• March 28, 2024
 Will writing regulation and complaints handling

Will writing regulation and complaints handling

We are all aware that Will Writing is not regulated by statute, but that does not mean it’s not regulated at all.

Consumers, if they feel that their complaint has not been dealt with properly or that they are being ignored, which appears to be a growing trend, not only among will writers but service industries in general in the UK, do have recourse through Trading Standards, Citizens Advice and of course the courts.

Will Writers, or Estate Planning Consultants, who are members of the Society of Will Writers, in addition to the above are regulated through their membership, and membership can be suspended or revoked in the event the member company fails to resolve the issue to the full satisfaction of the client and the SWW. The SWW operates a full complaints procedure when faced with a complaint regarding a member.

Fortunately, such actions are extremely rare, but even one complaint that reaches the SWW’s head office regarding a Member is one complaint too many.

Every will writing company, whether a member of the SWW or not should have in place a robust complaints system and everyone employed by that company needs to be trained in dealing with a complaint regardless of its severity.

There was a will writing company, many years ago, whose complaints handling consisted of, upon answering the telephone, if the caller used the word ‘complaint’, the call was abruptly ended. The switchboard most days of the week was manned by the MD’s wife. Not only was their membership revoked, they soon went into receivership and the MD himself, was later arrested and jailed for 3 years.

Burying your head in the sand is not the way to handle a complaint, they rarely simply disappear regardless of how long you may try to ignore it. There is no shame in receiving a complaint, most businesses do from time to time, the important thing is to deal it with head on – if necessary refund any fees paid and move on. There is a saying that goes, “get it right and the client will tell 3 family and friends – get it wrong and they will tell 10 – you cannot win no matter how much you feel you are in the right.

The SWW comes across, albeit rarely, habitual and systematic complainers – its something that the USA has exported, where there is blame there is a claim.

The sooner you respond and deal with a complaint the more likely the client is to accept a compromise, such as a rework rather than a refund. Leave it too long and the client loses faith and demands a full refund.

Running a business is like many things in life, its about common sense, put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask yourself “is this the way I would want to be treated?”

One last word, if you do make a mistake and you get a complaint, learn from it. Ask yourself, is the training being provided by you to your consultants (or yourself if a sole practitioner) fit for purpose? The SWW through the College of Will Writing provides a range of courses, both residential at our Training Centre in Lincoln or through cloud-based distance learning methods.

This article was published by the submitter (as named above) as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills & Probate.

The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills & Probate.

The Society of Will Writers

https://www.willwriters.com/

The Society of Will Writers (SWW) is a non-profit making self-regulatory organisation that seeks to protect the public and serve the interests of those who are active professionals in the Will Writing and Estate Planning field, as well as the upkeep of advancement, education, and ethical standards within the profession. Founded in 1994, the SWW has grown to a membership of over 1700 estate planning professionals across the UK, Europe and further afield in places such as Asia and Africa, each championing our standards and enabling the public access to high-quality Will Writing and Estate Planning services.

The main goals of the SWW are:

  • To promote to the public at large the real need and sense in having a valid will.
  • To act as a self-regulatory body by vetting practitioners through stringent membership requirements, proficiency standards and ongoing training.
The SWW is proud to be one of the frontrunning organisations where steering the profession is concerned, regularly meeting with other regulators and industry stakeholders to ensure that our members voices are heard, and needs are matched. Being a member of the SWW also grants access to exclusive benefits such as unlimited technical support when you’re in need of help, bespoke PII cover available only to SWW members, a web listing through the Find a Member section on our website, and discounts on both our and selected partner’s products and services. SWW Members also have access to regional groups, ongoing training, and an annual conference, all designed to enhance their knowledge and create excellent networking opportunities.

The designatory letters of the SWW’s membership grades:

  • SWW (Affiliate)
  • MSWW (Full)
  • ASWW (Associate)
  • FSWW (Fellow)
  • SWW (Companion)
  • SWW (Honorary)
Each membership grade denotes its holders experience and is an assurance to the public that the Will Writer or Estate Planner that they are engaging with is trained, insured and SWW code compliant. We always encourage members of the public to ask their Will Writer if they are a Member of the SWW, and any Member would be happy to present their membership ID card as proof. The public can also rely on checking any Member’s credentials by contacting SWW head office.

Meet Sam Smith – Head of Membership

Sam manages the membership team here at the SWW. He is responsible largely for Member recruitment and handling enquiries from Members. As well as liaising with Society partners and third parties, he also looks after our 20 regional chairs. Sam is always on hand at SWW events to meet and greet. In Sam’s downtime, he enjoys going to the gym, restoring his camper van, and playing golf. Sam is the point of contact between the SWW and Todays Wills & Probate. If you have any enquiries, you can contact Sam by emailing him at sam.s@willwriters.com or calling the office on 01522 687 888 and he would be more than happy to assist.