The problem
Complaint letters are one of the most stressful documents an IFA has to write. There is the regulatory pressure: FCA DISP rules require complaints to be handled fairly and within specific timeframes, and your response needs to demonstrate that you have investigated properly. There is the legal risk: a poorly worded letter can be used against you at the Financial Ombudsman Service. And there is the human element: a real client who is upset and needs to be heard.
Most advisers either write complaints responses too quickly (and miss important points) or spend too long agonising over every word. Either way, the process is draining.
The ideal complaints response acknowledges the client's experience without accepting liability where none exists, sets out the facts clearly, explains the firm's position with reasoning, and signposts the FOS route in an appropriate and non-intimidating way. That is a lot to balance in a single letter.
The system
Step 1: Prepare a complaint summary
Before going near AI, write a clear factual summary of the complaint. Include:
- What the client says happened
- What the file evidence shows actually happened
- Any relevant dates and documents
- The outcome the client is seeking
- Your initial assessment of whether the complaint has merit
Do not put the client's personal data into Claude. Use initials or "the client" throughout.
Step 2: Draft the response letter (Claude)
Provide Claude with your factual summary and use this prompt:
"You are helping an IFA at a UK financial advice firm draft a complaint response letter. The letter must comply with FCA DISP rules and be clear, fair, and defensible. Here is the complaint summary:
[paste your summary]
Write a complaint response letter that:
- Acknowledges receipt of the complaint and thanks the client for raising it
- Confirms when the complaint was received and the deadline for our final response
- Sets out our understanding of the complaint
- Summarises the outcome of our investigation with the key evidence considered
- States clearly whether we uphold or reject the complaint, with reasons
- If rejected, explains the client's right to refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service within 6 months
- Closes warmly and professionally
The tone should be professional, empathetic, and clear. Avoid defensive or legalistic language. UK spelling, no em dashes."
Step 3: Stress-test the draft (Claude)
Before finalising, run a second prompt:
"Now read this letter as if you were a Financial Ombudsman adjudicator. What weaknesses or gaps might an adjudicator flag? Are there any statements that could be read as admissions of liability? Are there any claims we make that are not supported by the evidence in the summary? Suggest specific changes."
Review the suggestions carefully. Not all of them will apply, but this step often catches something useful.
Step 4: Final review
Have a senior adviser or compliance officer review the final draft before sending. AI can draft, but human judgement must sign off on any complaint response. This is non-negotiable.
The results
Before: 60 to 90 minutes per complaint response, significant anxiety about wording, inconsistent quality across different advisers.
After: 20 minutes to prepare the summary and run the prompts, 15 minutes for internal review. Total: 35 minutes for a more thorough and consistent letter.
The stress reduction is significant. Advisers who have adopted this workflow report that the process feels less fraught because they have a structured approach and a first draft to react to rather than a blank page to fill.
One important note: this workflow is a drafting aid, not a compliance shortcut. Every complaint response still requires human review and sign-off. But the drafting stage is no longer the bottleneck it used to be.