The Central Bank of Ireland says retail financial firms continue to miss basic customer-service standards, including recognising and recording complaints. Patricia Dunne, Director of Horizontal Supervision, set out the findings in a 23 October speech following supervisory work across retail sectors.[1]
Problems identified in the speech
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Complaint recognition | Expressions of dissatisfaction not logged as complaintsSource 1 |
| Resolution | Customers making repeated contacts over straightforward issuesSource 1 |
| Communication | Unclear or unprofessional engagementSource 1 |
| Systemic problems | Weak root-cause analysis and recurring failuresSource 1 |
| Quality assurance | Process compliance given more weight than customer outcomesSource 1 |
Dunne said the revised Consumer Protection Code is already in effect and expects firms to embed it in their operations. The speech does not identify a failure rate, impose a new deadline or announce a sanction against a named broker.[1]
What useful complaint data should reveal
A broker can appear to have few complaints if its frontline system records dissatisfaction as a general enquiry. That makes complaint recognition the first measurement problem. Counting only cases that reach a specialist team can miss customers who abandon the process after repeated contacts.[1]
A second problem is closure without resolution. A ticket marked complete may still leave a disputed fee, inaccessible account or unanswered withdrawal question. Comparing repeat contacts, reopened cases and time to substantive resolution can expose that difference more clearly than a single average response time.[1]
These are practical implications of the supervisory findings. The relevant outcome is whether the customer’s issue was understood and resolved fairly, and whether the firm corrected a recurring cause. The speech places responsibility for that outcome with management rather than treating complaints as an isolated support function.[1]
Sources & further reading
- Moving the Dial on Customer Experience — Patricia Dunne opening remarks Central Bank of Ireland · 23 Oct 2026 · Accessed 27 Oct 2026