How can you better handle customer complaints using ISO 9001? Customer dealing is a bit difficult especially when they launch complaints against your products or services.
However, plans do not always come up as expected and sometimes result in the bad shape of your business reputation.
Even worse than a complaint launched against you is improper customer complaint handling channel. The proper way to resolve a launched complaint is to investigate the actual root cause due to which the customer preferred to launch a complaint.
It is advised to resolve a complaint in the early stages as soon as possible before any further escalation is executed by the customer.
An effective complaint management system is a great channel to identify loopholes in your current management from the eyes of the customer eventually making your business in better shape.
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How to Establish a System to Handle Customer Complaints Using ISO 9001
An effective complaint management system can only be made by focusing on what your customer wants from you. What a customer expects is to have an effective complaint registration and management platform which spares enough time to at least listen and understand the reason that what made the customer launch the complaint against your products or services.
Many reports have shown that very few customers go a mile to launch a complaint while others silently prefer to switch to one of your competitors that suits them best.
One can never know that why the Sales and Marketing department stops performing up to the mark and continue losing their targets that’s why it is essential to build an effective management system that not only logs the complaints but also resolves the launched complaints in no time by the recorded documented process.
All the employees working must be introduced and afterward trained to the master level for effective complaint handling launched by the customers.
Fundamental Parts of Complaint Handling Procedure As Described in ISO 9001
Complaint handling procedures are sensitive when it comes to customer retention. To ease the complex process, the complaint resolution process has been divided into two parts and the Quality Assurance department will be responsible to ensure if the complaint has resolved through the process effectively and within a timeline and has direct actions on the root cause rather than quick fixes for the time being.
The first part of the complaint handling process is intended for the customer however the second part covers the responsibilities that have to be done by the company’s employees internally i.e. without involving the customer.
How a Customer can launch a Complaint to You?
For a customer to reach out to you, there must be an easy way defined for the customer to launch a complaint.
The first step towards complaint resolution is to register it and registering the complaint should be in documented form having exact words of the customer.
Having exact words mentioned in the complaint register will help to know the pain point of the customer.
Have a customized designed complaint form that should be not so descriptive, short, and easy to understand only having specific most needed details to have so that a complaint can be logged in for proper resolution.
The complaint registering channels can be different depending on how the customer wants to reach to you.
The communication channels can be via email to the customer care center or a phone call to customer care agents or even a comment on your social media page can also be treated as a complaint log medium.
Handle Customer Complaints Using ISO 9001 – Internal Complaint Handling and Resolution Procedure
Once the complaint has been entered and registered in the system, it is the time where the countdown has just begun. The internal complaint handling procedure consist of a few steps which are mentioned below:
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Documented Complaint Recording
Any complaint that has been launched by your customer should be recorded first in the company’s complaint management system. The complaint can be in the form of email, call, or comment on a social media page.
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Analysis of the Documented Complaint
Any complaint that has been logged in the system has to be analyzed deeply. The initial point that is needed to be checked is that the level of urgency and the nature of the complaint. During the investigation of the complaints, the following factors are needed to be checked:
(a). Is there a possibility to provide interim solutions to the customer so that his dissatisfaction can be encountered?
(b). How much is the risk level of the complaint? Does it include major risk or minor risk? 3- 3-3-
Handle Customer Complaints Using ISO 9001 – Resolution
It is a must to have a customer care department having designated persons ready to hunt the complaints that have been launched and are getting launched. When you handle customer complaints using ISO 9001 you can easily identify these complaints.
Investigation of the Complaint
In case of escalation to higher management for any serious complaint resolution then get the complaint handled according to the advice of seniors.
Closure of the Complaint
Before complaint closure, it is necessary to make sure the customer who has launched the complaint is agreed equally for the closure and is now satisfied. Without the customer’s satisfaction, the complaint is not in any way should be closed.
In case the complaint resolution solution is rejected by the customer then reopen, reinvestigate, and think of the resolution from start and come to the drawing board again as customer retention is what is required.
Customer Satisfaction in Documented Form
After the customer being agreed to the resolution of the complaint, ask your customer to fill up the customer feedback form in which the customer will rate how much he liked your customer care services or is the complaint being handled professionally or not.
Customer satisfaction can be gauged by being very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, and very dissatisfied. One can ask the customers for any room for improvement or any suggestions that may help you to make your business grow or any other comments that the customer wants to mention. Handle Customer Complaints Using ISO 9001 to boost employee morale, streamline efforts, have happier customer experiences, and increase the bottom line.
