► Complaints Procedure

Customer Complaints Policy

UPSU is committed to delivering a high quality service and we encourage customers to advise us when there is cause for concern and a case for improvement.

Objectives of the complaints policy

1. To provide dissatisfied customers with a mechanism for seeking redress
2. To provide feedback to enable us to review our performance and to continually improve our service

What is a complaint?

A complaint is whenever a customer expresses dissatisfaction with the service they have received.  However, most complaints will be concerned with relatively minor, everyday matters which can be resolved informally with the person(s) directly concerned therefore, we recommend you try and resolve your problem directly and informally with the department in question before proceeding with an official complaint.

After contacting the department directly, you still feel that the issue cannot or has not been resolved and wish to proceed with a formal complaint. Therefore, this policy defines a formal complaint as ‘a problem not resolved by informal means or one too serious to be dealt with informally’.

What to do if you wish to make a formal complaint

If your problem cannot be resolved at the point of origin then you should put your complaint in writing to:

Marketing & Commercial Services Manager

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union

The University of Plymouth

Drake Circus

Plymouth

PL4 8AA

Or by e-mail to complaints@upsu.com

A written complaint must be made within 3 months of the occurrence and should contain a clear statement of the grounds for complaint with supporting documentation or evidence where appropriate.

How we handle your complaint

1.     We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 4 working days of receipt.

2.     Your complaint will be referred to the relevant departmental manager or student representative who will investigate and respond directly to you, in writing, within 10 working days of the issue of the acknowledgment letter.

3.     If the response received is not acceptable to you, then you may wish to refer the matter back to the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager requesting that the matter be reviewed. In the event of a complaint requiring a lengthy investigation, you will be updated regularly throughout the process.

All complaints are taken seriously and will be dealt with fairly and thoroughly. Dealing with and monitoring complaints will help us to identify areas of weakness and enable us to continually improve our service. 

Customer Complaints Procedure

Ad-hoc/Informal Complaints

In the first instance, the complaint should be referred immediately to the manager on duty. The Manager will aim to resolve the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Manager should then complete a ‘Complaints Record Form’ (whether or not the problem has been resolved), keep a copy for their records and forward a copy immediately to the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager and President.

Formal Complaints

If the complaint cannot be resolved by the manager on duty or the customer wishes to make a more formal complaint, then he/she should be asked to write to the following address:

Marketing & Commercial Services Manager

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union

The University of Plymouth

Drake Circus

Plymouth

PL4 8AA. Or by e-mail to complaints@upsu.com

If you receive a complaint directly from the customer, please ensure that a copy is sent to the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager and President immediately. In this instance, you should acknowledge receipt of the complaint to the customer.

Acknowledgement of Complaint

 Log Information

Marketing & Commercial Services Manager to log complaint on a central database (in time this could be developed to become web-based to allow managers to individually update complaint records as actions are taken).

Reply to Customer

Actions/Preventative Measures

• Manager or Sabbatical Officer to investigate why the problem occurred
• Manager to put measures in place to ensure that the problem will not happen again
• Manager to keep a record of investigation and measures (with a copy to the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager)
• Manager to monitor measures put in place and feedback to Marketing & Commercial Services Manager and Sabbatical Officers

Customer Follow Up

In the event of customer not being satisfied with the final outcome then the full file should be passed to the Senior Manager and Sabbatical Officer responsible for the area in question. Any correspondence/actions should be copied to the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager who should update the central database accordingly until the file is closed.

Definition of a Complaint 

1.             What is a Complaint?

A complaint is defined as a formal expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of UPSU activities, or their absence.

2.         What is not a Complaint?

The following are indications of what should not be regarded as a complaint:

AN ENQUIRY - e.g. when a customer asks about the availability of a service or facility in the University or UPSU.

A REQUEST - e.g. when a customer asks for the provision of a service or facility, for action to be taken, for an explanation or justification.

A COMMENT – e.g. which is informal and not requiring further action.

A SUGGESTION – e.g. for an improvement in provision of a service or facility.

A REPORT - e.g. when a customer reports that something is wrong.

Some of these may then become a complaint if the customer is dissatisfied with the process. 

Dealing Positively with Complaints – In Person or by Phone

Dealing with Customer Complaints

If you are dealing with people who are upset, angry or have a complaint try this way of handling the situation:

·         "I'm glad that you have brought this to our notice"

• "I'm sure that we can sort it out."

·         "I'm sorry that you have a problem."

Notice: we haven't said that we have done anything wrong; we are acknowledging that the person we are dealing with feels that they have a problem. If after investigation we find we've made a mistake, we can take responsibility for the mistake and apologise.

Try not to inflame the situation

Some words and phrases actually inflame a situation rather than diffuse it. How many times have you told someone to 'calm down' only to find them reacting badly to the comment?

Some phrases/words to avoid:

• You must be mistaken
• I can't help you or I don't know
• Calm down or don't shout
• That's never happened before

Watch your body language and tone of voice. If you show boredom, talk to your associates when dealing with a customer or adopt a patronising tone of voice, then there is the chance that this will also inflame the situation.

Make realistic promises

Give your customer a realistic expectation of what you can deliver.

• Allow yourself slippage time when telling them how long it will take to get back to them.
• Think how impressed they'll be when you exceed expectations

Always try to help

Don't 'dead-end' a customer by saying -

·         I can't do anything

·         Not my problem

• He/she isn't here

Give solutions, options, or alternatives, always telling your customers what is possible, not what you can't do. Don't tell yourself that it's not your problem and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't say 'It was them/him/her'.

Look at what needs to be done to correct the problem. And if it isn't within your job scope to deal with this problem, then make sure that it is passed to the person who is able to deal with it. And then feedback to the customer that this is what you've done.

Dealing with difficult customers

If you're dealing with a difficult customer and are in danger of losing your temper or patience, ask for time-out or involve another member of staff in the situation.

Always ask for help if you are unsure what the answer is or what to do in a situation. Don't make it worse by guessing or giving incorrect information. And if you're having a bad day and finding it difficult to cope, don't put a brave face on it, let your colleagues know. They can help.

Dealing Positively with Complaints – In Writing

Written complaints involve dealing with emotional customers who are dissatisfied with the product or service they have received.

Special letter-writing skills are required to regain a customer’s confidence after they’ve made a complaint.

Remember that some things are better said on paper

● A letter is relatively formal and can act as a legal record.

● Complex or lengthy messages are best conveyed in writing.

● The same letter can be reused or adapted for many recipients.

● A letter can be retained on file for record purposes

● Written information can be re-read, for example to check understanding, whereas the content of a conversation can be more easily misunderstood

● A well-handled complaint can convert a lukewarm customer into a loyal and enthusiastic one.

● A careful balance needs to be achieved between being sympathetic and being over-apologetic, and maintaining a professional approach.

● The way you answer a complaint is a critical factor in rebuilding the organisation’s credibility and public image.

Getting your message across

1. Thank the customer

This is a standard opening for a letter, and easily used. However, as one ‘thank you’ in a letter often goes unnoticed by the average reader, take the opportunity to thank them several times – for the effort in writing, for letting you know of the problem, for continuing to use your service.

2. Let the customer know what action has been taken

Tell the customer if something within your organisation has changed as a result of their complaint. When customers complain about situations that cannot be fixed tangibly for them, it is sometimes enough to know that it will not happen to someone else.

3. Personalise your letter

Avoid sending ‘standard’ letters. Make the point of really reading the customer’s complaint and empathising with their situation in your response.

4. Use plain English

Customers will appreciate language that is easy to understand, and please check your letter for jargon before sending it! Please also ask a colleague to check the letter for grammar and spelling mistakes – we all make them!

5. Be concise, but specific

The customer is not interested in pages and pages of reasons, excuses and explanations. They merely want to know what you have done to put their complaint right and to be reassured that it won’t happen again.

You should always demonstrate willingness, and the capability, to understand a customer's feelings and situation, whether or not you actually agree with their stand-point.

An understanding tone should be used in writing response letters to customer complaints, and in dealing with any failure to meet expectations, whether the customer's expectations are realistic and fair, or not.

Always take personal responsibility for problems until they are fully resolved. Don't just 'throw it over the wall' and hope that a colleague sees it through. You must be the guardian of the complaint and look after the customer to ensure that your organisation does the right thing, even when someone else has responsibility to deal with it. Always check that the customer has been looked after, and the problem finally resolved.

Be careful about accepting liability if you have no guideline or policy enabling you to do so, and in any event, wherever you perceive potentially significant liability could exist, delay any decision or commitment until seeking advice from a person in suitable authority.

If you are at all unsure, please contact the Marketing & Commercial Services Manager for advice.