{"id":202491,"date":"2021-02-16T17:59:09","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T04:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=202491"},"modified":"2021-03-23T12:59:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T23:59:09","slug":"create-complaints-process-nz-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/create-complaints-process-nz-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Create an Effective Complaints Process For My NZ Business?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The law requires that you deal with customer complaints. In addition to that, however, having a fair and effective complaints policy will show customers that you are open to their feedback. This will generate goodwill for your business and aid in reputation and growth. It can be useful to have guidelines that staff can follow for handling complaints, and this means you can provide the same level of service across the board. Make sure to tailor your complaints process to suit your business and the kind of customer relationship you want to foster. This article will outline the legal requirements for responding to customer complaints and provide a basic process structure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dealing With Customer Complaints<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Handling customer complaints can be tricky, especially if the issues at hand are serious. As a provider of goods and services, you need to uphold certain consumer guarantees. These guarantees are the bare minimum of what you should provide and inform how you deal with facilitating remedies for disgruntled customers. Note that you cannot:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">refuse to handle a customer complaint;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">delay dealing with the complaint; or\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fail to handle the complaint at all.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you fail to deal with consumer complaints, you are not upholding your obligations under consumer law. Because of this, customers can complain to the Commerce Commission. Dealing with an investigation can be costly for your business, especially if you are a small startup.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Things to Cover in Your Complaints Process<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Across all stages of dealing with customer complaints, make sure that you and your staff remain polite and professional. You do not have to provide a remedy for every customer issue, but you should investigate every problem. Ensure that you give your staff the tools to deal with complaints and support them when you need to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide a clear way for customers to report issues or submit complaints. You could do this by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">setting up a helpline;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">keeping physical feedback forms in your stores; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">providing a complaint submission page on your website.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When handling customer complaints, you should:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">respond;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">investigate;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">resolve; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">move forward.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Respond<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be sure to respond to customer complaints as soon as possible, especially if they complain on a public forum or social media. When <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/e-commerce\/how-to-handle-online-business-negative-reviews\/\">responding to customer complaints<\/a> on social media, if the customer has a specific issue, you can:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">thank them for their feedback;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">apologise for the inconvenience;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">promise to investigate the matter; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">offer to deal with the issue through private or offline channels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is a good idea to have senior staff members deal with customer complaints and assign someone to deal with each complaint as they come in. Make sure the customer knows who this person is as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Investigate<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The next step is to investigate the customer\u2019s problem. Do not offer to provide a remedy immediately, but do let the customer know that you are looking into the issue. Be sure to get important information from the customer, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the background details of the problem, including its nature and potential causes;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">their contact details;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the date of sale; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the date that the problem began or occurred.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the customer complains about a faulty product, be sure to get details of how they handled the product and whether they followed instructions correctly. They could have caused the problem themselves through product misuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">From there, investigate the issue. Depending on its nature, this could include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">asking the customer to send you the product so that you can confirm the fault;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">check with staff about the issue if appropriate, and getting their side of the story; or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">checking relevant CCTV footage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Resolve<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you are satisfied that the complaint is valid, do what you need to do to set it right. Customers are entitled to a remedy (such as a <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/what-should-my-new-zealand-business-include-in-a-refund-policy\/\">replacement, repair, or refund<\/a>) for:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">faulty or damaged products;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">substandard services;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">late or damaged delivered goods; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">being overcharged if there was not an already set price.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be even-handed with the remedies you give, and check that any remedy you offer satisfies your legal requirements as a consumer goods provider. Note that you do not have to provide remedies if the customer has:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">changed their mind;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">deliberately or accidentally damaged the product;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">not followed instructions of use (such as washing instructions); or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">gone somewhere else to resolve the issue before coming to you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss potential remedies with the customer and keep them updated throughout the process. If you decide that you will not give them a remedy (and you are not legally required to) then be clear about your reasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Move Forward<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Look at customer complaints as a chance to improve your business, and to identify wider areas in your business that you need to fix. Ask customers who complain for feedback on how you handled their issue, and use it to make your complaints process more effective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Having an effective complaints process for your New Zealand business is imperative for maintaining good customer relations and identifying areas in your business that you may need to develop. If you would like more information or help with drafting a complaints policy for your business that complies with your consumer obligations, contact LegalVision\u2019s New Zealand <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-lawyers-lp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">regulatory and compliance lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on 0800 005 570 or fill out the form on this page.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" 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It outlines the proper channels to go through, who to contact and how they should respond to customers.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1613450240676\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How should I deal with customer complaints?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Be as courteous and professional as possible. Apologise for the inconvenience and promise to look into the matter further. You cannot avoid or delay in dealing with customer complaints, so make sure you investigate as promptly as possible.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1613450251284\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I need a formal complaints policy?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It may be a good idea to have a structured system that employees can follow when dealing with customer complaints. This means they can handle difficult customers more confidently, and you can control your business\u2019 response to customer complaints.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1613450266386\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I have to give unhappy customers a remedy for their complaint?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You cannot refuse to deal with a complaint. But, if the law does not require you to give a customer a remedy for their issue (as you do when it is a faulty product or substandard service), then you do not have to. You may decide to anyway, to generate customer goodwill. Be clear about your reasoning for any decision you make.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"ed19fd34f0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202491\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/create-complaints-process-nz-business\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"How Do I Create an Effective Complaints Process For My NZ Business?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The law requires that you deal with customer complaints. In addition to that, however, having a fair and effective complaints policy will show customers that you are open to their feedback. This will generate goodwill for your business and aid in reputation and growth. It can be useful to have guidelines that staff can follow<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/create-complaints-process-nz-business\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;How Do I Create an Effective Complaints Process For My NZ Business?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13236,"featured_media":201763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[25,247,550,551],"class_list":["post-202491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regulatory-and-compliance","tag-small-business","tag-customer-feedback","tag-customer-complaints","tag-complaints-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Do I Create a Complaints Process For My NZ Business? | LegalVision<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you run a business in New Zealand, you will need to create an effective complaints process. 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