For many people working in complaints handling, investigations or customer resolution, there’s a shared sense that the work has become harder over time.
Not because staff care less.
Not because organisations are doing everything wrong.
But because the nature of complaints has changed.
Complaints today are often more emotionally charged, more complex and more closely scrutinised than they were even a few years ago. Staff are expected to navigate difficult conversations, assess risk, weigh evidence and explain decisions clearly, often alongside already busy operational roles.
That combination carries a significant emotional and professional load.
Complaints handling in public-facing and regulated organisations
For public-facing and regulated organisations, complaints handling and complaint investigations are now a core part of service delivery and governance. Staff are expected to manage complex situations fairly, communicate clearly with complainants, and produce defensible outcomes that can withstand scrutiny from regulators, ombudsmen and senior leaders.
This means complaints work is no longer just about resolution. It is also about judgement, consistency and accountability.
Experience alone isn’t always enough
Experience matters, of course. Over time, people build professional judgement, resilience and instinct.
But experience alone doesn’t always provide the confidence people need when they are:
- managing high emotion or distress
- making difficult judgement calls
- deciding how much investigation is proportionate
- explaining outcomes that may not be welcomed
In those moments, uncertainty can creep in. Not because people don’t know what fairness looks like, but because they are unsure how best to demonstrate it clearly and defensibly.
Why structure supports confidence
What often helps most in this space isn’t rigid process or lengthy policy, but clear structure.
Structure gives people:
- a framework for thinking through complexity
- clarity about what matters most in a particular case
- confidence in how much to do, and how far to go
- language to explain decisions calmly and defensibly
Far from replacing professional judgement, good structure supports it. It allows staff to focus their attention, make proportionate decisions and communicate clearly, even when situations are emotionally charged or contested.
Training as support, not correction
When complaints handling training is framed as a response to “problems”, it can feel uncomfortable or even threatening.
But when training is positioned as support for people doing difficult work, it becomes something else entirely.
Well-designed complaints handling training:
- builds confidence rather than compliance
- reinforces good judgement rather than second-guessing it
- helps staff feel safer in their decision-making
- supports consistency, fairness and defensible outcomes
Most importantly, it recognises the reality of complaints work and the professionalism of the people doing it.
A constructive place to start
For organisations reflecting on complaints handling, complaint investigations or staff confidence in managing complex and emotionally charged situations, training can be a constructive place to start.
Not because something has gone wrong, but because the work has become more demanding, and people deserve the right support to do it well.
If you’re exploring how to support staff confidence in complaints handling or complaint investigations, you can find further information about our complaints handling training for public-facing organisations here:
👉 https://www.theoutcomepractice.co.uk/training/