Transcript Complaints 101 Presented by

Welcome!
Complaints 101
Presented by:
Sarah Hilliker, Krystle Wallace,
Karen Thompson & Tori Chandler
Your Conciliation Team
Katya Karaz
Ann Jones
Thaddeus Lewis
Dominique Connell
Krystle Wallace
Maureen Slater
Tori Chandler
Karen Thompson
Steve Farr
Sarah Hilliker
My company received
our first complaint…
Don’t Panic!
BBBs Definition of Customer
1. Someone who has purchased a product or service from the
business; or
2. Someone who has entered into a contractual relationship with the
business; or
3. Someone who has directly received services from the business, or
was contacted by the business with a demand for payment of
money owed.
Why might my company
receive a complaint?
• Consumer is alleging a defect or breakdown with a product
or service
• Consumer has asked the BBB for our assistance
• No longer effective communication between the two parties
• An exchange of dollars is not necessary – could be a sales
practice issue, solicitation or marketing issue
Why resolve a complaint?
What is the goal?
1. Retain YOUR Customer!
2. Word of mouth goes a long way.
The positives of a complaint
A complaint can help your company:
• Gives your business a voice in complaint process;
• Notice where warranty, refund or
other policies that may need adjusting;
• Evaluate salespeople’s performance; and/or
• Identify issues with supplier.
Classifying the nature of a
complaint
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
Product or Service Issue
Delivery Issue
Advertising or Sales Issue
Billing or Collection Issue
Guarantee or Warranty Issue
This is where you will
find the complaint
classification in a
business review
Complaint Acceptance
• Valid name and postal address
• Company’s name and location
• Seek assistance from the BBB
Complaint Acceptance
Continued
• Relates to a marketplace experience
• Alleges a problem experienced with
services or products
Beyond BBB Scope
•
•
•
•
•
Alleging discrimination
Employer/employee issues
Based solely on price
“Just to inform the BBB”
Company has already resolved
Beyond BBB Scope Continued:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Against a government agency
Against an individual
Have gone or are going to court
Third party complaints
Anonymous complaints
Regarding collection of payment owed
The complaint process:
Responding to the BBB
The complaint process
Complaint received
Reviewed by Mediation Coordinator
Sent to company
Company provides response
Complaint Process Timeline
• Complaints are sent to the business 1 to 5
days from the date BBB receives
• Business is asked to respond within 10
calendar days from the date BBB sends
complaint
• Complaints are usually closed within
30 calendar days from the date submitted
Providing a Business Response
•
Company response must be in writing
via postal, email, or fax.
•
If you need help revising a response,
need more time to respond, already
resolved the issue or if the consumer
refuses to allow you to complete the
job…
…TELL US
Response Tips:
• Acknowledge the experience the
consumer had
• Stick to the facts
• Be sure to address all issues!
• Provide documentation
• BBB will send your response to the
consumer
What is fair & reasonable?
Is this fair & reasonable?
• Mediation Coordinators have been trained
on how to mediate various issues
• Mediation Coordinators are skilled at
identifying the core issue at hand
• Examples
Ratings
BBB’s 16 factors used to determine ratings:
1. Type of Business
2. Time in Business
3. Competency Licensing
4. Complaint Volume
5. Unanswered Complaints
6. Unresolved Complaints
7. Serious Complaints
8. Complaint Analysis
9. Complaint Resolution Delayed
10. Failure to Address Complaint Pattern
11. Government Action
12. Advertising Review
13. Background Information
14. Clear understanding of business
15. Mediation/arbitration
16. Revocation
Business reviews will
include a company’s
rating – click on reason
for rating and you will be
brought to that section
on the company’s report
or click on BBB ratings
system overview and
you will be brought to
further information on
the BBB’s 16 point rating
system on the BBB’s
website
Ratings Information
• Your company size plays a role in your
complaint threshold
• Your rating could fluctuate
Ratings Information
Continued
• Closed complaints will remain in your
business review for 36 months
• If ANY company, accredited or nonaccredited, fails to respond to any
complaint from the BBB, it will be closed
as “unanswered” and negatively impact a
company’s rating
Consumer Responses
What is NOT Considered a
Consumer Response?
• “I will never do business with your
company again!”
• “I demand an apology!”
• “I will tell everyone I know about this
experience!”
Reopening a Complaint
• Previously unanswered, now responding
• Consumer says company failed to follow
through
• New information provided
File Reviews
• Mediation Coordinators will often conduct
file reviews on a business.
• If your business is contacted, you are not
in trouble!
Community Mediation
Center (CMC)
Services available to you as an Accredited Business:
•
•
•
•
•
Pre-complaint assistance
Formal Mediation
Binding Arbitration
Conflict Resolution Training
Pre-dispute Contract Clause
Advertising Review
Where & What
• Print
• Broadcast
• Electronic
•
•
•
•
•
Too good
Superlative claims
Triggering terms
Missing information
Confusing or
misleading
Basic Principals of the BBB’s Code of Advertising:
The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive
advertising rests with the advertiser. Advertisers should
be prepared to substantiate any claims or offers made before
publication or broadcast and, upon request, present such
substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or the
Better Business Bureau.
Advertisements which are untrue, misleading, deceptive,
fraudulent, falsely disparaging of competitors, or insincere
offers to sell, shall not be used.
An advertisement as a whole may be misleading although
every sentence separately considered is literally true.
Misrepresentation may result not only from direct
statements but by omitting or obscuring a material fact.
32
Process
Individual Business
Industry Wide Issues
• Contact Business
• Provide expertise
• Prior to Publication
Services
• Contact all businesses
in area
• Meet to:
– Develop industry
guidelines
– Develop consumer
tips
Outcomes
• Individual cases
–
–
–
–
Substantiated
Modified
Discontinued
Referred to others
• Results
– No impact
– Press Release
– Law Enforcement
Snapshot
We track not only complaints, but other stats, too!
For example:
• Number of times your business review was
visited
• “Click-throughs” to your website
• Roster requests
Snapshot Sample
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
2011
3
0
7
1
0
2010
4
1
4
7
5
2009
3
2
2
3
2
2008 15 10 19
4
5
2007
4
4 11
3
6
Roster Requests
In the last 12 months
1124
Other Inquiries
Company URL’s clicked
25
Jul
0
6
5
5
4
Aug Sep Oct
0
0
0
7 12
3
4
5
0
5
2
2
7
8
4
Nov Dec Total
0
0
0 11
1
4
2 56
0
3
6 35
3
7
2 79
6
3
7 67
Complaint Detail
As of March 1, 2012 our BBB will begin reporting
Complaint detail in business reviews!
“The text of your complaint will be publicly posted on the BBB
website. Please do not include any personally
identifiable information in describing the nature of your
complaint. By submitting your complaint you are
representing that it is a truthful account of your
experience with the business. BBB may edit your
complaint to remove any personally identifiable
information and/or inappropriate language, but it is
ultimately your responsibility to remove this
information.”
Why Complaint Detail?
• Consumers ranked companies types of complaints
and their resolutions at the top of what they found
useful in reports on businesses
• Consumers found previous BBB language very
unhelpful/informative
• Gives Business a voice in the process
• Makes process even more transparent
Complaint Detail &
Your Business Response
• It will be public – be consistent and
professional
• Omit personally identifying information
Current Business Review
Complaint Summary
Customer Complaints Summary
Read complaint details
1 complaint closed with BBB
in last 3 years
Complaint Type
0 closed in last 12 months
Total Closed Complaints
Billing / Collection Issues
1
Advertising / Sales Issues
0
Problems with Product / Service
0
Delivery Issues
0
Guarantee / Warranty Issues
0
Total Closed Complaints
1
Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint
Complaint Breakdown
by Resolution
Complaint Resolution Log (1)
BBB Closure Definitions
Complaint resolved with BBB assistance (1 complaint)
08/04/2010Billing / Collection Issues | Read Complaint Details
Closure Definitions
• Complaint resolved with BBB assistance
• BBB found business made good faith effort to resolve
complaint, but customer not satisfied with business
response
Closure Definitions
Continued
• Customer not satisfied with business
response
• BBB did not receive a response from
business
• BBB cannot process complaint
The Positives of
Complaint Detail
• Individuals will be able to form their own
opinion
• Gives both parties a voice
• Adds transparency and openness to BBB
process