#A to Z BBC Help Terms of Use BBC Accessibility links * Skip to content * Skip to local navigation * Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation * Skip to bbc.co.uk search * Help * Accessibility Help BBC News Business * Home * UK * Africa * Asia * Europe * Latin America * Mid-East * US & Canada * Business * Health * Sci/Environment * Tech * Entertainment * Video * Asia Business * Market Data * Economy * Companies 29 October 2011 Last updated at 16:49 GMT Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print Homeserve suspends telesales to probe mis-selling claim Telephone keypad An internal review at Homeserve found sales techniques did not meet the company's standards Continue reading the main story Related Stories * Firms in abandoned calls inquiry * Fines for silent calls up to £2m Insurance and maintenance company Homeserve has suspended all telephone sales amid claims of mis-selling by its call centre staff. The Sun newspaper reported 100 workers at the company's biggest call centre in Walsall, West Midlands, were given the day off on Friday as a probe began. It said an internal investigation had suggested some employees were using questionable sales techniques. The firm has suspended outbound calls and says it is retraining 500 staff. The company said a review conducted over the past month had found that in some cases sales techniques at its call centre did not meet the company's standards. Earlier this year Homeserve and another company, Npower, were investigated by Ofcom after it was suggested call centre staff were ringing homes and then abandoning the calls before speaking, leaving customers with silence. The Sun's story claimed any investigation could look at whether Homeserve's staff were guilty of selling cover without fully explaining what the customer was paying, or the package they were buying. The Financial Services Authority (FSA), which could fine the company if it is found guilty of breaching sales regulations, has not commented. Homeserve said it had been in "regular dialogue" with the FSA, which had been informed of the measures it had implemented. In a statement, Homeserve said: "The review showed that there were cases where its sales processes did not meet the company's required standards. "Following this review, the company has therefore decided to suspend all telephone sales and marketing activity. "The company's service to customers making a claim or renewing their policy is unaffected by this decision." It went on to say that a retraining had started for telephone sales staff and the call centre would be able to take "inbound" calls from 1 November. "The company will not recommence 'outbound' sales calls until relevant staff have been through a comprehensive retraining programme and until it is confident that all sales procedures meet the standards it expects," the statement added. A spokeswoman added there would be no redundancies as a result of the measures. Richard Harpin, chief executive, Homeserve Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. My Bottom Line: Richard Harpin 'Swift action' Homeserve was founded in 1993 by chief executive Richard Harpin as a joint venture with South Staffordshire Water and has grown rapidly in recent years. It sells homeowners insurance to provide them with cover against drain blockages, burst pipes, faulty boilers and electrical problems and describes itself in adverts as "Britain's fifth emergency service". Mr Harpin said: "We are determined to ensure customers receive the highest standards of service and we have therefore taken swift action to address the issues identified by our review. "We have commenced a programme to retrain staff. "We will resume marketing once we are confident that our sales processes meet the standards that we and our customers expect." More on This Story Related Stories * Firms in abandoned calls inquiry 07 JULY 2011, BUSINESS * Fines for silent calls up to £2m 01 FEBRUARY 2011, UK Related Internet links * Homeserve The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites Share this page * Delicious * Digg * Facebook * reddit * StumbleUpon * Twitter * Email * Print More Business stories RSS * The euro sculpture at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt Euro unemployment hits new record The unemployment rate in the eurozone hit a record high of 10.4% at the end of last year, the Eurostat agency says. * Spain property woes hit Santander * Arm Holdings profits up over 40% Top Stories * Soldiers in Free Syrian Army in Damascus (27 Jan 2012) UN action 'could spur Syria war' * Euro unemployment hits new record * Search of cruise ship abandoned * Republican rivals in Florida vote * French win India fighter jet deal Features & Analysis * Model cars and houses Golden salary What do people earning £1m ($1.5m) spend it on? ______________________________________________________________ * Planet Earth Planet mass Do rockets fired into space make the Earth lighter? ______________________________________________________________ * Occupy DC protesters shout slogans Day in pictures 24 hours of news photos from around the world ______________________________________________________________ * A foreclosure (repossession) sign in front of a house Money talks Has wealth become a liability in the US Republican race? ______________________________________________________________ Most Popular Shared 1. 1: Brits barred from US after tweet 2. 2: Skin transformed into brain cells 3. 3: Policeman who became a pole-dancer 4. 4: How 'Europe' became a dirty word in US election 5. 5: Pythons link to mammals decline Read 1. 1: Brits barred from US after tweet 2. 2: F1 driver Adrian Sutil convicted 3. 3: French win India fighter jet deal 4. 4: Navy sends destroyer to Falklands 5. 5: What do people on £1 million salaries do with their money? 6. 6: Search of cruise ship abandoned 7. 7: Pythons link to mammals decline 8. 8: Snake bursts after gobbling gator 9. 9: Is the Earth getting lighter? 10. 10: Euro unemployment hits new record Video/Audio 1. 1: Europe struggles in grip of snow Watch 2. 2: 'Shame on you Simon Cowell' Watch 3. 3: One-minute World News Watch 4. 4: Beijing's pole-dancing former policeman Watch 5. 5: One way to find a rich Russian husband Watch 6. 6: How computers help Sweden's ice sculptors Watch 7. 7: Mystery illness at US high school Watch 8. 8: Fear factor: The science behind America's red/blue divide Watch 9. 9: How to play 'kung fu' piano Watch 10. 10: Life after death faces legal battle Watch Elsewhere on BBC News * India's Tirupati Temple. 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