​Be clear about what your client wants to happen

​​We need to know what result your client would like to see.

There are many things that we can achieve for people, but there are also things we cannot do. So it is important that your client knows what we can and cannot do before making a complaint to us.

What we can do

Common results people are looking for include getting an apology or explanation about what happened, or making sure that the organisation learns from its mistakes so they do not happen again. We often ask organisations to do these sorts of things when we uphold a complaint.

Financial payments

If your client would like a financial payment, please let us know and tell us what they are expecting. This is important. This is because while we can ask an organisation to make a payment to recognise the impact their mistakes had on somebody (like distress or anxiety), these are often small amounts and very different to an award a court can make.

We can also ask an organisation to make a payment for any specific financial loss that its mistakes caused. If your client complains that they are out of pocket, please give us more information.

More information

You can find out more about what we can and cannot do by reading our guides: