Staff Awareness and Training

In the Consumer Law section you will find Advice for Retailers, advice This sets out your obligations under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended).

While it is recommended that staff receive regular training about consumer rights and complaints handling, it may be unrealistic to expect them to remember all the details, particularly if customer complaints and instances of returned goods are rare.

One of the benefits of having clear and accessible information about refunds, complaints and customer care in-store and/or at point of sale is that staff will always know how to handle these cases.

If a complaint cannot be resolved

Don’t forget that consumer protection agencies are also there to help businesses get it right.

Consumerline

If you are unsure of how to deal with a customer complaint, or you want to check that what you are proposing is legally correct, contact Consumerline:

Telephone: 0845 600 62 62 or visit the website at www.consumerline.org.

Consumer Advice Centre

If your business is based in Belfast, the Consumer Advice Centre (CAC) can also help. Its job is to give free advice to the public and traders to help resolve consumer complaints and disputes.

Telephone: 028 9032 8260

E-mail: consumeradvice@belfastcity.gov.uk

Your business or industry might also have a specific trade association or body that could help deal with an unresolved complaint or dispute.