This may not be the proper place but lets try.

If I have a customer calling about an issue but they are not hitting me with any PPM's or a rejection should I document this in any way. Does it state any where in TS that this needs logged. I am looking to see if our Quality manual states it any where but I wanted to pick your brains.

I tend to interpret the word "complaint" loosely. In our system, the CA system is a stong point, IMO, and customer concerns would be quickly placed in there, with copies emailed to the relevant internal parties. With the escalations in the system, this prevents anything from getting dropped.

If a customer thinks enough about your company to contact you without issuing a SCAR, they are going out of their way to give you an opportunity that your competitors are likely not aware of.

In our system, the CA system is a stong point, IMO, and customer concerns would be quickly placed in there, with copies emailed to the relevant internal parties. With the escalations in the system, this prevents anything from getting dropped.

So you are saying that anytime you are contacted by your customer, you log that in your CA system. Even if it is a heads up.

So you are saying that anytime you are contacted by your customer, you log that in your CA system. Even if it is a heads up.

Not answering for Craig, but I'd say especially if it's only a heads up. This sort of thing happens often with cosmetic issues--a customer will call and say, "We'll accept these, but if it gets any worse..." That's the time to head things off and make sure they don't get any worse. Using the CA system, or some sort of customer concern record makes good sense.

Nine times out of ten we log all issues, but during an internal audit it was caught that one was left off and I wanted to see what is done else where.

Thanks

I just realized that I didn't answer the question relative to normative requirements; ISO 9001-2000, 7.2.3 says in part, The organization shall determine and implement effective arrangements for communicating with customers in relation to...customer feedback, including customer complaints.
[Emphasis added]

It would be hard to demonstrate the effectiveness of such a process without having records, and showing that customer complaints are (A) acknowledged and (B) acted upon.

I just read it out of the book. We missed the one so looks like we will have to go over our process to see where the disconnect is.

meeting customer requirements
enhance customer satisfaction
review customer feedbackdetermine and implement effective arrangements for communicating with customers in relation to customer feedback, including customer complaints
monitor information relating to customer perception as to whether the organization has met customer requirments

Need I go any further? I found these requirements in the first 11 pages of the standard. It looks to me like we should look at all feedback, even if it isn't a claim. (a complaint does not have to end in a claim....a claim always starts with a complaint)

So you are saying that anytime you are contacted by your customer, you log that in your CA system. Even if it is a heads up.

No, that would go into the customer management software (which also has links to that customer's complaints).

I'll give you an example that I think can be divulged safely. One of our salesmen was contacted by a customer because the customer was concerned that our hand-applied stencils were sometimes hard to read, and they use our lot numbers when their recipes are printed out for their floor. The customer specificly said that they did not want a formal reply, but just wanted to give us a "heads up". THAT went into the complaint system.

I should clarify, because I misspoke. We have a CA system and a customer complaint system. They are similar, and a complaint can result in a CA, but they are seperate systems. Sometimes a complaint is entered, and is closed and approved by the end of the day. Usually it takes a little longer.

[quote=Craig H.;251329]No, that would go into the customer management software (which also has links to that customer's complaints). [quote]

Exactly, to truly be able to assess customer satisfaction, one must know the good, the bad and the requests for corrective action. So, however you choose to document these things, go for it. But you cannot ignore it just because the customer didn't ask for their money back. Some of our best improvements come from such feedback, and we didn't pay the customer a cent in claims.