UCC Manual Overview Managing Complainant Conduct Joyce DeMoss|

Source/Background “Managing Unreasonable Complainant Conduct” 2 nd Edition, May 2012 Published by NSW (Australia) Ombudsman “A manual for frontline staff, supervisors, and senior managers” publications/publications/guidelines/state-and-local- government/unreasonable-complainant-conduct-manual-2012 Alternative: Search for Title on Publications page 2

Key Understandings 3 All complainants are treated with fairness and respect All complaints are considered on their merits Unreasonable complainant conduct does not preclude there being a valid issue The substance of a complaint dictates the level of resources dedicated to it, not…demands or behavior Anger is understandable…as long as it is not addressed through aggression or violence Staff safety and well-being are paramount when dealing with unreasonable complainant conduct

The CARP approach 4 Control – Getting the complainant to stop and listen – Their anger is not going to control you or the interaction – Be assertive, but not aggressive or passive Acknowledge – Deal with their feelings first – Venting should not last longer than 2-5 minutes (extended venting can do more harm than good)

CARP - continued 5 Refocus – Make the transition from emotions to the issues of the complaint Problem solve – Getting down to business – What can and can’t be done; possible solutions Note: it may be necessary to repeat these stages while complaint resolution is in process.

CARP Strategies 6 Do: – Show respect – Clarify – Check understandings – Find something to agree on Don’t: – Argue, defend, or deny – Be confrontational, verbally and non-verbally – Be too informal and do be wary of joking – Respond to fighting words

For Supervisors & Managers 7 When UCC is a factor and may be ongoing, it’s essential to: – Make a plan about how the case and the complainant will be managed – Stick to the plan as closely as possible without being inflexible – Never leave the case officer to suffer in silence Ensure your organization: – Considers staff safety – Recognizes the realities of dealing with UCC, in particular violent and aggressive complainants – Implements and communicates a policy for dealing with UCC – Trains new and existing staff

Remember: 8 “Focus on the problem, not on the individual” – Separate the complainant’s conduct from the complaint itself Unreasonable complainant conduct does not preclude there being a valid issue – Customers have the right to express a complaint; recognizing and managing the conduct when it become unreasonable is the organization’s responsibility