Complaint Handling Call Centers

[dauclair]

Hi Everyone,

I work for a very small medical device company and we are in the process of inking a deal in China, Hong Kong and Europe to manufacture and sell our product. I have been tasked with finding a Call Center who could help us to manage customer complaints outside of the U. S (Complaints as specified by ISO, FDA and ICH). Does anyone use such a service? If so, what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of this service? How efficiently does the call center process complaints and coordinate with you?

Any information AT ALL would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance - Dauclair

 

[Stijloor]

A Quick Bump!

Can someone help??

Thank you very much!!

 

[Wes Bucey]

Hi Everyone,

I work for a very small medical device company and we are in the process of inking a deal in China, Hong Kong and Europe to manufacture and sell our product. I have been tasked with finding a Call Center who could help us to manage customer complaints outside of the U. S (Complaints as specified by ISO, FDA and ICH). Does anyone use such a service? If so, what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of this service? How efficiently does the call center process complaints and coordinate with you?

Any information AT ALL would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance - Dauclair

For a "very small" organization, why are you anticipating an influx of customer complaints to the extent you need a third party to handle them? One of my consulting clients has been in the medical device business for more than half a century. When I looked at the complaint file covering EVERY complaint for the last fifty years, it took up about ten inches in one drawer of a filing cabinet. Reading through those "complaints," I saw one which said "you should make these in different colors." with absolutely no explanation of why the "complainer" thought more than one color was needed. The followup by the client asked, "Why?" and the complainer never replied.

On a practical note: unless the complaint is something urgent (in which case, your organization will want to deal with it directly), most complaints can be handled by a snail mail letter, an email, or a phone call. Rather than train and pay a third party to intercept and then interpret the validity and urgency of the complaint, why not have complainers, if any, call you direct during YOUR business hours or contact you by email with the autosponder on YOUR email stating, "We acknowledge receipt of your message and will respond within 24 hours."?

For the record:
If it were my company, I'd want ALL complaints to be reduced to writing, regardless if the initial contact is by voice. The accuracy of the written transcript of the voice message should be confirmed by the complainer, also in writing.

 

[Stijloor]

<snip>If it were my company, I'd want ALL complaints to be reduced to writing, regardless if the initial contact is by voice. The accuracy of the written transcript of the voice message should be confirmed by the complainer, also in writing.

In formal standards and procedures called the complainant.

 

[Wes Bucey]

In formal standards and procedures called the complainant.

I know, but in most cases, it should rhyme with "whiner." Viz, my example above.

Besides, the term "complaint" is itself pejorative. As I look through complaint files of clients, many of the files I read are more aptly termed "comments" or "suggestions," but too many of us are gun shy and treat every missive that is not an order or request for quotation as a "complaint."

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Besides, the term "complaint" is itself pejorative.

I work for a very small medical device company and we are in the process of inking a deal in China, Hong Kong and Europe to manufacture and sell our product. I have been tasked with finding a Call Center who could help us to manage customer complaints outside of the U. S (Complaints as specified by ISO, FDA and ICH).

The key thing to remeber here is that you would be outsourcing a CRITICAL process of your QMS and the FDA definition of "complaint" is much broader than what most quality professionals are used to.

Section 820.3(b) of the Quality Systems regulation defines a complaint as "any written, electronic, or oral communication that alleges deficiencies related to the identity, quality, durability, reliability, safety, effectiveness, or performance of a device after it is released for distribution."

Any CUSTOMER feedback about the product usability, performance, reliability etc. HAS to be recorded and processed. Be very careful when specifying your customer contact process so that ANY relevant data is captured and conveyed to your organization.

I would require the call center to be independently assessed (NOT CERTIFIED) against ISO 10002 to give you confidence of their system robustness.

 

[medwise]

dauclair -

Confidence can also be built by stringent vendor/supplier assurance program. Audit them periodically and ensure that they understand your requirements (supplier contract) and follow your complaint procedure. Additionally, train them periodically on your procedure to ensure effectiveness.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards
Romit

 

[somashekar]

Call center handle customer calls on all aspects, one among them is complaint.
Are you ready to assess your call center and appoint them on all aspects of customer relation..., considering the regulatory requirements also ?