Complaints

What the FCA wants to understand

The FCA wants to understand how your firm will identify, investigate and resolve customer complaints in a fair, consistent and timely manner. It is looking for evidence that complaints are taken seriously, monitored appropriately and used to improve customer outcomes.

Your application should explain:

How customers can make a complaint.
How complaints will be recorded and investigated.
How complaints will be monitored and reviewed.
What happens if a customer remains dissatisfied.
Whether you have a documented complaints policy and procedure.

A strong complaints section demonstrates that your firm views complaints as an opportunity to identify potential issues and improve customer outcomes, rather than simply a regulatory requirement.

Every FCA-regulated firm must have clear and effective procedures for handling complaints. The process should be easy for customers to access and understand, with clear ownership within the business.

Your application should explain who is responsible for complaints handling, how complaints are investigated and how customers are kept informed throughout the process.

Customers should understand:

How to raise a complaint.
What information they need to provide.
What they can expect from your investigation.
When they can expect a response.

What good looks like

A good complaints process is transparent, easy to follow and focused on achieving fair outcomes for customers. The FCA is likely to take comfort from firms that have clearly documented procedures, allocated responsibility for complaints oversight and can demonstrate how lessons learned are fed back into the business. Strong applications demonstrate that complaints information forms part of the firm’s wider governance and compliance framework. Rather than treating each complaint as an isolated issue, firms should consider whether it highlights a broader process, training or customer outcome concern that requires attention. The FCA is not expecting firms to avoid complaints altogether. It is more interested in seeing that complaints are handled fairly, investigated properly and escalated appropriately when necessary. A well-managed complaint can often strengthen customer trust and provide valuable insight into areas where the business can improve.