers
• A requirement for restaurants and cafes to make their tipping policies clear to customers
• A beefed up consumer watchdog to name and shame companies involved in bad practice
• Measures to prevent supermarkets building up local monopolies

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Business Secretary, John Thurso said:

“Too often, customers find their relationships with companies and public bodies skewed against them.

“So many commonplace practices are infuriating for customers who just want to be treated fairly and honestly.

“When they have a problem or an enquiry about a service they have paid for, it is reasonable that they should be able to talk to a person and not a machine.

“Customers must have the power to make fair and informed choices without the fear of being taken for a ride and bewildered by mindless bureaucracy.”

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