Avoid Disputes, Not Complaints Check List for a Good Internal Complaints Process Presented by: Stuart Ayres and Derek Pullen Stuart Ayres, Scheme Manager Derek Pullen, Scheme Adjudicator

Commitment “Customers can not only talk back, they can look into the very workings of your business and decide if you conduct yourself in a way they approve of. In this world, your reputation will be the sum total of all your conduct and interactions, which will now be so much more measurable by outsiders” Tom Friedman, “The World is Flat” 2007

Commitment 1.Does your organisation depend on repeat customers? 2.Do you have written procedures to handle complaints? 3.Are staff well aware of the importance and procedures of an internal complaints process (ICP)? 4.Are top management committed to and directly oversee ICP? 5.Are there incentives to reinforce staff commitment to customer satisfaction?

Accessibility and empowerment 1.Is your ICP easily accessible to customers? Do you publicise your ICP and FDR, your external dispute resolution scheme? How? 2.Is your ICP system organised so that front line employees receive adequate training and have clear responsibilities to resolve complaints? 3.Do the ICP staff feel they have equal importance with other professionals in the organisation? 4.Are serious complaints referred to senior management?

Monitoring and review 1.Do you conduct periodic ICP customer satisfaction surveys? 2.Do you encourage feedback? 3.Is the ICP system regularly reviewed and do you make necessary improvements? 4.Do you use the ICP for quality control and problem prevention as well as settling complaints?

Root Cause Analysis 1.Does the ICP system swiftly generate systemic information about causes and trends? 2.Does data meet management needs? 3.Are there periodic reports from complaint data records to top management, with suggestions for action?

Outside stakeholders 1.Can you identify where the ICP is having an effect? Positive or negative? 2.Do you co-ordinate the ICP with others stakeholders? e. g. intermediaries-lawyers, accountants, valuers? Do you have a direct line of communication with them? 3.Do you have an adequate understanding of how these organisations are affecting your relationship with your customers? 4.Do you work co-operatively with consumer agencies? e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau; Community Law Centres; Budget Advisory; Age Concern; Grey Power; church & cultural groups

FDR and DRSL can help 1.Experts in complaint handling and disputes resolution 2.New Zealand’s largest dispute resolution service 3.Government owned, independent, national coverage 4.Great reputation 5.Proven systems, people, technology 6.Multi industry experience; ACC, health, insurance, finance, social services, telecommunications, real estate, environment 7.Competitive pricing 8.Partners

FDR and DRSL can help 1.Setting up and maintaining your internal complaints process 2.Avoid disputes, not complaints. Customers as advocates 3.Turning complaints into gifts 4.Learn how to handle complaints 5.Consultancy, training, implementation, software, management 6.Workshops, presentations, one on one with top management to front line personnel 7.Compliance reviews, monitoring effectiveness 8.External dispute resolution scheme