TPO integrates live chat to handle online consumer complaints

The Property Ombudsman Scheme (TPO) has partnered with Yomdel to provide a 24/7 live chat service. 

Consumers can now seek 'independent dispute advice and resolution' via the TPO website.

The announcement of the partnership follows a 'hugely successful' three-month pilot in which Yomdel handled more than 3,500 complaint enquiries made through the TPO website.

Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman, says that the decision to offer an online help facility has proved 'hugely impactful'.

She says consumers are now able to obtain personal and expert advice online both quickly and efficiently.

Sporle added: “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership which has supported us in managing a hidden demand from a difficult to reach group and has meant that we can now capture and service many more people than before.”

TPO reports that it receives 14,000-16,000 complaint enquiries each year and that the number of enquiries it received in the first quarter of 2017 increased by 27%.

Yomdel's founder and chief executive, Andy Soloman, comments: "We’re thrilled to be working alongside TPO and using highly-skilled operators to bring human interaction online."

"This helps TPO open up its dispute resolution earlier and to many more people, resulting in issues being positively resolved before they have a chance to escalate."

"We’re also working alongside TPO on other initiatives to improve the way complaints are handled, and are hugely excited about what this may mean for the wider property industry and ombudsman services,” he adds.

TPO published its most recent annual report in June, indicating a rise in the number of formal complaints and a record sum of compensation paid by agents.