Ofcom Complaints Handling for Telecoms Providers
Maintain a clear complaint history, with ownership, deadlines and evidence of customer communications.
Keep the complaint connected to the customer
A telecoms complaint can begin in a service call, a billing query or a message to the account manager. SAFE CRM’s register links the complaint with the customer and case context while keeping the complaint-handling milestones identifiable.
Record the actual receipt date and the appropriate category. The provider remains responsible for recognising complaints, investigating them and following its published procedure; creating a register entry does not complete those duties.
Track the applicable ADR timetable
For complaints received from 8 April 2026, the register supports the six-week referral timetable introduced by Ofcom. The normal editing workflow protects the received date so that later changes in ownership do not restart the clock.
Older complaints do not automatically receive the new clock. They still need review under the applicable earlier position. See the Ofcom complaints guide for the regulatory context and primary sources.
Prepare the correct correspondence
ADR-rights and deadlock letters serve different purposes. Deadlock records a final position where the internal process cannot resolve the disagreement and can permit earlier independent review.
The letters use the reseller’s configured scheme details. Check the actual membership and contact information before issuing them. A generated document is distinct from a recorded send or other communication event, which is the evidence the register needs to retain.
Coordinate with the investigation and billing
The case history provides the correspondence and evidence needed for the investigation. Where the complaint concerns charges, review the appropriate dispute or complaint holds and identify what money is affected.
Any agreed credit or refund still needs the financial workflow. Closing the complaint should not leave an unposted adjustment in the notes or be taken to remove unrelated protections on the account.
Review approaching deadlines and recorded outcomes
Regular review should identify complaints nearing the relevant deadline, missing communications and outstanding actions. Reports and exports support that review using the recorded dates, categories and outcomes.
Keep sensitive narrative detail limited to what is needed and available to appropriate staff. A management register normally needs the shape and progress of the complaint rather than every personal circumstance discussed.
Related CRM workflows
Questions about Ofcom complaints handling for telecoms providers
Does the six-week clock apply to every old complaint?
Does generating a letter notify the customer?
Can software decide when a complaint is resolved?
Should every complaint stop all debt collection?
Review Your Complaints Workflow
Follow a complaint from its first contact through investigation, customer correspondence and the recorded outcome.