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Attitudes of an organisation towards a
complaint should be positive and that there should be recognition that
where there are justifiable grounds for criticism, addressing and
resolving a complaint will have long-term results.
Complaints do matter
to an organisation and whenever possible a procedure should be in place to
verify and analyse a complaint to ensure that effective policies are in
place to remedy situations which need improvement.
Organisations should ensure
that an effective and accessible procedure is in place to receive and act
on feedback from users. The procedure will ensure that complaints are
resolved and that all suggestions and comments are taken seriously and
linked to a review and evaluation system.
Problems often occur when a
minor complaint is not handled properly and through delay, or lack of
sensitivity, grows out of proportion and eventually, excessive time and
energy need to be devoted to a situation which could have been resolved at
an earlier stage. Quite true is the opposite also, where a major complaint
is seen and viewed by the organisation as trivial and not given the
serious considerations necessary.
Simple ideas to help remedy these
situations before they arise -
- Establish a procedure authorised by
the Management Committee.
- Posters / leaflets to inform users
of their rights and how to use the Complaints system.
- Records of complaints and how
they were resolved.
- Letters to complainants informing
them of what has happened.
What if you receive a telephone
complaint from one of the users of your organisation – how
do you handle it?
6 simple tips -
remember
that the complaint is not against you personally. Always try to be
calm and considerate.
Listen
make sure that you listen to the complainant, in order to become aware
of the nature to this complaint.
Define + Difuse
use a lowered voice to difuse the situation. Summarise the problem and
refer back to the complainant to ensure that the facts are correct.
Contract make
reasonable arrangements with the complainant to resolve the problem. (ie
– a meeting, or a letter)
Safe Disagreement if
it is necessary to be negative, always give a reason first.
Be open If
there is an obvious error on the organisations part – acknowledge
it.
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