complainthandling

Complaint handling, or complaint management, encompasses the processes by which an organization receives, documents, investigates, and resolves complaints from customers, users, employees, or other stakeholders. It aims to address the issue, restore trust, and identify opportunities for improvement. Effective handling requires timely acknowledgment, fair assessment, clear communication, and consistent documentation.

A typical complaint-handling workflow includes intake and logging, triage and prioritization, formal investigation or root-cause analysis, resolution and remediation, and closing with a written response. Throughout, organizations should provide status updates, preserve confidentiality, and maintain an auditable trail. Channels may include phone, email, web forms, social media, or in-person meetings.

Governance involves defined roles, escalation paths, and service level targets. Specialized units or outsourced partners may manage the process, but accountability rests with senior management. Data protection and privacy considerations are integral, as is accessibility to ensure customers with disabilities can submit and track complaints. Organizations should also have clear policies on non-retaliation and fair treatment of complainants.

Standards and metrics support quality and learning. ISO 10002 is a widely recognized standard for complaint-handling systems; ISO 9001 emphasizes customer satisfaction and process improvement. Common metrics include response time, time-to-resolution, first-contact resolution, and customer-satisfaction scores. Beyond remedy, effective complaint handling drives systemic improvements, risk reduction, and enhanced customer trust.