Complaints – and how to avoid them Samantha Hill University Complaints Officer x3642

What causes a complaint? ‼Misinformation ‼No information ‼Mistakes / human error ‼Not being listened to / consulted ‼Not getting our own way ‼Not getting what we want

What sort of complaints do we get at the University? “When I threw my hat into the air at Graduation it came down and hit me on the nose – I was not warned that the corners were sharp” “My son has been late for lectures this first week because no one gave him a copy of the University bus timetable until I printed it off the website for him.”

“When I suspended my studies I was given a refund of £1,000, but now I want to start again I am being charged £5,000! Why?” “You gave me an unconditional offer onto Level 3 but now you say I can only join Level 2 at best. I want to join Level 3 – now!”

Points on handling complaints ‼Quickly, but don’t be rushed ‼Keep communicating ‼Do what you say you’ll do ‼Be clear ‼Find out what the complainant wants out of the complaint ‼Keep records ‼Keep your patience!

How to avoid complaints in the first place ‼Keep any information you publish up to date ‼Be realistic about what you can / cannot do ‼Why not do what is asked? ‼Don’t be rushed into doing something ‼Be ready to accept we might have something wrong / be honest ‼Speak to people