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Cost Saving Benefits of the Ombudsman Scheme
TFO's ADR service is a cost effective alternative to the Small Claims Court. The Civil Procedure Rules which govern the Small Claims Court state that the Court must encourage the parties to a dispute to use an alternative dispute resolution procedure as an alternative to formal litigation. Membership to the Ombudsman assists in meeting this requirement.
Aside from the bad publicity associated with defending a case in court, defending Small Claims actions can be extremely costly both in terms of the financial outlay associated with case preparation and in the amount of resources required to do so. Full Members of the scheme benefit significantly in reducing the amount of hours spent in-house dealing with customer care issues and complaints.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is achieved through the conciliation and adjudication service that is exclusive to registered members of TFO. The conciliation service is backed by a range of information and support services all aimed at reducing the level of complaints and improving registered members' reputations with consumers. It may be possible for TFO to make an early decision on the validity of a claim, uphold an offer or recommend an practical solution for both parties. The Ombudsman charges a low flat rate per conciliation regardless of the length of time the case takes to reach a satisfactory resolution for both parties. 
As with all disputes, resolution is not always possible without the assistance of some credible third party such as the Court or an arbitrator. In these instances and where settlement simply cannot be reached, TFO moves the case to the adjudication stage. At this point an independent consultant gathers additional evidence in order that an informed balanced judgment on the merits of the case can be made. The adjudication fee is paid at a flat rate alongside a variable amount paid directly to an independent consultant. Both parties contribute to the costs of the independent consultant.
Responding to a case before the Ombudsman is more economical than defending a case before the Courts. There is no need for you or the consumer to file large volumes of legal documents, arrange inspections or appoint expert witnesses, we do not require witness statements or ask either party to engage a lawyer and you are never required to appear before us in person.
TFO Training discounts
Membership to the scheme means substantial discounts on delegate training on a range of courses aimed at improving staff awareness on consumer law and customer service - which we have tailored specifically to the furniture industry. Feedback provided by one of our members suggests that they have benefited from a 42% reduction in complaints because their staff were made aware of their obligations with regards to consumer sales and customer service. Click here to view current and upcoming TFO training events.
All of our Full Members have access to immediate telephone help for guidance and advice on a whole range of issues relating to furniture problems which assists our them in managing their own internal resources leaving company lawyers and customer care managers to focus elsewhere.
TFO is instructed frequently to prepare reports for lawyers across the UK in respect of litigation. Likewise we are commissioned directly by members of the public for use in court or at the direction of a judge. Each report which is supplied by TFO features the names of all of our Full Members with an endorsement to the consumer for their consideration when making future purchases.
