Sweden is set to introduce a legislative proposal aimed at penalizing companies with substandard customer service. That’s what the Swedish government is trying to achieve with a new legislative proposal, aiming to significantly enhance the quality of consumer interactions with company support departments.
Current regulations address aspects like the visibility of contact information and the requirement for prompt responses within a reasonable timeframe. However, a key deficiency identified is the lack of a mechanism to impose sanctions on non-compliant businesses.
Public Administration Minister Erik Slottner announced, “We are now going to tighten the requirements on companies’ customer services.” He explained that courts will gain greater authority to issue conditional fines to companies that fail to meet the standards for accessible customer support. Slottner believes that if customer services do not become more efficient and customer-focused, consumers risk being trapped in contracts they wish to terminate.
The extent of the problem is difficult to quantify due to a large number of unreported cases. While consumers can report issues with goods and services to the Swedish Consumer Agency and the National Board for Consumer Disputes, there is no formal channel for reporting deficiencies in customer service itself. “Therefore, we don’t have much knowledge today about how big the problem is, apart from the supervision reports that the Consumer Agency has produced,” Slottner added.
The proposed legislation, currently in a draft referral to the Council on Legislation, is based on an investigation by the Consumer Agency. It targets sectors including retail, hospitality, construction, trade services, and personal services like hairdressing and beauty salons.
Under the proposal, the Consumer Ombudsman would oversee compliance. Non-compliant companies could be reported to the court, potentially facing conditional fines that demand improvements. The final decision on fines and injunctions would rest with the Patent and Market Court.
A typical conditional fine for a non-compliant company could range from one to two million kronor. The exact amount would be determined based on the company’s size and financial situation, designed to act as a significant deterrent.
If approved by parliament, the new law is slated to take effect on March 1st, 2027.
