Any complaint handlers here

sim2335

Working in complaints  seems like a impossible job, I’m fascinated  how it works step by step.

First thing normally it was be able to solved by a advisor or even a manager so a complainet  is raised

I assume non of the complainet handlers are lawyers.

So how do they decide especially if it’s a grey area what to do.

Can you give me some examples please.

Sometimes even if customer has told wrong information, you still won’t do anything when would this be.

Also what when customer thinks their right and you think you right.. how do you even end that cos customer won’t come off call

How do you check what is being done is all legal 

Sandtree

How it will work will depend on the industry, thinks like banking and insurance have extra things they have to do/consider for complaints because of regulatory requirements than say a supermarket.

Ordinarily complaint handlers are not lawyers, most are simply  experienced customer service staff. There can be some exceptions obviously, such as if you've got a high value motor claim it may well be the file handlers are paralegals anyway and so the complaint handler would also be a paralegal.

There are very rarely unique complaints and so its not often that there isnt a "company line" on how different complaints are dealt with. So for example my first job as a complaints handler was for a mail order company and we'd get complaints that an adviser had said something stupid and then the next person the customer has spoken to hadn't honoured what the first one had said. For us, we would get the complaint, listen to the call, if the customer is correct in what they believe they had been told we would then honour that original agreement (eg one case I had was to enable a customer to return a 15 year old vac for a full refund because she couldnt buy the bags for it any more).

Complaint handlers will typically have certain authority levels, so in my first job I could discount items up to 50% off my own thinking, when I became a team leader it was up to 75% or the wholesale cost (which ever is greater) and finally as a manager I could waive the while item. If you feel the customer deserves more than your authority level you go up the chain until you hit someone with the appropriate level.

JJ_Egan

Usually these guys/ girls work off a script .But their are varying levels of CS support some better than others , some just blanking from the start .

Sandtree

JJ_Egan said:

Usually these guys/ girls work off a script .But their are varying levels of CS support some better than others , some just blanking from the start .

Talking late 90s here but they tried to automate complaints handling in the first company I worked in... in the old green screen system there were actually no authority levels set so anyone could do anything but audit would run off reports to see if people were breaching their authority.

They then created a terrible new front end to the system that was supposed to "guide you through" enquiries and complaints (and took training from 6 months down to 2 weeks). In the old system a customer called and said they couldnt afford their bills, you looked at their payment history, order history, listen to their story and you could agree a 50% reduction for 3 months which could be extended by 3 months if they kept to it. Team leaders could give a 75% reduction. 
New system though... "sorry to hear your problems, your current bill is £400 per month, how much can you afford to pay?"... customer says £150 which you put in... "We understand your struggling at the moment would us reducing the bill to £350 help?" Yes/No option... if you click no then "We do understand and want to help, we could possibly accept £300 but you would have to ensure you keep up with the payments, shall I arrange that for you?" Yes/No option... if you click no it then said call your team leader.

You could see where they were going with the system but the conversations were painful and got a lot of customers irate... thankfully the system was incomplete and if you went down some paths it kicked you back into the old green screen when you could then do what you want again like setting up a reduced payment of £200

sim2335

that’s thanks for the replies so far, it’s interesting.

Also if you work in a bank and defult someone on their loan, without notice, due to arrers.

would you remove the defult  or would you just apologise and say techinally  we can do do it as you have defaulted?

Also when someone raises a compliment what puts you off helping them, and what increases the chances of you helping them.


 

Lomast

Is this rhetoric or is there an actual question hiding in there somewhere?

davidmcn

Lomast said:

Is this rhetoric or is there an actual question hiding in there somewhere?

The OP's posting history suggests something more like the former.

Were_Doomed

Lomast said:

Is this rhetoric or is there an actual question hiding in there somewhere?

I was wondering the same.

sim2335

Lomast said:

Is this rhetoric or is there an actual question hiding in there somewhere?

It’s not rhetoric, it’s a actual question, as I’ve heard some go customers way others don’t.

also does the person case become strong if they back it up from company’s site and fca or not really as that’s checked anyway

a different example say for example a advisor made a mistake and says I will refund all chargers and interest and their up to 2k, however the complainets team investigate  and see all chargers and interest , were approtie, and shouldn’t be refunded. 

what would you do about incorrect information being told, would you still refund the 2k, or apologise for missinformation

Were_Doomed

You're asking hypotheticals, so not really asking a question. Do YOU have a specific issue that you need help with? If yes please provide relevant (anonymised) specifics so we can help.

Sandtree

Not in banking so cannot comment on the rules around defaulting customers but as its a regulated industry any complaint has to be formally logged, acknowledged in writing if not resolved straight away and a holding letter at 4 weeks (if not yet resolved) and final response letter once resolved.

What puts people off from helping is people who are aggressive, argumentative, "I know my rights" and "I know my rights" but then get totally incorrectly state their rights, unreasonable demands, immediately at the point of registering the complaint saying you are going to take it to court/press/MP. 

People who are almost apologetic that you as a complaints handler has to deal with their frustration as the caller recognises its not you personally that has created the problem can be appreciated... though most of us know that and so dont really want every caller to say it.  People that are reasonable both in giving time to look into the problem and what they want as a resolution.  Someone who's been a good customer up to this point. Someone who can clearly explain what the problem is without being overly emotive.