Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow, has always had a passion for fighting injustice.
In 2012 she started a blog sharing stories of tackling companies with poor customer service. It grew into advising consumers and then businesses. This was due to her experience, skills and having the ear of thousands of consumers and knowing what they want to experience in complaint handling and customer service.
Author of two best-selling books, reports and a wealth of media coverage, Helen helps both directors and senior staff in large corporates and small businesses to improve complaint handling through understanding customer perspectives and through challenge so as to gain and retain customers. She help turn them into superfans who rave and refer more custom.
Latest Article
FCA stops insurance companies’ loyalty penalty
Today, (28/05/21) the FCA implements a package of remedies to improve competition and protect home and motor insurance customers from loyalty penalties. This follows the announcement on 22 September 2020 when the FCA said that it would reform home and motor insurance. It is focussing particularly on the current “loyalty penalty” that punishes existing loyal clients’ premiums and favours new clients.
In 2018 it found that some 6 million policyholders were paying high or very high margins over and above an average premium. Had they have paid the average for their risk, they would have saved £1.2 billion! It published a 31-page report on the insurance market and finally (two years later!) announced a consultation in September which closed 21 January 2021.
Many insurance companies auto renew policies at a much higher price. New customers benefit from a much lower price. A term known as “price-walking”. The only way to get a better price currently is to shop around and switch. The companies even use what could be considered underhand processes and tactics to target customers who they think are the least likely to switch with the best deal.
The FCA estimates that consumers will save 4.2 billion over 10 years. The measures are due to come into force on different dates. The pricing, auto-renewal and data reporting remedies come into effect on 1 January 2022 and the rules on systems and controls, product governance and premium finance from the end of September 2021.
Table of Contents
New rules for insurance companies
The new rules will mean that insurance companies must
- Provide easier methods of cancelling the automatic renewal of their policy.
- Offer the same price at renewal as they would to a new customer
- Report data to the FCA for it to monitor and supervise the sector more effectively
- Consider how they offer fair value to their customers
The FCA needs to ensure that it monitors adherence to these rules and takes action against companies which don’t. It still does not mean that you will get the best price on renewal as there could and probably will be better offers out there. See How to save money on your car insurance
FCA announces remedies to stop the loyalty penalty
How to save money on insurance and beat the auto renewals
How to save money on insurance and beat the tactics used to make you renew
Help with complaints
To ensure that you know your rights and how to use them take a look at How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results, as one reviewer says you’ll get more than your money back the first time you use it!
101 Habits of an Effective complainer designed to improve the way you look at and make complaints. Each page gives you a complaining habit to consider and an example of how and why it empowers you to become more effective in getting the results you want.
The Complaining Cow free support for businesses
If you’re a business that wants to do the right thing for your customers see below!
Join the Facebook Group Customer Service: Compassion, Care and Integrity A private group where you can give and get support, advice and share good practice on how to improve complaint handling.
Free download Customer Service: 5 ways to get rave reviews & referrals a few tweaks to your customer service can help you reduce risk to reputation, finances and impact on customers and increase sales.
The Complaining Cow Services
To see how The Complaining Cow can help you improve your customer service see Services.
Previous Articles
- Dear customer “Would you like some alphabet soup?”
- Complaining habits of public figures – Rob Rinder
- What’s wrong with Amazon?
- Importing goods into the UK – all you need to know
- Helen Dewdney – exclusive interview with Rob Rinder No. 2
