Following a report by Citizens Advice that more than 265,000 complaints have been made about businesses throughout England and Wales since January 2024, the experts at money.co.uk business insurance have revealed their insight into the industries and regions that receive the most complaints and offered tips on protecting your enterprise, including vital business insurance coverage.
According to money.co.uk, the top five industries with the most complaints in England and Wales, in July 2024 were:
Transport - 7,8892 House fittings and appliances- 6,7883 Personal goods and services - 3,6784 Leisure- 2,418 Professional and financial services - 2,416House fittings and appliances received the second-highest complaints to Citizens Advice’s Consumer Service, at 6,788 cases. The subjects of these complaints ranged from faulty floor coverings to low-quality glazing installations. Given the high cost of these purchases and the fact that relevant items are meant to last a long time, consumers may be particularly financially impacted and annoyed if there are problems, leading to a higher volume of complaints.
Not just one of the industries with the most complaints, house fittings and appliances are also one of the sectors with the highest percentage of scam concerns. Over 9% of all cases dealt with were due to scams, with the majority coming from people’s doorsteps.
The high percentage of doorstep scams may stem from the expensive nature of home improvement services, which makes them lucrative opportunities for scammers to exploit homeowners' trust and urgency.
Kyle Eaton, money.co.uk business insurance expert, offers his tips on minimising the likelihood of unhappy customers and protecting your business from complaints:
Set clear expectations - “Setting customer expectations is essential to minimising complaints arising from a discrepancy between expected service provisions and the service delivered by your business. For most companies, this includes clearly outlining a timeline and any possible delays in the service before payment is taken. Proactively seek feedback - “Ensure your business seeks customer feedback regularly. Businesses in all industries should issue surveys to gather input on punctuality and service quality compared to customer expectations. You can then use this feedback to identify where your business can improve. Implement a complete quality control process - “Regularly audit your business’s products and services to guarantee consistency and quality. Use insights and analytics to identify common issues and address them. For example, if your online booking system runs slowly, look for alternative hosting platforms before customers complain. Develop a sound customer complaint-handling process - “Prioritise the development and implementation of a company-wide customer handling process. Stress the importance of acknowledging the customer's concern, apologising and resolving the issue. Learn from each complaint to streamline the service your business offers. Consider taking out the following business insurance policies: Public liability insurance: This coverage protects your business against claims of injury or damage caused to third parties by your services. Employers' liability insurance: This coverage is mandatory in England and covers employee injury or illness claims arising from work. Professional indemnity insurance: Protects your business against claims of professional negligence or mistakes in services provided. Product liability insurance: Protects you against claims of injury or damage caused by products sold or supplied by your business.“Having the right policy in place can take a lot of the stress away if you receive a serious customer complaint by giving you financial protection against costly legal fees, refunds, or fines.”
