Consumer law: Remember who’s always right...

When disputes are brought to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) it is often because the customer feels that they haven’t been given a fair hearing. Many such disputes might have been resolved sooner and at less cost had the optician been more proactive in responding to the complaint.

Changes to consumer law, which came into force from October 1, mean that many opticians will need to review how they handle complaints and update their procedures accordingly. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is applicable to opticians in several important ways, and will require them to be even more proactive in how they engage with customers, who are likely to have greater awareness of their consumer rights and expect higher levels of customer service.