Process Customer Complaints
PROCESS CUSTOMER
COMPLAINTS
BOOK 1 – Rural Regional and remote workplaces
REGIONAL AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
“DRIVEN BY LOCAL INDUSTRY & COMMUNITY”
A Commonwealth of Australia project funded by:
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Materials produced by:
Regional Skills Training Pty Ltd
1
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
These interactive workbooks were produced by Regional Skills Training and funded by DEEWR (Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations) and are intended for free use to any student, RTO or school. Note the work is copyright
and should not be reproduced or copied for commercial gain.
Please fill in your details below and save this PDF to your files
Name
Telephone
Email
TROUBLE WITH WEBSITE LINKS?
Sometimes you may click on a web link and the site will say it is not available. Please revisit the site when you are next
working on your resource materials as web sites are sometimes “off line” for maintenance reasons.
If you are consistently unable to access a site you are free to answer the associated activity by searching for and finding an
alternative site that you feel is applicable. PLEASE INCLUDE THE LINK IN YOUR ANSWERS so we know where to look.
Please complete the feedback form at the back of the unit and advise us of any links that do not work.
CONTENTS
 1.
Introduction and how to use these materials
03
 2.
Learning materials, what are these about?
04
 3.
Respond to customer complaints
05
3.1
Who is the customer
05
3.2
What types of complaint may be made
06
How should you process customer complaints
07
4.1
What policies, procedures , legislation, regulations or codes of practice are applicable
07
4.2
What is effective communications for resolving complaints 10
4.3
A register of complaints/disputes is maintained and customer is informed of outcome of investigation
13
Refer complaints to appropriate personnel
14
5.1
Complaints that require referral 14
5.2
Complete documentation and investigation reports 16
 6.
Being confident about your skill levels
19
 7.
Assessment
20
 8.
Bibliography and source material
21
 4
 5.
Process Customer Complaints
1.INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THESE MATERIALS
This workbook relates to processing customer complaints and
is appropriate to people employed in a range of workplaces in
the rural, regional and remote sectors of Australia.
Completion of appropriate summative assessments provided
by your Registered Training Organisation (RTO) will enable you
to achieve competency in the unit applicable to your sector.
Skills and knowledge developed will ensure your ability
to process customer complaints is appropriate to your
workplace and industry sector. Resources and activities
provided are designed to develop your skills and provide
formative assessments to monitor progress.
These student materials apply to the following industry
sectors and units of competence.
Sector
Unit code
Unit name
Primary Industries
AHCMER301A
Process Customer Complaints
Business/Retail/ Services
BSBCMM301A
Process Customer Complaints
3
Process Customer Complaints
2.LEARNING MATERIALS
WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT?
The learning materials discuss issues related to the Processing of Customer Complaints including:
• Respond to customer complaints
• How should you process customer complaints
• Refer complaints to appropriate personnel
2.1 EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
The learning materials provide opportunities to develop and apply employability skills that are learnt throughout work and life
to your job.
The statements below indicate how these processes are applied in the workplace related to processing of customer
complaints. In completing your daily work tasks, activities and summative assessments you must be able to demonstrate
competent “employability skills” in the workplace.
Communication
•
•
•
•
•
•
listening and understanding
speaking clearly and directly
negotiating responsively
empathising
understanding the needs of internal and external customers
writing a range of simple documentation and communications
Teamwork
• working as an individual and as a member of a team
• completing individual tasks to support team goals
Problem Solving
• developing creative, innovative and practical solutions
• showing independence and initiative in identifying and solving problems
• applying a range of strategies to problem solving
Initiative and Enterprise
• initiating innovative solutions
• demonstrating individual responsibility for completing tasks
Planning and Organising
• being resourceful
• taking initiative and making decisions
• collecting, analysing and organising information
Self-Management
• taking responsibility
Learning
• applying learning to technical issues (e.g. learning about products) and people issues
(e.g. interpersonal and cultural aspects of work)
• developing a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of products and services
Technology
• using IT to organise data
• using information communication technology to communicate with team members or clients
4
Process Customer Complaints
3.RESPOND
TO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
3.1 WHO IS THE CUSTOMER?
Customers may be either internal or external. An internal customer is someone in your workplace to whom you provide a
service. An external customer is the person traditionally viewed as a customer. It is the outside person who comes into your
store or business and may include customers with routine or special requests, regular and new customers, people from a
range of social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, or people with varying physical and mental abilities.
Every customer has the potential to be satisfied or dissatisfied with your service. It is human nature that if a person is satisfied
they won’t tell anyone. However if they are dissatisfied, they will complain to at least 5 of their friends. Of course telling 5
friends will ensure that they also tell 5 friends each and so the bad service story is constantly repeated. In addition there are
some other “bad news” facts that relate to dissatisfied customers:
•
•
•
•
only 5% of dissatisfied ‘customers’ complain to the business – the ‘tip of the iceberg’
the remainder complain to their friends
dissatisfied people tell five times more people than satisfied ones
most people have no idea who to complain to in an organisation
So what do people want? It is not difficult to improve services related to customer complaints. People want to be taken
seriously, they want to know that their complaint is being listened to and will be acted upon. It is also very sensible to
apologise to the customer and assure them that the problem will be fixed.
So from a complaint come some “good news” facts:
•
•
•
•
speedy responses to complaints can significantly increase customer loyalty
customers who complain and are satisfied by the complaints process are more loyal than those who had no problem initially
resolving complaints on first contact can cut complaint handling costs in half
a strong link exists between good complaint management processes and business improvement
The major advantage of an effective and speedy complaint resolution process is that you will gain a reputation for resolving
a complaint quickly, efficiently and fairly. The complainant will certainly talk to other people who are likely to become
customers, therefore, you will spend less time and money attracting new customers. It’s also worth remembering that it costs
about five times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. Think of the savings in advertising!
It is also worth seeking suggestions and compliments as well as complaints. You can also gain from discovering the things
you are doing well.
Have a look at the short video clip below, “Dealing with customer complaints” by Chip Conley. Even though the author is
referring to American businesses, the same principles apply to any business in any country.
http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2045
Essentially Conley is saying that it is OK for a customer to complain and when receiving complaints you should drop
everything and immediately contact or deal with the offended party. He advises that you will go a long way to solving the
problem with swift personal attention and giving the person appropriate respect.
Even if you cannot solve the problem, immediate response can halt deepening resentment and the viral effects of negative
word-of-mouth conversations about your workplace.
5
Process Customer Complaints
3.2 WHAT TYPES OF COMPLAINT MAY BE MADE?
Types of complaints vary depending on the type of business and service that is provided. Complaints also vary from simple
customer dissatisfaction that can be resolved on the spot, to a serious complaint requiring external intervention eg police.
For the purposes of this workbook, we are dealing with the customer complaint that is specific to the business and is solved
internally within the business.
Such complaints could be about:
•
•
•
•
•
product quality or misunderstanding of its purpose
service dissatisfaction
price or quantity errors
delivery issues
manufacturer’s warranty or service issues.
 ACTIVITY 1
Complete the table below listing complaints that have been received in your workplace. As we proceed through
the workbook, we will look at these complaints again and see if they could have been handled differently.
Describe the complaint
Why did it occur
How was the complaint resolved
6
Process Customer Complaints
7
4.HOW DO YOU PROCESS
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS?
While every complaint is different, it is very sensible for a business to have a clear process for complaint handling. The
process should be structured around a concise complaint handling policy and simple procedures for the most likely situations.
The best way to gain staff ownership of a process is to involve all workers in the development and updating of policies
and procedures. It is very sensible to have a brainstorming session at least annually and definitely after dealing with any
significant complaints. During this session workers should be encouraged to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
think of all the possible things that could happen and work out potential solutions
record changes to policies and procedures
agree on what training is required to effectively implement new processes
discuss ideas for informing customers how to provide feedback or make a complaint
work out the most effective way to gather information
develop a method of handling complaints that is non-punitive where individuals can be supported to prevent recurrence
All of the above points reflect what should occur in any workplace. However to make sure everything happens correctly, you
need appropriate record keeping forms, technology and administration.
4.1 WHAT POLICIES, PROCEDURES, LEGISLATION,
REGULATIONS OR CODES OF PRACTICE ARE APPLICABLE TO
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS?
Customers want their complaints to be easy to report, acknowledged, and dealt with quickly, fairly and sensitively.
A written complaint handling policy is a good way to ensure that complaints are taken seriously and dealt with appropriately
and consistently. It also helps to support staff, so be sure you understand your businesses policy.
Here are some tips for developing a customer complaint policy.
• make it easy for all customers to complain
• decide which staff have the authority to resolve a complaint, and make sure they know what to do. The more a
complaint is escalated to someone higher in the business, the more dissatisfied the customer may become
• set a time frame to respond to a complaint. Taking too long makes the problem worse
• give one person responsibility for managing the complaint from beginning to end, so the customer does not have to
repeat their complaint to different staff.
• ensure staff know your policy and how to treat complaints fairly. Poor complaint handling, for example blaming the
customer for the problem or marginalising them by saying no one else has complained, will only worsen the problem
A complaint handling policy can:
• state why your business welcomes complaints, listing the benefits to customers, staff and the business
• state who the policy covers and who is authorised to resolve complaints
• define a complaint
Process Customer Complaints
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
commit to quick, fair and confidential complaint handling
state who is responsible for taking, recording, resolving, analysing and reporting on complaints
explain how to log complaints
explain the complaint procedure and what to do about complaints
set timelines for complaint handling and keeping customers informed
list acceptable ways to resolve complaints
explain what will happen if the complaint cannot be resolved internally
be reviewed regularly for effectiveness and updated
state where people can get further help
The information above has been sourced from The SA Government Equal Opportunity Commission
www.eoc.sa.gov.au/eo-business/shops-and-services/shops-and-services-toolkit/developing-your-customer-complaint-policy
Look at the web site and specifically click on the “Sample Complaints Handling Policy”
 ACTIVITY 2
Use the sample Complaints Handling Policy as a guide to develop a policy for your workplace. Complete the
interactive section below outlining the points that you would include in your own complaints handling policy.
8
Process Customer Complaints
Clearly the policy is the broad outline of how a complaint is handled. The next step is to develop procedures.
There may be a number of different procedures used by a business eg:
•
•
•
•
for a verbal complaint
for a written complaint
for a product complaint
for a complaint about a service or staff
The South Australian Government Equal Opportunity Commission also provides a useful checklist regarding developing
complaint handling procedures. Click on to the link below.
www.eoc.sa.gov.au/eo-business/shops-and-services/shops-and-services-toolkit/developing-complaint-handling-procedure
 ACTIVITY 3
Complete the table below related to 4 complaints that have occurred in your workplace. Select complaints
from those you have listed in Activity 1. The intention is for you to gauge your understanding of the complaints
handling process.
Complaint selected from Activity 1
List the tasks completed in the
complaint handling procedure
What changes do you think
would improve the process
9
Process Customer Complaints
In the above 2 activities you have looked at a policy as well as procedures for complaints handling.
Compare your list of tasks related to the complaints you discussed in Activity 3 with the list below. Did you include all or most
of the following in your procedure checklist?
You should have because these are the most basic issues that need to be covered to resolve a complaint:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
thank the customer.
say why you appreciate the customer feedback
apologise as soon as you understand the nature of the problem (don’t apologise beforehand, as this can look insincere)
affirm that the complaint will be resolved to their satisfaction
ask for information to solve the problem
take immediate action. Speedy resolution of a problem is one of the best ways to retain customer loyalty
check if the customer is satisfied - even if this requires follow-up action
take action to prevent recurrence of the problem and make appropriate changes to your products or your procedures
4.2 WHAT ARE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
FOR RESOLVING COMPLAINTS?
There are definitely effective and ineffective communication methods for dealing with complaints. A base level rule is that
“personal is better”. If it is at all possible, you are better to resolve a complaint by talking to the person face to face.
Look at the You Tube below. This is a great example demonstrating that dealing with customer complaints is all about people
skills, one on one or face to face personal service. The worst complaint resolution processes are the dehumanising, take a
number, “we will get to you when we have time” approach.
Click here view video “How to handle Customer Complaints”
OR if you are using the printed resource, enter the address below into your web browser.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fO1NF9xnf4&feature=related
After looking at the videos it should be clear that workers must be able to demonstrate some essential skills before being
given any role in a complaint resolution process.
Those essential skills should include the ability to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
let the customer know they have your full attention
listen and develop a clear understanding of what the complaint is about
acknowledge the problem and be empathetic and calm to help alleviate the customer’s stress
take notes without filtering or interpreting the information
ask questions to clarify or expand knowledge of the complaint
give the customer opportunities to ask questions.Tell the customer you want to help improve the situation. Ask how they
would like to proceed
explain how the complaint procedure works
ensure the customer is comfortable with the process. Decide what can be done to fix the problem and tell them
contact the customer within an agreed time-frame to ensure the problem was resolved
maintain a courteous and professional approach
10
Process Customer Complaints
 ACTIVITY 4
For each of the skills above describe a situation where you have demonstrated your ability to achieve this
competently in the workplace
The skill
Let the customer know they have
your full attention
Listen and develop a clear
understanding of what the complaint
is about
Acknowledge the problem and
be empathetic and calm to help
alleviate the customer’s stress
Take notes without filtering or
interpreting the information
Ask questions to clarify or expand
knowledge of the complaint
Give the customer opportunities to
ask questions.Tell the customer you
want to help improve the situation.
Ask how they would like to proceed
Explain how the complaint
procedure works
Ensure the customer is comfortable
with the process. Decide what can be
done to fix the problem and tell them
Contact the customer within an
agreed time-frame to ensure the
problem was resolved
Maintain a courteous and
professional approach
Describe a situation when you did
this in the workplace related to
dealing with a customer complaint
What do you think you could
do to improve your skills
11
Process Customer Complaints
THE PLUMBING CASE STUDY:
The plumbing case study listed below is a great example of a business correctly dealing with a complaint and using the
appropriate personal skills to ensure a positive outcome. If you are having problems with Activity 4, the case study will help
you think of similar examples in your workplace
• A woman stormed into a plumbing company’s head office demanding to see the manager about an unfinished plumbing
job. She was looking for a fight because she had repeatedly asked that the plumbing be fixed for her daughter’s wedding
party next week, and there were only two days to go.
• The manager invited her into his office and allowed her to let off steam. (Let the customer know they have
your full attention)
• He demonstrated a personal interest in her predicament and agreed that having leaky pipes in the toilet would be a
problem. (Listen and develop a clear understanding of what the complaint is about)
• Taking notes to ensure he understood the problem fully he then calmly explained the reasons why the job had been
delayed – there had been heavy rains and many emergency plumbing jobs to be carried out. (Take notes without
filtering or interpreting the information)
• He then picked up the phone to the plumber handling the job and told him that he and the customer were anxious to
have the job finished by the weekend. (Acknowledge the problem and be empathetic and calm to help alleviate
the customer’s stress)
• The plumber explained to his manager that he had four jobs that day and they were all emergencies. The manager
then informed him that this was also an emergency. He asked if the plumber could come and patch up the pipes for the
weekend then return the following week to finish the job properly? The plumber thought about this for a minute or so
and said that, yes, he could temporarily stop the leaking for a couple of days and then fix it properly the next week.
• The manager explained this to the customer who immediately perked up. No, she didn’t mind the plumber coming back
the next week to do the job properly, just as long as he could stop the ugly streak of dirty water leaking from the back of
the bathroom toilet. The manager assured her that there would be no leaking pipes during the wedding party. (Give the
customer opportunities to ask questions.Tell the customer you want to help improve the situation. Ask how
they would like to proceed)
• The customer left the office feeling vindicated. The company had recognised her problem as important and had solved it
to her satisfaction. (Ensure the customer is comfortable with the process. Decide what can be done to fix the
problem and tell them)
• When the plumber arrived the next day he left her a fridge magnet with the company’s phone number on it. It was
immediately placed on the fridge and was the subject of much discussion at the wedding party the following day.
• In conclusion- customers are effectively doing you a favour when they complain. They are often going out of their way to
tell you about a problem which other customers may also have, but don’t tell you. When customers complain, it means
they have enough faith in your company to believe you will deal with them in a fair and sensitive way. If you respond
well to complaints, you will reinforce respect. If you exceed customers’ expectations, you may build a stronger bond with
them. Overall, customer complaints are a valuable source of business information. Use them well, and they will help
build the company.
12
Process Customer Complaints
4.3 A REGISTER OF COMPLAINTS/DISPUTES IS
MAINTAINED AND CUSTOMER IS INFORMED OF
OUTCOME OF INVESTIGATION.
At this point we have discussed the different stages required to achieve resolution of a customer complaint. This has been
specifically related to complaints that can be dealt with by workers in the workplace.
Every good business manager and person who has excellent customer service skills, will tell you that there is a basic
“customer satisfaction formula” that follows the simple rule :
Doing the job right the first time
+ Effective customer contact handling
=
Increased customer satisfaction/brand loyalty
However we are all human. Problems will occur and customers will complain. It is well documented that there are many
benefits to be derived from welcoming complaints and handling them well.
The benefits include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
fewer mistakes in the future and less time spent fixing them
improved product quality
better understanding of customers’ needs
happier customers
greater customer loyalty
more customers through word-of-mouth advertising
better understanding of your business
less time and money spent attracting customers
improved business reputation
more repeat business
All of the above points can be achieved by effectively solving customer problems along with keeping an accurate register of
complaints, the actions taken and the outcomes. The record keeping process is important. A person’s memory is not enough to
maintain an accurate record.
If you questioned the people in a business who had been involved in a particular complaint, they are likely to have a different
memory of the complaint, the process and the outcome.
Some businesses or workplaces believe that if they don’t receive many complaints, their customers must be satisfied.
However, if the business is not keeping a formal record of complaints received, how would they know if performance is
improving, worsening or staying the same!
13
Process Customer Complaints
5.REFER COMPLAINTS
TO APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL
5.1 COMPLAINTS THAT REQUIRE REFERRAL TO OTHER
PERSONNEL OR EXTERNAL BODIES ARE IDENTIFIED
AND REFERRALS ARE MADE TO APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL
FOR FOLLOW UP.
Up to this point in the workbook we have talked about problems and complaints that are able to be handled “in house” by
workers / managers in the business. Not all complaints will be able to be dealt with appropriately in this way. Can you think
of reasons why a complaint needs to be handled by a third party? Reasons could include such issues as:
1. warranty claim being disputed
2. complaint is a police matter
3. customer is not receiving appropriate service from the business
Generally speaking a complaint is not escalated to an external body until resolution has been attempted between the
customer and the business. A tiered approach to resolution is the most effective as it ensures the complaint is appropriately
managed from tier to tier as needed.
Tier 1: Initial complaint handling
• complaints should be lodged and resolution sought by staff who are in daily contact with the customer
and are familiar with the problem
• staff should be empowered with clear delegations to resolve complaints, wherever possible, at first contact
• complaints should be logged for later analysis or for escalating to Tier 2 if needed.
Tier 2: Internal review or investigation
• if the customer is still dissatisfied, unresolved complaints should be reviewed or investigated by more senior staff or a
designated complaint officer who will consider options such as conciliation, mediation or direct negotiations.
Tier 3: Refer unresolved complaints for external review
•
Complaints that are not resolved internally may be dealt with by:
– an alternative dispute resolution procedure (eg mediation)
– referring the complaint to external agency (eg ombudsman)
– informing the complainant of appeal procedures or other legal remedies
In ensuring that complaints are fairly heard and correctly recorded, every business must consider a number of factors.
Read the following lists and then complete Activity 5.
1.
User friendly procedures for lodging complaints
– a complaint system must be visible and easily accessed by the public
– the process must be simple to understand
– customers must be able to lodge complaints in a number of ways
2. A means of recording complaints
– both managers and staff should provide input about which information will be useful in the complaints management system
– forms need careful planning to log key elements of information, including verbal complaints
14
Process Customer Complaints
3. Commitment and clear lines of authority
– all staff, including the CEO, must be committed to the fair resolution of complaints
– the system should clearly define who is responsible for dealing with complaints at each tier
4. Staff empowerment
– frontline staff responsible for resolving grievances should be trained in communication skills and dispute resolution
– assign specific accountabilities to staff, using job statements and team mission statements
5.
Remedies
– communication - engage in prompt communication
– rectification – correct the error or put right the misunderstanding
– mitigation – moderate the severity of the detriment suffered. Satisfy the reasonable concerns of the person who has suffered detriment eg with an apology or public acknowledgement
– compensation – (monetary) if a loss is sustained directly or indirectly as a fault of the business
– complainants should be told about alternative remedies, especially if the business is unable to resolve the complaint. This involves telling the complainant about rights of appeal or their right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman (or other external review agencies).
6. Performance standards
– give realistic timeframes for complaint inquiries, responses and follow up, with progress reports if there is a delay
– set time limits for each step of the complaint handling procedure, with acknowledgements by phone or letter
7. Policy and procedures
– policies and procedures should be easy to understand and assist staff in resolving, conciliating and investigating complaints from the simple to the complex
To ensure a business is absolutely correct in the process of handling complaints they are recommended to become familiar
with Standards Australia Quality Management: Customer Satisfaction: Guidelines for complaints handling in organisations:
Australian/International Standard AS ISO 10002: 2006.
This publication by Standards Australia lists principles of a complaints handling process for those making and receiving
complaints and describes current best practice. A simple list of suggestions is included below:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
examine how effectively your workplace currently handles complaints.
are staff involved in developing a complaint handling system, and deciding who will handle complaints
anticipate common complaints and work out standard solutions
write down your complaints handling procedure and prepare a standard complaint form
are staff trained in the procedure and have the skills to resolve complaints.
display a sign saying your workplace welcomes genuine complaints about product quality or service
clearly advise your customers where and how they can report problems
ensure your customers can report problems to you at any time
keep a record of all problems and complaints
trial the system, and use customer and staff feedback to improve it over time
15
Process Customer Complaints
 ACTIVITY 5
As you have worked through the activities you have looked at customer complaints dealt internally within the
business. In fact your workplace may never have had to deal with a complaint externally.
This activity requires that you think about complaints that may occur in your workplace that would be dealt with
by external agencies. Complete the table filling in all sections.
Describe the complaint/problem
What external agency do you think
needs to deal with the complaint
What is the best outcome that can
be achieved
5.2 COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION AND INVESTIGATION
REPORTS ARE FORWARDED AND APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL
ARE FOLLOWED UP TO GAIN PROMPT DECISIONS.
In activity 5 you were asked to consider complaints that have occurred or may occur in your workplace, that are dealt with by
external agencies. You were asked to state what agencies would deal with the problem. There are a number of agencies that
you should have considered. Read the information below. If you now realise that the problem would be more appropriately
resolved by one of the agencies listed then go back to Activity 5 and change your answers.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
The ACCC role is to promote competition and fair trade in the market place to benefit consumers, businesses and the
community.
Its primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals and businesses comply with the Commonwealth competition, fair
trading and consumer protection laws.
The ACCC website has three main sections as below:
• For Consumers: Want to know about your consumer rights or how to make a complaint? Need more information about
how businesses should act when selling you goods and services?
• For Business: Small business support, franchising, mergers, authorisations, your obligations, professions and industry
codes of conduct...
• For Regulated Industry: Communications, gas, electricity, aviation and airports, water, postal services, insurance, rail,
wheat exporters...
16
Process Customer Complaints
Each section then has a wealth of easy to access information using the drop down quick link.
Check out more at www.accc.gov.au
Fair Trading / Consumer Affairs Agencies
Each state has a Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs agency which safeguards consumer rights and advises business and traders
on fair and ethical practice. In addition to direct services for individuals, the legislative framework sets the rules for fairness in
the countless daily transactions between consumers and traders. The types of complaints that can be made to these agencies
varies. Generally if a customer or business cannot resolve a complaint internally or with mediation then the Fair Trading or
Consumer Affairs departments are the next stop.
Types of complaints may include: product quality or misunderstanding of its purpose, service dissatisfaction, price or quantity
errors, delivery issues, manufacturer’s warranty, or service.
The process followed by an external agency in investigating a complaint is likely to be similar to the points below.
• if a consumer has made unsuccessful attempts to resolve a dispute with a business they can lodge a written complaint
with an external agency
• if a complaint does not involve unlawful action then conciliation is attempted between the business and the consumer
• the external agency cannot make official judgements like a court or judge
• If a complaint appears to involve a breach of the law, it is investigated. The process requires full and accurate
documentation of the information gathered and enables each party to present their evidence.
The following hyperlinks are provided for each appropriate state department.
NSW Fair Trading Site: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/default.html
Consumer Affairs Victoria: www.consumer.vic.gov.au
Qld Fair Trading: www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs: www.ocba.sa.gov.au
Australian Capital Territory Fair Trading (Department of Justice and Community Safety, Office of Regulatory Services)
www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977245
Northern Territory Consumer Affairs (Department of Justice)
www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977243
Tasmania Fair Trading (Department of Justice)
www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977231
Western Australia Consumer Protection (Department of Commerce)
www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977236
17
Process Customer Complaints
 ACTIVITY 6
You are currently residing/employed by a business in a state of Australia. You are a customer that has been
unable to resolve a complaint by going to the business directly. Your complaint is as follows:
• You purchased a vacuum cleaner 10 months ago which is no longer working.
• You have retained all of the purchase dockets and took the vacuum back to the place of purchase to be fixed under warranty.
• The store has advised that they no longer stock that model of cleaner and don’t deal with that manufacturer anymore.
Research the Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs web site applicable to your state.
What are your rights and options to resolve your problem?
What are you going to say to the business when you re-approach them?
What do you think is an acceptable solution for your problem?
18
Process Customer Complaints
6.BEING CONFIDENT
ABOUT YOUR SKILL LEVELS IN THE WORKPLACE
After finishing all of the activities in this workbook you should be able to competently complete final summative assessments.
Do you feel that you are confident about your skill levels in the workplace related to dealing with complaints?
Use the table below to help you check your skills. Before commencing your final assessments it is important to review any
sections in which you feel unsure.
Remember: it is always OK to ask your supervisor or your assessor questions.
In the table below, read the list of skills and knowledge you should have after completing this workbook
1. Put a tick in the column if you can do this now and a brief comment re why you believe you have this skill
2. Put a tick in the next column if you feel you need more practice and a brief comment as to why
Skills/knowledge you should have
Communicating ideas and information by
discussing the customers concerns and issues.
Utilise culturally appropriate communication
skills to relate to people from diverse
backgrounds and people with diverse abilities
Collecting, analysing and organising information
by recording the nature of the complaint in
accordance with enterprise requirements
Planning and organising activities to achieve
complaint resolution
Working with others and in teams regarding
referring complaints to another staff member or
relevant body
Using mathematical ideas and techniques ie to
calculate price reductions and refunds
Solving problems by seeking to negotiate an
outcome satisfactory to all parties
Using technology to complete processes
Using appropriate literacy skills to read/understand
a variety of texts; to prepare general information
and papers; to edit and proofread texts.
Need practice
3. If you require further training, complete the third column listing what training is needed. Show this list to your
supervisor or assessor and ask for more time or training before completing the summative assessments
Yes
Comment on why
What additional
training do I need
19
Process Customer Complaints
7.ASSESSMENT
You have now reached the end of this workbook. All of the information and activities you have covered apply
to the skills related to dealing with customer complaints in any business. Please ask your assessor for the final
assessment/s for this workbook.
 FEEDBACK
This workbook has been developed to guide users to access current information related to gaining skills appropriate to their workplace.
Please complete the following table notifying us of any errors or suggested improvements.
Subject Name
Process Customer Complaints
Book Number
Book 1
Page What is the error
10
You tube video is not accurate
Suggested improvement
Better websites / You Tube example
Is there a link to your suggested improvement
Additional comments

Click here to email your completed workbook to your assessor.
20
Process Customer Complaints
21
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
AND SOURCES FOR CONTENT IN MATERIALS
RAN ONE – www.ranone.com/files/Dealing%20with%20Customer%20Complaints%20Article.pdf
NSW Government – www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/publications/service_principles_and_obligations/complaint_handling/
essential_features_of_a_complaint_handling_system
NSW Fair Trading – www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/Businesses/Dealing_with_customers/Complaints.html
E Corner – http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2045
The Equal Opportunity Commission – www.eoc.sa.gov.au/eo-business/shops-and-services/shops-and-services-toolkit/
developing-your-customer-complaint-policy
www.eoc.sa.gov.au/eo-business/shops-and-services/shops-and-services-toolkit/developing-complaint-handling-procedure
UTube – How to handle Customer Complaints – www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fO1NF9xnf4&feature=related
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission – www.accc.gov.au
Consumer Affairs Victoria – www.consumer.vic.gov.au
Qld Fair Trading – www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs – www.ocba.sa.gov.au
NSW Fair Trading Site – www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/default.html
Australian Capital Territory Fair Trading (Department of Justice and Community Safety, Office of Regulatory Services) –
www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977245
Northern Territory Consumer Affairs (Department of Justice) – www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977243
Tasmania Fair Trading (Department of Justice) – www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977231
Western Australia Consumer Protection (Department of Commerce) – www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/977236