Complaint Management System Checklist

Evaluate your complaint management system

Download the Complaint Management
System Checklist as a PDF

In planning a system for complaint management or evaluating the one you have in place, consider the following questions:

• Does your company depend on repeat customers?
• Do you have written procedures for your complaint-management system?
• Are staff throughout the company well aware of the procedures and the importance of your complaint-management system?
• Does top management directly oversee your complaint-handling procedures?
• Do incentives exist to reinforce staff commitment to consumer satisfaction?
• Is your complaint system easily accessible to consumers?
• Do you publicize your complaint system to consumers? If yes, how? Printed media (posters, advertising, monthly statements)? Communications by sales personnel?
• Is your complaint system organized so that:
  1. front-line employees have clear responsibilities for resolving complaints in one department or location?
  2. larger or more serious complaints are referred to designated senior managers?
• Are you providing adequate training for your complaint-management staff?
• Does the customer-relations staff feel they have equal stature with other professionals in the company?
• Do you periodically survey your customers to see if they are satisfied with your complaint-management system? Do you encourage feedback?
• Do you regularly review your complaint-management system and make necessary improvements?
• Do you utilize your system of complaint management for more than settling individual complaints? For example, do you use it for quality control and problem prevention?
• Does your complaint system swiftly generate systematic information about causes of complaints and complaint trends?
• Does this data meet your management needs?
• Do you circulate to top management periodic reports of data from complaint records with suggestions for action to prevent recurring problems?
• Can you identify areas in the company in which your complaint-management system is having an effect? Has it been positive or negative?
• Do you coordinate your complaint-management system with others in the distribution chain for your products or services? Do you have a direct line of communication with them?
• Do you have an adequate understanding of how these external organizations are affecting your relationship with consumers?
• Do you work cooperatively with local and governmental consumer agencies?
• Do you use third-party dispute-resolution mechanisms for those problems not resolved in-house (i.e. mediation or arbitration)?

1. Handling Complaints : A Critical Form of Communications
2. Why is Complaint Handling Important?
3. Management's Role
4. Cost and Savings
5. Complaint Handling Staff
6. Publicizing the Complaint Management System
7. Co-ordination with Others in the Distribution Chain
8. Third-party Dispute Resolution
9. Basic Steps for Effective Complaint Management
10. Conclusion
11. Complaint Management Checklist
12. Entire Guide

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