Guiding principles of AS ISO 10002: practical guidance

1. Guiding principles of AS ISO 10002: practical guidance Bill Dee Director Compliance and Complaints Advisory Services Pty Ltd

2. Guiding principles • These are outcomes focused • Provide a degree of flexibility on processes to achieve these outcomes based on size and nature of an organisation.

3. Applying the guiding principles -visibility • Prominent phone number and email address: • At service delivery • In brochures/handout material( statement of advice) • Home page on websites • Phone books • Are your front line staff aware of contact numbers and CH procedures? • Don’t be afraid to use the word “complaints”: it has an unambiguous meaning to the public ( have an “outside-in” approach not an “inside-out” approach)

4. Applying the guiding principles - accessibility • Characteristics of an accessible complaints-handling process include: • the provision of readilyaccessible information about the process, • flexibility in the methods of making complaints(including that the process for submitting complaints should be flexible (e.g. email,and include provisionfor oral complaints in other formats), • toll-free or local free facilities for making complaints ( including outside business hours)

5. Applying the guiding principles - accessibility • special arrangements and/or support should be made available for complainants with specificneeds (including availability of interpreters and cross cultural staff training). • Information should be made available on the details of making and resolving complaints. ( See www.goldencasket.com.au for example) • The complaints-handling process and supporting information should be easy to understand anduse. The information should be in clear language. Information and assistance in making acomplaint should be made available, in whatever languages or formats that theproducts were offered or provided in, including alternative formats, such as large print, Brailleor audiotape, so that no complainants are disadvantaged

6. Guiding principles-Responsiveness • Receipt of each complaint should be acknowledged to the complainant immediately. • Complaints should be addressed promptly in accordance with their urgency (requires an initial assessment/escalation procedure). • Challenging but realistic timelines to be set. • The complainantsshould be treated courteously and be kept informed of the progress of their complaint throughthe complaints-handling process.

7. Guiding principles-objectivity • Due weight is to be given to the views of the agency and complainant. • Complaints to be considered on its merits. • Emphasis should be placed on solvingthe problem and not on assigning blame. • Guidance in Annex C of AS ISO 10002

8. Guiding principles-charges/confidentiality • Charges:Access to the complaints-handling process should be free of charge to the complainant. • Confidentiality:Personally identifiable information concerning the complainant should be available whereneeded, but only for the purposes of addressing the complaint within the organisation andshould be actively protected from disclosure.

9. Guiding principles-Customer-focused approach • The organisation should adopt: • a customer-focused approach, • be open to feedbackincluding complaints,and • show commitment to resolving complaints by its actions(e.g. active implementation of AS ISO 10002)

10. Guiding principles-Customer-focused approach • a customer-focused approachcan be evidenced by: • Clear set of published values of the organisation and its role. • Management actively seen to beimplementing the values i.e. “walking the talk” (Railcorp example).

11. Guiding principles-accountability • Important to have reporting systems on complaints and improvement initiatives up to and including the governing body. • Units responsible for identified systemic problems need to report back on implementation of corrective/remedial action.

12. Guiding principles-continual improvement • Feedback ( including complaints) assists in identifying service, process and information inadequacies to be addressed through corrective action. • Organisations could: • explore, identify and apply best practices in complaints handling (SOCAP, Google) • foster a customer-focused approach within the organisation, • encourage innovation in complaints-handling development, and • recognize exemplary complaints-handling behaviour