What is 'Treating Customers Fairly (TCF)?'

TCF is an initiative built on the Financial Service Authority's sixth regulatory principle - "a firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly.

This means we put you, the customer, at the heart of everything we do. From the products we sell and ensuring they are right for your needs, through to the training and development of our staff to ensure they are competent at what they do as well as the way we communicate with you to ensure you understand the what, whay and when of the services we provide.

The team at Shields Financial Services are committed to embedding the principles of TCF into their daily working practices and are focused on delivering the six outcomes of TCF as defined by the FSA:

Outcome 1	Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.
Outcome 2	Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.
Outcome 3	Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
Outcome 4	Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances
Outcome 5	Consumers are provided with products that perform as firmshave led them to expect, and the associated service is both of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
Outcome 6	Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product,switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.