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?
• Dont 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 readily accessible 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 provision for 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 specific
  needs (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 and use.
  The information should be in clear language.
  Information and assistance in making a complaint
  should be made available, in whatever languages
  or formats that the products were offered or
  provided in, including alternative formats, such
  as large print, Braille or 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 complainants should be treated courteously
  and be kept informed of the progress of their
  complaint through the 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 solving the problem
  and not on assigning blame.
• Guidance in Annex C of AS ISO 10002

8
Guiding principles-charges/confidentiality

• ChargesAccess to the complaints-handling process
  should be free of charge to the complainant.
• ConfidentialityPersonally identifiable
  information concerning the complainant should be
  available where needed, but only for the purposes
  of addressing the complaint within the
  organisation and should be actively protected
  from disclosure.

9
Guiding principles-Customer-focused approach

• The organisation should adopt
• a customer-focused approach,
• be open to feedback including 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 approach can be evidenced by
• Clear set of published values of the organisation
  and its role.
• Management actively seen to be implementing 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