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The story is based on a press release from the LSB, which states: "Complaints made through a lawyers' in-house complaints handling procedure are known as first-tier complaints. This is the first step consumers must take if they wish to complain about the service they have received from their lawyer.

This consultation proposes amending the existing requirements for regulators to improve the outcomes for consumers in this area."

It is plain from the rest of the release that the proposed amendments are to make it easier still for 'consumers' to complain. The thinking behind the release appears to be that not enough 'consumers' are complaining, and therefore there is a problem with the complaints process - possibly that 'consumers' don't read the 16 pages of information we are obliged to send them?
The exercise does smack of (i) regulators looking for ways to justify their existence as the legal market shrinks; (ii) lawyer-bashing - 'there are too few complaints because you lawyers are devious about how to make complaints when you shouldn't be' (rather than perhaps 'consumers' have less to complain about?); and (iii) that outcomes are only improved for 'consumers' if they are subjectively satisfied with the outcome.

And with all this bureaucratic folderol, which has no obviously beneficial purpose, folks complain that legal costs are too high! I'm rather glad that I am now retired ...