Customer Complaints Processing - How long should it take???

[Red4165]

Hi all

Just wanting to gauge how others handle feedback from consumers in relation to processing complaints. Ous business has been in a huge growth spurt for the last 3years and this last year alone our feedback from consumers has risen by 86% compared to the previous year. We have offered more avenues for people to contact us by way of a new website, new labels and also have opened a new tourist attraction. We currently spend approx 2-4hours per complaint, taking the phone call/email etc then processing the information, then reimbursing and processing corespondence to the consumer. We then start an internal investigation on what has happened and why. We go through all the steps to determine the level of the complaint ie: perception or actual. We analyse trends etc also. If it was determined that it was an isolated incident we generally close it out or if it was determined that there is no evidence of an actual fault etc then we aslo close it out. For complaints that are of a serious nature we raise NCR's to the production team requesting assistance in unerstanding what could have happened and what we can do to prevent it. This all takes time as well as receiving the evidence from the consumer and analysing it and also obtaining and perusing the production records to determine and issues on that day of production. So as you can see, it is very time consuming. When analysing trends, we determine that there is some areas of concern forming, we also start anothe rinternal investigation. All of this is also reported in our monthly reports including a summary of what corrective and preventative action took place.

Are we overdoing things?? Or is this normal?? Can anyone give me examples of what they do in relation to customer complaints and how long it takes to process and investigate.

At present I am initiating a proposal to senior management for staff resourcing as the extra feedback has bogged us down and we don't have any available time for other imperitative tasks, therefore there is a great need for more peoples!!!!!

Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated!!

JJ

[gszekely]

I may be wrong, but to me seems that you spend more time and effort, to organise the evaluation, reporting of customer complaints, than to fix the process. Don't build up a process to fix the customer complaints, fix your manufacturing process, then you will solve your claims as well. The question. "Why I have customer complaints ? is more important from my point of view to answer, than "How to handle my customer complaints.
If you have so much work, it means that something is wrong with your process, and corrective actiosns efficiency.
On the other hand I know that sometimes,production is proud that they have produced something, maybe in the right quantity, maybe at the right time, but they rarely care, in what quality. While some companies, track Corrective action Lead time, they forget to measure, CA efectiveness.
I don't know if this helps, just some thoughts. Good luck.
György

[Red4165]

Hi György

Thanks for your feedback.

What sort of complaint level is acceptable? Like I said in a previous thread, alot of our feedback is perception based eg change a label and the public think you have changed the recipe. We have to check our samples just in case it isn't perception don't we??? recording this info is also part of the QA system right?

We do struggle with "the fixing of the process though". We raise the issue with production and normally their reaction is "why do we get the blame all the time" unfortunately they still communicate in terms of blame, although we have taken that out of our vocabulary and use the terms corrective and preventative action instead. We finally do get the point across sometimes and instead of looking for ways to fix the problem and being concerned about the risk, they just whinge about equipment or senior management. The morale is at an all time low at present. I have a big task ahead of me in relation to understanding QA and QC etc..............but seperate to that, not all of the complaints are repetitive and not all complaints relate to production, there may be up to 25 categories and there my only be one complaint for each category.

What is acceptable and what is not???

[cochranemurray]

There may be up to 25 categories and there my only be one complaint for each category.

What is acceptable and what is not???
Some might say that zero complaints is the only acceptable level!! In the real world, the target is to move towards zero. You may have 25 categories of complaints and one complaint in each category, but I'm willing to bet that with decent analysis, you won't have that many root causes. Try to analyse root causes and plot them as a pareto diagram. Pick the three biggest and work on effective corrective actions. Continue to trend your complaint types and if your corrective actions are effective, then your move toward zero should show. I find that involving those "nearest" the complaint as helpers rather than potential "victims" brings some decent outcome. Try using the five "why's" to get to an end point in your investigation.

[Sidney Vianna]

Originally Posted by JJFoyster

What is acceptable and what is not???

You can not seriously expect an outsider to answer this question. This is one of those things that have to be determined by your senior management. They are the ones that have to determine the risks and counter measures they are willing to live with. Your customer complaint handling process should gather and digest the data so management can review it and make decisions. As an extra comment, you should get yourself a copy of
ISO 10002:2004 Quality management -- Customer satisfaction -- Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations

Abstract
ISO 10002:2004 provides guidance on the process of complaints handling related to products within an organization, including planning, design, operation, maintenance and improvement. The complaints-handling process described is suitable for use as one of the processes of an overall quality management system.
ISO 10002:2004 is not applicable to disputes referred for resolution outside the organization or for employment-related disputes.
It is also intended for use by organizations of all sizes and in all sectors. Annex A provides guidance specifically for small businesses.
ISO 10002:2004 addresses the following aspects of complaints handling:
- enhancing customer satisfaction by creating a customer-focused environment that is open to feedback (including complaints), resolving any complaints received, and enhancing the organization's ability to improve its product and customer service;
- top management involvement and commitment through adequate acquisition and deployment of resources, including personnel training;
- recognizing and addressing the needs and expectations of complainants;
- providing complainants with an open, effective and easy-to-use complaints process;
- analysing and evaluating complaints in order to improve the product and customer service quality;
- auditing of the complaints-handling process;
- reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of the complaints-handling process.
ISO 10002:2004 is not intended to change any rights or obligations provided by applicable statutory or regulatory requirements.

[Red4165]

cochranemurray

Many thanks for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated.

JJ

[Red4165]

carioca

I wasn't expecting you to set the levels of acceptable level of complaints within our company, it was a "questioned comment". I was interested in understanding what levels other companies expected. As you can see from my original thread we do follow your suggestions above and I was asking for advice on whether we were doing too much or not enough etc etc

JJ

[gszekely]

Originally Posted by JJFoyster

asking for advice on whether we were doing too much or not enough etc etc

JJ

I can't answer this. You can never do enough, or too much. What I can, suggest something how you can go ahead.
Dollars !!! The only language, managers can speak. I analize my customer complaints and everything, (internal defect for ex.),from more points of view.
How many pcs, but the second and more important which one has the highest financial impact on my business. Try to show some dollar numbers, to your management. How much, you lose on quality, customer complaintes and so on. Sidney if I remember well, mentioned that his manager expects her, that when she rise a problem, she should have a solution for it as well, otherwise, you waste your boss's time. Third, if you can, put together some data, what you, or team would be able to do if you solve that problem.
If you find out, that some of the claims, don't affect your business, stop to track them, and lose time with it. Opening a web page I suppose, that many (private)consumer, rose some idiot thinks. For this you can create a FAQ, on your home page, for ex., or sticky, please read here, before posting.
Concetrate on your big distrubutors.
Sorry for my English.
György