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Early Resolution Services

for Businesses Managing Complaints and Disputes

What is the Early Resolution Service?

Independent neutral support for your teams. 

Early Resolution Services help businesses manage complaints and disputes before they escalate into formal complaints, ombudsman referrals, or costly mediation. Designed for organisations handling high volumes of clients, tenants, or customers, the service provides early triage, independent intervention, and proportionate resolution support. This reduces risk, saves time and cost, protects relationships, and creates a clear pathway into formal mediation only where needed.

Helping Businesses Resolve Issues Early – Before They Escalate

Most complaints and disputes do not start as “serious disputes”.


They escalate because of delay, miscommunication, emotional responses, or lack of independent oversight.

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Our Early Resolution Service is designed for businesses that:

  • Manage high volumes of complaints or client matters

  • Support customers, tenants, or service users in emotionally charged situations

  • Want to reduce escalation, cost, and reputational risk

  • Need a structured, defensible approach to dispute handling

 

This is a retained, professional conflict management service that sits between day-to-day complaint handling and formal mediation.

Understanding Our Early Resolution Service

Early, proportionate intervention, to reduce complaint escalation.

Early Resolution Services provide early, proportionate intervention when issues first arise.

We work alongside your internal teams to:

  • Triage complaints and disputes at an early stage

  • Assess escalation risk and suitability for early intervention

  • Provide independent de-escalation and facilitated conversations

  • Contain disputes before positions harden

  • Create a clear decision point: resolve, stabilise, or refer to mediation

 

The service draws on extensive experience in early resolution pathways, including work established with The Property Ombudsman, and years of practical dispute and mediation delivery across property, workplace, and commercial matters.

Who the Service Is Designed For

Early Resolution Services are particularly effective for:

  • Property management companies and managing agents

  • Housing providers and portfolio landlords

  • Letting agencies

  • B2B service providers managing customer complaints

  • Organisations with internal complaints or case handling teams

 

Typical issues include:

  • Neighbour and tenant disputes

  • Tenant–landlord or tenant–agent conflict

  • Service delivery complaints

  • Communication breakdowns

  • Early workplace or contractor disputes

The Business Case for Early Resolution

For most organisations, escalation is expensive.

 

Without early intervention, disputes often lead to:

  • Ombudsman or redress referrals

  • Legal advice and correspondence

  • Senior management time

  • Formal mediation or litigation

  • Reputational damage and customer churn

 

Early Resolution Services:

  • Reduce escalation rates

  • Lower average cost per complaint

  • Free internal teams from firefighting

  • Improve outcomes when mediation is required

  • Create predictable monthly costs through a retainer model

 

In many cases, the monthly service cost is less than the cost of a single escalated dispute.

How Early Resolution Fits With Mediation

Early Resolution Services do not replace mediation.


They make mediation more effective when it is needed.

Where disputes progress:

  • Issues are clearly defined

  • Emotional intensity is reduced

  • Parties are better prepared

  • Settlement rates improve

 

This integrated approach saves time, cost, and stress for all involved.

How the Service Works in Practice

  1. A complaint or dispute is referred at an early stage

  2. We assess risk, suitability, and proportionality

  3. We intervene using appropriate early resolution methods

  4. The matter is:

    • resolved

    • stabilised and contained

    • or referred into formal mediation with a clear case summary

 

This prevents disputes from drifting or escalating unmanaged.

Why Businesses Choose Us

  • Independent, professional oversight

  • Proven experience in early dispute management

  • Clear frameworks and escalation gateways

  • Retained support aligned to business needs

  • Seamless access to formal mediation services

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