.
If you arrived here after doing a search for the term, it is to be assumed that one of the possible reasons for its current almost non-existence has not affected you. But that is a subject for later on.
The truth is that it was widely adopted a few decades ago, and we live in a period in which there are almost no more ombudsmen in companies.
Understanding its function, importance and why the initiative failed on these sides are some of the issues that we will discuss here.
What is ombudsman?
More than just saying what it is, the relevance of clarifying what an ombudsman is, later on will also give one of the possible reasons for its end.
It is a term of Swedish origin and, therefore, a foreign term, which, unlike so many others that are widely used on a daily basis, “did not catch on”. At least by the vast majority of consumers.
Still in the distant year of 1809, Sweden created a position in the public administration, whose function was to prove the observance of the laws and the fulfillment of the functions of the public agents in matters related to the attendance of the population, adopting measures, receiving complaints and suggestions and solving any dissatisfaction resulting from non-compliance with their rights.
Ombudsman in Swedish means the representative of the people.
Therefore, its role was to ensure that the interests of the population in matters of public administration were met.
It was a success and so, little by little, other Scandinavian countries began to copy the model, with Finland being the first to do so.
The movement gained strength in Europe and soon the whole world, even the private sector, followed the same steps, with the institution of the figure and role of the ombudsman in the second sector taking place first in the newspapers, where he should “ defend” the reader.
Ombudsman in Brazil
In Brazil, Folha de São Paulo was the first newspaper to have an ombudsman – Caio Túlio Costa. That is, someone being paid by the newspaper itself to be the “voice” of the reader there, in 1989.
It is necessary to understand the scenario of the time when companies started to create the position here.
Shortly before – in 1988 – the current Constitution – the so-called Citizen Constitution – had been drafted and approved.
and which, among other things, established consumer protection as a fundamental guarantee and which would culminate in the emergence in 1990 of the Consumer Defense Code or just CDC.
The 1990s also brought the advance of globalization and market opening. With this, increased competitiveness, making more and more companies see the importance of meeting consumer demands.
It was then that large retail chains also joined the idea. It was not uncommon at the time to see in the customer service sector of the stores, posters with photos, names and texts encouraging customers to contact their ombudsmen.
Most of the time, more mature people, resembling a mother or even a grandmother, smiling and with a receptive attitude.
“We want to hear you”, “tell us what you think of us”, “our obudsman wants to know what you think of our service”, were examples of the invitations made and that appeared below the photo and above the title ombudsman, until then unknown to the vast majority.
How important is the ombudsman for companies?
Whether in Brazil or in other parts of the world, the presence of the ombudsman in companies became almost mandatory, demonstrating that there was agreement on its importance.
When one even thinks about the stereotype, the often sought-after image of the people who held the position, the figure of the woman, mother or grandmother, smiling and with an expression inviting dialogue, was a clear indication of what was intended.
He was the embodiment of confidence, of experience, of understanding. Symbolize the person who takes care of and watches over the family and everything they need. It is also the one who has the sensitivity to interpret and listen and not just listen.
But more than this almost romantic vision, in practice the ombudsman, paradoxical as it may seem, is the one who has the role of defending the interests of consumers within the company. In other words, an antagonistic role.
Unlike the call center, call center, support or whatever the names are given, it goes a little beyond the rules, norms, standard operating procedures and even though the first line of service is responsible for customer satisfaction. , rather it is committed to the interests of the company.
The ombudsman even comes into the picture when standard care fails in any measure, generally counting on greater autonomy to go further, make extra concessions, make exceptions and even when necessary and opportune, institute new policies.
It was an important step in the quest to establish truly customer-oriented companies, after all, when we go back to the Swedish origin of the name, it should be a representative of the people!
What is the difference between ombudsman and ombudsman?
Many must be wondering what is the difference between ombudsman and ombudsman, right?
Confusion is natural, after all in practice and in the end goals, there is almost no difference.
More strictly, the term ombudsman is related to the administration of public services, such as health and education provided by the State. However, its use in the private sector is also not uncommon.
In any case, the ombudsman usually presupposes more than one position, but an area with professionals whose purpose is very similar to that of the ombudsman, and the one who performs a similar function is the ombudsman.
But as a department of the company, there may be a manager and people with specific functions, such as tabulating data, statistical surveys, reports, conducting administrative procedures, that is, acting like administrative assistants from other areas, but in relation to the routines of the company. ombudsman.
This is usually the case in large companies that encourage their customers to turn to the ombudsman whenever necessary.
Why do companies no longer have an ombudsman?
If it is so important and still plays such an active role in some countries, why in Brazil the ombudsman almost no longer exists in companies?
There is not just one reason. Service specialists list many:
- The term – although foreign words are present in many areas, most agree that ombudsman is not easy to speak, to read, to remember and even to write. Unlike many English terms, its spelling and pronunciation don’t help;
- Knowledge – in addition to the previous aspect, many people saw the term, but simply did not know what it was about and/or did not understand the role and importance for them as consumers. This and the previous reason, caused many professionals to be underutilized or even idle;
- Autonomy – some companies did not grant the autonomy that the professional should have to effectively fulfill their role and ended up acting only figuratively;
- Marketing – many companies have shown that they do not understand the essence of the activity and have instituted the ombudsmen more as a component of Marketing with consumers and that often, in addition to the lack of autonomy to carry out the necessary changes, have made them of little use;
- Internet – the Internet and particularly the many tools that helped to give voice to consumers, such as social networks, helped to strengthen communication with companies, which was one of the roles of the ombudsman;
- Culture – culturally speaking, consumers were not used to a receptive and sincere attitude on the part of the company to listen to them. It was always more on the side of “us versus them”, which led to distrust regarding the effectiveness of the initiatives;
- Costs – in companies where the above factors had the greatest negative impact, it meant that in more economically sensitive moments, the ombudsman was seen as just another cost center and was one of the first cuts to be made.
This set of factors gradually made the overwhelming majority of Brazilian companies begin to extinguish this position.
But here comes the question…
Is the ombudsman still important for companies in the digital age?
Objectively, yes!
Even rationally speaking, it is even more important than it was at the time of its heyday.
In times when technology can also be your competitor, personalization of service is essential, the humanization of companies and the ESG agenda are highlighted, the focus on meeting the needs and desires of the persona, the expansion of the relationship and several other aspects that go well beyond the “simple” binomial product/service quality and price, having a legitimate consumer representative within the company is still a differential.
What changes are the means.
The mom or grandma of the 90s, as pejorative as it sounds, denotes something that doesn’t suit the 21st century consumer. This stereotyped – but real – view prevents the approximation that is expected and necessary.
This “lady” of today needs to participate and use the language of social networks and at least have a “Zap” as the main communication channel.
She must be able to understand each of the generations and their peculiarities and thus be able to move through them. Know a little – or a lot, preferably – about technology and trends. Instead of just stamping a photo in the store or on the website, having a YouTube channel and a column on the company blog.
If it is not at least like that, it will be as it was in the past.
Conclusion
Understanding the whys that led to the end of ombudsmen in companies helps not to repeat mistakes that compromise the pursuit of customer satisfaction.
.
