Complaints - How to Complain

Only by listening to any customer complaints can we improve our services. Only a few customers take the trouble to tell us what we did wrong. Others simply cease to deal with us - to our loss. We treasure those who complain - it is only through the trouble they take that we can improve. Fallshaws recognise: Our customers right to complain, and to have the complaint resolved in an efficient, fair and accessible manner. Fallshaws obligation: We have an obligation to provide adequate information about: · Our products and services and how we trade · Information about the Complaint procedure · A monitoring mechanism to ensure feedback We will work with the customer positively to a mutually satisfactory conclusion. When to complain: 'The sooner the better' is the rule. People forget, or their attention wonders. The sooner you complain, the sooner we can give the good service we want to give. What principle is used to resolve a complaint?: It should be fair to both parties. Fairness: Fairness has two aspects. One prior to sale, and one on complaint. Prior to sale: Fallshaws (or their distributor) must correctly inform the customer about their goods and services, so the customer can make a correct choice. The customer must use that information, and make a careful choice. If both parties treat these obligations seriously prior to sale complaints seldom arise. On complaint: A verbal complaint to Fallshaws or their distributor is usually enough to resolve the matter immediately. If this is not possible we ask the matter be put into writing. This can be done immediately if you are speaking to a Fallshaw branch office (by Fallshaw staff into our computers), or on to a Complaint Form otherwise. The Form draws together all the information we need to treat the complaint efficiently. We need to know "Who is complaining?, What conditions might have caused the problem?, What goods or services are involved? and Any comments?" What happens to the Complaint? It goes immediately to the person who can handle it best. · If about product quality - to the Quality Engineer. It helps immensely if you can send a sample of the problem with the complaint. You should have an answer within 2 days. If not, you will get an interim answer, with further information at regular intervals. If it is obviously our problem you will get replacements immediately. · If it is about a sales matter - it goes to the Sales Branch with whom you dealt. If the facts are agreed the Sales Manager will settle the matter immediately. If there is disagreement another senior sales person will join the discussion. Again we try to resolve the matter within 2 days. · If it is a commercial matter - it goes to Head Office Accounts. We will try to come to agreement within 2 days. Remedies: It is seldom possible to totally unwind the whole effect of something going wrong. It is only possible to try and put the customer to where he would have been if the problem had not happened. Remedies might include: replacement, refund, repair, substitution, technical information, financial adjustment, apology or some goodwill gift or token. Suppliers occasionally make mistakes. Good suppliers quickly acknowledge the problem, remove it, and ensure it does not happen again. Customers sometimes make mistakes also. Fallshaws will work with the customer to minimise the cost and inconvenience of that mistake to the customer. Data collection: Fallshaws collects information from complaints, and looks for patterns to improve its systems and avoid problems reoccurring. Disputes: If we cannot agree, Fallshaws will suggest conciliation by a knowledgeable person. If this does not bring agreement, we will suggest arbitration. Only if that fails do we suggest litigation. Above all - we want a happy customer.
	End of Fact Sheet Issued November 2001