Casework Skills Test Question 55 – Separating a service complaint from the evidence decision
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Practice focus: Complaints, disputed assurances and independent case decisions
Difficulty: Medium
Scenario
A customer says an adviser told them by telephone that their application was guaranteed to be approved. There is no call recording, and the adviser says they only explained the eligibility criteria. The application is still awaiting a decision. Guidance says decisions must be based on the evidence and published criteria, while complaints about staff conduct must be logged and considered separately without assuming either account is correct.
Rate the actions
For each action, choose Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective.
Action A
Approve the application so the department honours the assurance the customer says they received.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action B
Reject the complaint because there is no recording and tell the customer that the adviser's account must therefore be accepted.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action C
Ask the customer for the date, time and details of the call, preserve the available records and continue the application, but keep the complaint within the case team for now.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action D
Continue the application decision using the evidence, record the allegation accurately and send the service complaint through the separate complaints route.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Click to reveal the answer
| Action | Correct rating |
|---|---|
| Action A | Counterproductive |
| Action B | Ineffective |
| Action C | Fairly Effective |
| Action D | Effective |
Members can unlock the full explanation for all four actions, including how evidence, fairness, confidentiality, customer impact and authority affect each rating.
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