The Ombudsman’s strategy in the relationship between the company and its publics

This exploratory research project aims to verify the importance of the strategic insertion of the professional Ombudsman in the relationship process between the company and its publics, through a comparative case study of more than one case. Its relevance lies in understanding the relationship process between companies and their publics, analysing its evolution and current configuration. It is a topic that has been little covered and there is a shortage of scientific papers analysing this function as a relationship strategy for companies and their publics, in order to improve customer satisfaction. The analysis of the results shows that when the Ombudsman position is used properly as an interface between the company and its customers, the company can obtain benefits, two of which stand out: customer loyalty and the improvement of organisational processes through the influence of the Ombudsman’s work. However, this can only happen if the organisation has the maturity to assimilate an Ombudsman’s Office and if it is committed to its internal and external customers.