The TSI Fair Trading Award

The Fair Trading Award (FTA) is a unique training programme delivering knowledge and education to businesses and staff, enabling you to better understand and protect your business interests and reputation; ensure compliance with trading regulations; protect the interests of your customers and consumers.

How can it help you as a business?
Do your staff know the difference between criminal and civil law? Are they able to deal fairly with customers? Do you as a business know your rights? Do you as a business understand the regulations you need to comply with?

• The Fair Trading Award provides your and your staff with the opportunity to become more aware and competent in the operation of your business.
• Increases staff knowledge and confidence in dealing with customers.
• Releases supervisory and management time to focus on operating and managing your business.
• By ensuring compliance, saves costs and time of going through regulatory investigations caused by inadvertent breaches or lack of compliance.
• Dealing effectively and fairly with customers, saves time and money from unnecessary pay-outs or civil law proceedings.
• Increases customer confidence and your business reputation through supporting consumer rights.
• Aids staff development and retention, providing external recognition of achievement, which can support their personal and professional development plans.

What does it do?
The Fair Trading Award training programme has been designed to increase knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of consumer and civil law for the benefit of all traders and businesses. As a business, you need to understand the difference between criminal and civil law, penalties for breach of criminal law and remedies available for breach of civil law.

Increased knowledge will improve your confidence to devise and operate policies and procedures for complaint handling and to deal fairly with customers to support their rights. You will have the confidence to stand up for your rights with both consumers and your suppliers, understand how to work with and obtain advice from Trading Standards professionals.

Any individual staff member, as well as the business, can be guilty of breaches criminal or civil law - ignorance of the law and its requirements is not a defence. Some knowledge of civil and criminal law within a trading environment is essential for all staff dealing with consumers, to protect themselves and the business as well as your customers.

By training and supporting your staff through the Fair Trading Programme, you can minimise your exposure to potential prosecutions, the subsequent loss of income and trade and possible financial penalties. Some knowledge of civil and criminal law within a trading environment is essential for all staff dealing with consumers.

What is the Fair Trading Award?
It is a structured training programme consisting of three individual training courses, catering for staff requiring different levels of knowledge for their roles in dealing with consumers, and for managing your business and operations.

1. Introduction to Fair Trading Award Course (1/2day).
2. Intermediate Fair Trading (1 day).
3. Advanced Fair Trading (2 day).

The modular design of the Fair Trading Award programme enables students to either take an individual course at the required level, or to enter at the introduction level and progress through the programme in line with the needs of their roles within your business.

1. Introduction to Fair Trading Award:

This course is designed for all staff in a customer-facing environment, where a basic knowledge of criminal and civil law would support them in undertaking their main job role.

It is provided either as classroom-based training or through e-learning web-based training.
It consists of a half-day learning session that has been written, or is delivered, by an accredited TSI trainer, covering the basic tenets of Trading Standards Law, including:

• Civil Law.
• Criminal Law.
• Elements of a simple contract.
• Implied terms.
• Sale of Goods & Services Act 1979.
• Supply of Goods & Services Act 1982.
• Guarantees.

At the end of the session, students will be awarded an ‘Introduction to Basic Fair Trading Award’ certificate.

2. Intermediate Fair Trading Award

This course is designed for all staff, and those in supervisory and management roles, working in customer service departments, on the shop floor, in contact centres, in customer relationship roles, and those working within your regulatory compliance departments.

This award constitutes a one-day classroom-based course, with an openbook test at the end of the day. The course is delivered by a TSI accredited trainer.

On successful completion of the test, students will be awarded the ‘Intermediate Fair Training Award’ certificate.

The course provides more in-depth knowledge on the topics addressed under the Introduction to Fair Trading course, and additionally covers:

• Role of the Enforcement Officer.
• What to expect from a Trading Standards visit.
• Home Authority Principle.
• Trade Descriptions Act.
• Due Diligence & other defences.
• Prices & Safety Law.
• Underage Sales.

3. Advanced Fair Trading Award

This course is designed for staff and those in supervisory and management roles responsible for business management and operations, who require an in-depth understanding of regulatory compliance and consumer rights and protection.

This course is delivered through classroom-based learning, supplemented by e-learning web based self-paced modules. The course delivers a core level of knowledge and education applicable to all businesses, and then optional modules suitable for specific market places and business environments.

This course comprises of the Intermediate course which must be successfully completed and a further second day that covers these areas:

• Role of the Enforcement Officer.
• Concept of Due Diligence.
• Responsibilities.
• Systems Failure and Prevention.
• General Principles of Trading Standards Law.
• Sale of Goods/Supply of Services.

FTA Intermediate Course

This course provides basic knowledge of consumer law, both criminal and civil, for retailers operating in today’s fast moving marketplace. It is ideal for individuals working in Customer Services departments, who regularly deal with customers seeking refunds and possibly compensation. Booking details and FTA course outline

Further modules can be provided, depending on your organisational or personal requirements.

At the end of the course, candidates will sit a two-hour examination. The examination consists of multiple choice and short answer questions and is marked and externally verified by TSI appointed examiners and assessors.

On successful passing of the examination, students will be awarded an 'Advanced Level - Fair Trading Award certificate.'

Practical Business Benefits to the FTA Course:

• Greater understanding of what businesses can and can’t do.
• Increased protection – knowledge enables traders to avoid committing offences and to take precautions to prevent offences e.g. not displaying illegal notices, misleading price indications etc.
• Establish “due diligence” defences where offences have occurred, e.g. taking reasonable precautions to check the accuracy of the information provided by a manufacturer or customer.
• Minimise damage done by offences e.g. voluntary recalls of dangerous products.
• Reduction in costs of providing unnecessary refunds, dealing with protected claims and avoiding enforcement action.
• Helps avoid the risk of prosecution.
• Understand when consumers are pushing beyond the limits/boundaries.
• Businesses can learn their rights when dealing with others in the distribution chain, consumers and business customers.
• Take steps to prevent liability arising.
• Know what remedies consumers and businesses can request and when these can be refused.
• Understanding when liability can be passed back up the distribution chain.
• Be more confident in instigating or defending legal action.
• Increased staff and consumer confidence.
• Enhanced business reputation.
• Closer relationship with enforcement bodies.
• Improved customer service.

Is the FTA Suitable For You?

The Fair Trading Award has been designed for all companies and traders who supply produce or sell goods and services to customers, consumers and members of the public. Whether directly or through distributor and retail outlets, including, stores, contact and call centres, manufacturers, and all shop and marker traders.

All sizes of organisations from the large retailers to the smaller independent companies benefit from this training. It is ideal for all levels of staff, full or part-time employees, supervisory and management staff, as well as business owners.

So if you’d like to increase your knowledge and understanding of the principles of consumer and civil law, while increasing your confidence and ability to deal fairly with customers and stand up for your own rights, the Fair Trading Award is for you.

Customised Training and Consultancy Services

In addition to these standard training course offerings, The Trading Standards Institute offers a full range of training consultancy services to customise, tailor or develop bespoke training and education courses to meet the needs of your business.

This includes needs analysis capture; tailoring the Fair Trading Award courses for your specific business requirements; delivering courses on your premises; providing classroom based or distance and e-learning materials and solutions; developing training courses for you to include within your own training colleges and staff learning programmes.

For further information on the Fair Trading Award programme or training consultancy services, contact The Trading Standards Institute at:

Web: www.tsi.org.uk
e-mail:
Download PDF