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Tina Leonard, Director of the European Consumer Centre, Dublin

Describe your typical working day?

A typical working day includes overseeing consumer advice; reviewing and carrying out projects and reports; liaising with the European Commission and Irish agencies and analysing trends or problem areas from the complaints we receive. This allows us to generate stories for the Press and to gather information to forward to the National Consumer Agency who enforce consumer legislation and also the Commission for Aviation Regulation in the case of air passenger complaints. My role also includes overseeing financial matters and even travelling overseas to events organised by one of our 27 sister centres across Europe. I work closely with my seven consumer facing colleagues in Dublin.

 What key skills are required for your role?

There is an endless list of skills that could be useful in my role, but the important ones include good communication and networking expertise; decision making and delegation ability.  Diplomacy is also important because we deal with leading policy makers in various European governments. We use our grass roots evidence from listening to consumers to influence these important decision makers and communicate the key issues on to them.

 Did you always want to work in the consumer sector?

The route to my current role was from a European rather than a consumer background. I came to the post after working with the European Office in the National Art College in Dublin, which gave me a sound understanding of how European networks and the EC work. Before that I worked in the art sector. Having moved into the consumer sector eight years ago, I still find it very interesting because legislation is always changing and new problems are always coming up for consumers.

 What similarities/differences are there in consumer issues between Dublin and Belfast?

Issues are invariably the same across Europe including Dublin, Belfast and the UK. Air passengers’ rights, online shopping and scams are the current big issues and these are the same whether you are a consumer in Denmark, Ireland or France. The differences in consumer issues are more local and tend to be price driven shopping matters. For example, a lot of the complaints we receive would be from Irish people who have crossed the border and bought goods like furniture or even cars in Northern Ireland and then experienced a problem with them; rather than the other way round.

Do you work in co-operation with organisations like the Consumer Council?

We share a good working relationship with the Consumer Council in Northern Ireland, especially in information exchange and on projects and problem areas. We hope to have even greater cooperation with each other in the future as plans have been set in motion recently to create a new European Consumer Centre in the UK. We aim to work closely with the Consumer Council on projects, especially cross-border initiatives, in the near future.

 How do European consumer matters affect Irish consumers?

European consumer legislation aims to provide consumers across Europe with the same protection. It impacts everything we do every single day – whether we are shopping online, buying goods on holiday or paying roaming charges on our mobile phone. Literally every consumer action and transaction we make is ruled by European law not individual national laws and there is little difference in that across all 27 member states. This has made a very positive impact for European consumers with huge choice for consumers in regards to buying goods. In a few years, services will also become more open across Europe.

 What aspect of your job do you find most challenging?

There are two parts of my role that I find really challenging. The first is trying to get the message to consumers not to give money to fraudsters.  Even when they know it is a scam they want to believe the good news that they have won something. The other challenge is to get businesses to be aware that good consumer services are actually good for their business. It makes sense to be good to your customers - they will come back to you and encourage others to do so too.

 Have you set any major goals for the future?

Within our own network, while the goal posts continually change, the central goal remains the same - to create consumer confidence in the internal market. We also want to communicate with even more consumers and proactively educate them and make them more aware of consumer issues.

 How do you unwind out of work?

I love travelling and often take the opportunity to stay an extra few days in a European destination that I am visiting for work. I also enjoy long walks near my Dublin home and sharing a good meal with friends.