The FCA suggests that there is scope for firms to improve services following a death or diagnosis of terminal illness. What’s more, we know there are plenty of customers who struggle with the process of reporting a death. However, there has been lower demand for our bereaved customer training and resources. So, we wanted to understand why. We discovered that it could be a result of firms using complaints to gather insight that informs training priorities.

Decisions Based on Customer Complaints

Under Consumer Duty, we know that many organisations use customer complaints for outcomes monitoring. This data is a primary means of gathering insight to identify areas for improvement. While this is a clear metric to inform positive change, we have some concerns about all decisions being based on one outcome measure.

In the case of bereaved or terminally ill customers, complaint levels are low. As such, firms could be justified in believing that this was not a priority area. Their teams are following an effective process and meeting customer needs.

However, there is insight to suggest otherwise. Research shared by Cruse reveals that around a third of bereaved customers describe reporting a death and managing the process as ‘stressful’, ‘upsetting’ and ‘traumatic’. Financial institutions and utility companies were identified as providing the most difficult customer experience.

There is an average of 11,500 weekly deaths in the UK and 382 critical illness claims. If a third of customers find the process difficult, why aren’t they complaining?

Step Into the Shoes of a Bereaved or Terminally Ill Customer

Firstly, the bereaved individual you interact with may not be a customer. They are contacting your organisations because their partner, spouse, parent or child was a customer. So, the first question to ask is whether you enable non-customers to make a complaint.

Secondly, if you step into the shoes of someone bereaved or terminally ill, there are many reasons why they don’t bother to make a complaint. For a start, they could be in quite an emotional state and they have a lot to deal with. What they need to do is likely to be an unfamiliar process and they have to provide a range of paperwork or information to move things along. At the same time, they are still dealing with practical arrangements, such as the funeral, life and work.

Therefore, anything other than the essentials is off the radar. They are likely exhausted and a complaint requires effort and energy that they don’t have. In addition, in a state of shock and grief, they may doubt if the issue was a complex process or their state of mind. It can feel that this isn’t the right time to be moaning or that they haven’t got the words to articulate their opinions.

We are also aware that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found room for improvement in complaints handling processes:

“Firms use complex legal language or provide limited information regarding their complaints procedure, making it difficult for customers to understand their rights and options. These complexities create barriers for customers trying to resolve problems and may discourage them from raising their concerns.”

As a result, you may have a low level of complaints recorded, even if the needs of bereaved and terminally ill customers aren’t being met.

Why We Need Resources to Support Conversations About Death

Death is the only guarantee in life, yet, it is a subject that most of us find difficult to talk about. It’s a topic that raises difficult emotions which make us feel uncomfortable. We’re worried about saying the wrong thing and that can lead people to avoid conversations about death.

As a member of a frontline team, you can’t skim over the subject. Equally, you can’t just read from a standard script, as everyone’s experience is unique. One day you could speak to someone who is inconsolable and needs patience and emotional support, the next a stoic individual who just wants you to crack on and sort the practicalities. While some people will be sad, others might be angry or relieved.

Is Your Team Equipped to Have Appropriate and Helpful Conversations About Death?

To support bereaved and terminally ill customers, we believe your organisation needs the following in place:

Clear and straightforward processes – keep form filling and requests for paperwork and evidence to only what is necessary to action the appropriate action

Teams that are confident and competent in conversations about death – this includes showing empathy and having a non-judgemental understanding of different attitudes and responses to death.

Fast-track options – ways to prioritise requests, particularly when delays can cause harm or distress to the customer.

Effective communication processes – regularly keeping individuals informed so they are not having to chase you for updates.

Signposting options – accessible information on organisations that offer bereavement or terminal illness support outside what you offer.

Support for Call Handlers – recognition of the impact that conversations about death can have on your teams and access to support networks.

You may also want to consider other ways of monitoring outcomes for bereaved and terminally ill customers. What indicators could check satisfaction without adding to the burden on customers?

How We Can Assist

To build a deeper understanding and upskill your team, we offer:

Bereavement Support Toolkit – including bereaved customer personas, a detailed guide and policy templates. This is an effective way of bringing different customer experiences and appropriate responses into in-house training sessions.

How to Respond When a Customer Discloses a Terminal Illness – our August bitesize training session

Conversations with Customers About Death – a half-day training session for all frontline teams in your organisation, offered virtually or in-house.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please book a call with Helen.