How do i handle customer complaints?

This information is applicable to handling customer complaints. 

Step-by-step guide

When a poor survey message or complaint is sent to a Franchisee (labelled ‘concern’ if they have not had one for the previous six months), the Franchisor or qualified staff member is to contact the Franchisee within 24 hours business days (48 hours if a poor survey response) and leave a note against the job. If contact cannot be made then a note must be left and attempts continued until contact is made.

The aim is to try and work out how the complaint could have been avoided and counsel the Franchisee to do better. If the customer is unhappy with the job, the Franchisor will liaise with them until the problem is rectified. If the Franchisee denies fault then the Franchisor arranges inspection. The Franchisee must be given the option to fix the problem. If they do not then the Franchisor gets the job done and bills the Franchisee. If the Franchisee fails to pay and is terminated, the Warranty Fund will pay. 

If the Franchisor believes the job is good and the client is not happy, the Franchisor will arrange with the client for an independent report, with both parties agreeing in writing to accept the verdict as final. The Franchisee pays for the report cost unless the report goes 100% his way (this has never happened).

Once nothing more needs doing the complaint is marked ‘at fault’. In rare situations, when the Franchisee clearly did nothing wrong, the complaint may be marked ‘not at fault’.

If there is objective proof that the complaint is wrong, such as an Email from the client or proof of a returned phone call when the survey showed a call returned late, or if the call centre is informed within two hours that the client could not be contacted, Email jim@jims.net and the complaint will be deleted.