Module - 04 11 22 - Handle Customer Complaint1

Marketing and Sales Management
Module II
Based on June 2021, Curriculum Version 2
Module Title: - Handle customer Compliant

Module code: - LSA MSM2 M04 11 22
Nominal duration: 50 Hour
Prepared by: Ministry of Labor and Skill
December, 2022
Adama, Ethiopia
Page 1 of 69 Author/Copyright : Handle customer complaint Version - I

Ministry of Labor and Skills Level- II December
2022
Contents
Acknowledgment ............................................................................................................................ 3
UNIT ONE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS ................................................................................... 6
1.1Assessing customer complaint ............................................................................................... 6
1.2. Informing relevant stakeholders ........................................................................................ 11
1.3. Documenting customer complaints.................................................................................... 14
Self- check of unit one .............................................................................................................. 25
UNIT TWO:- PROCESS COMPLAINTS .................................................................................. 26
2.1. Identifying complaints escalation ...................................................................................... 26
2.2 Identifying information to resolve compliant ..................................................................... 29
2.3 Preparing information ......................................................................................................... 31
Self- check of unit two .............................................................................................................. 34
UNIT THREE RESOLVING COMPLAINTS ............................................................................ 35
3.1 Identifying implications of complaint ................................................................................. 35
3.2. Analyzing options .............................................................................................................. 37
3.3. Using effective communication options ............................................................................ 42
3.4. Determining Escalating matters ......................................................................................... 50
Self- check of unit three ............................................................................................................ 54
UNIT FOURE: REFERRING COMPLAINTS ............................................................................ 55
4.1 identifying and referring complaints ................................................................................... 55
4.2. Investigating report document ........................................................................................... 57
4.3 Following personnel............................................................................................................ 59
Self- check of unit four ............................................................................................................. 61
UNIT FIVE EXERCISE JUDGMENT TO RESOLVE CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES ...... 62
5.1. Identifying Implications of customer complaints .............................................................. 62
5.2. Analyzing and negotiating options for resolving issues .................................................... 63
5.3 Proposing visible options .................................................................................................... 64
5.4. Ensuring referring matters ............................................................................................. 66
Self- check of unit five .............................................................................................................. 68
References ................................................................................................................................. 69

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Acknowledgment
Ministry of Labor and Skills wish to extend thanks and appreciation to the many representatives
of TVET instructors and respective industry experts who donated their time and expertise to the
development of this Teaching, Training and Learning Materials (TTLM).

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Introduction to the Module
In marketing field Handling customer Compliant helps to know the receives complaints
information , to process complaints; to resolve complaints; to refer complaints and exercise
judgment to resolve customer services issues and to know how to solve the customer
complaints under the marketing and sales managements fields.This module is designed to
meet knowledge, skill and attitude that the industry requirement under the Handling customer
complaints occupational standard, particularly for the marketing and sales management.
This module covers the units:
 Receive complaints
 Process complaints
 Resolve complaints
 Refer complains
 Exercise judgment to resolve customer service issues
Learning Objective of the Module
Know how to receive customer complaints

Identify how to Process customer complaints
Understand Resolving customer complaints steps
Understand Referring customer complains
Exercise judgment to resolve customer service issues
Learning Instructions
For effective use this modules trainees are expected to follow the following module
instruction:
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning outcome.

2. Follow the instructions described below 3 to 5.
3. Read the information written in the ―Information Sheets Try to understand what
are being discussed. Ask you teacher for assistance if you have hard time
understanding them.
4. Accomplish the ―Self-check‖ given at the end of each information sheet

5. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation, proceed to next information sheet.
However, if your rating is unsatisfactory, contact your teacher for further
instructions

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Preface
The reformed TVET-System is an outcome-based system. It utilizes the needs of the labor
market and occupational requirements from the world of work as the benchmark and
standard for TVET delivery. The requirements from the world of work are analyzed and
documented taking into account international benchmarking as occupational standards (OS).
In the reformed TVET-System, curricula and curriculum development play an important role
with regard to quality driven TVET-Delivery. Curricula help to facilitate the learning process
in a way, that trainees acquire the set of occupational competences (skills, knowledge and
attitude) required at the working place and defined in the occupational standards (OS).
Responsibility for Curriculum Development will be given to the Regional TVET-Authorities
and TVET-Providers.
This curriculum has been developed by a group of professional experts from different
Regional TVET Bureaus, colleges, Industries, Institutes and universities based on the
occupational standard for Marketing and Sales Management level II
It has the character of a model curriculum and is an example on how to transform the
occupational requirements as defined in the respective Occupational Standard into an
adequate curriculum.
The curriculum development process has been actively supported and facilitated by Ministry
of Labor and Skills.

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UNIT ONE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS
The learning guide Processing complaint is developed to provide you the necessary information
regarding the following content coverage and topics are:
 Assessing complaint
 Informing relevant stakeholders
 Documenting customer complaints
Learning outcome will also assist you to attain the following specific objectives. Specifically,
upon completion of this Learning outcome you will be able to:
 Assess complaint according
 Inform relevant stakeholders about the complaint
 Document customer complaints
1.1Assessing customer complaint
A complaint is a statement in which you express your dissatisfaction with a

particular situation.Under the Ombudsman Act 1974 the Ombudsman has wide discretion
in deciding which of the many complaints received about government agencies will be
pursued. The following criteria are not definitive, but have been devised as a guide to the
exercise of that discretion. In all cases, consideration will also be given to the availability of
resources and the public interest.
A. Complaints preference
Preference is generally given to complaints identifying
 systemic (structural or procedural) deficiencies in public administration
 sensitive issues which are unlikely to be (or be seen to be) properly addressed
by the agencies concerned (due to such factors as the seniority of the staff the
subject of the allegations, conflicts of interest on the part of the agency or its
senior staff, significant sensitivity, etc), or

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 Serious maladministration or detrimental action as defined in the Public
Interest Disclosures Act 1994.
B. Complaints that are declined
Complaints are declined that: are outside jurisdiction contain no evidence of maladministration
or other wrong conduct on the part of the agency or public officials concerned are frivolous,
vexatious, not in good faith or raise trivial matters
Additional factors that can be considered when assessing complaints Additional factors that
can be considered include:
 The complainant’s specific circumstances make it unreasonable to expect them to pursue

the matter themselves, particularly where no advocate is able to act on their behalf, (e.g.
inmates, youth, people with a disability, homeless persons)
 The complainant is in immediate need of assistance and our intervention is likely to
clarify if and how the matter may be resolved, or otherwise progress the resolution of the
matter
 There appears to be a misunderstanding or lack of communication that would be easy for
the office to resolve, or where our intervention may better assist the complainant
understand the actions or decisions of agencies
The process we follow when handling contracting complaints made about us or

about a service provider contracted by us
1. Our complaint handling standards
2. Assessing the complaint to determine who handles it
3. Acknowledging receipt
4. Examining the issues raised
5. Taking action to address the issues and resolve the complaint
6. Closing the complaint

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7. Information we collect and how we use it
8. For complainants: summary of what to expect
Types of complaints
(1) Public Multi-Media Complaint:
Let’ start to learn about the types of complaints with the most intimidating type of complaint.
However, all the complaints have to be dealt with as fast as possible but public media
complaint should be addressed fastest and provided solutions as soon as possible. Public
multimedia has the reach of millions of people. If your customer takes his/her complaint to
say Facebook, Twitter these platforms have the reachability to all those who are following
your social media accounts.
Failure to address such complaints put a negative impression on the current as well as on the
potential customers of the company. Therefore, this kind of complaints must be addressed
quickly (mostly within seconds) and with utmost care. A company should have enough
trained people to handle their social media accounts and complaints should be sent to the
related departments.
To do so, first of all, the customer should be asked to provide contact information and
contacted to get more details about the problem. secondly, the customer should be asked
politely to take down the complaint after solving it. Public media has given the power in the
hands of customers, now, the management has to, listen to the complaints and solve them
quickly to run a successful business.
2) Serial Complaint:
There is something wrong if a customer complains about something again and gain or many
customers complain about the same thing. Management should take effective actions to
address such complaints before they go out of hand.
A customer loses his trust in the company if his complaint is not addressed when asked
repeatedly. Therefore, serial complaints must be handled quickly. Fixing such problems
reduces the work for the future altogether. However, working on such complaints is good for
the company because these complaints help to make the service better and also gives room to
the management for introspection and improvement.

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On the other hand, a company should narrow down customers who complaints frequently
about every other thing and find smart ways to deal with them, because there are always
some mischievous people who just want to create a nuisance.
3) First-time complaint:
Usually, customer care providers tend to ignore the complaints of a new customer or a customer
who is complaining for the first time. If they do so, they make a big mistake and increase the
chances of losing a loyal customer. On the contrary, such customers such be paid extra attention
and helped to fix their problem instantly.
In the scenarios where there is actually a fault in the product or service, management should
offer something such as a discount or a free service to please him. This kind of gestures increase
the chances of turning a customer into a loyal customer.
4) Good Customer Complaint:
Good customers also are known as loyal customers are the segment of customers who bring
maximum revenue for the company. No company can ever afford to lose good customers. Good
customers have given you a lot of business in the past and are mostly satisfied with your
services. But there are times when such customers also feel dissatisfied. Addressing the
complaints of such customers should be the priority of every company.
These customers had good experiences with you in the past and you can still retain them by
providing the right solution when they are cross with the services of the company. Customer care
executives should make a list of priority customers as per the business brought by them and see
to the complaints made by them immediately.
5) Personnel Complaint:
These types of complaints made by the customers when executives behave rudely or
inappropriately with them. Few of the most common personnel complaints made by customers
are ―you don’t seem to care.‖ Or ―Nobody bothers to solve my issue.‖ These complaints should
be dealt with utmost care because customers who have made such complaint already feel
offended and we are well-versed with human nature.

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A human takes an extreme decision when angry or hurt. These customers can make a
resolution to never buy
anything from you which is
very bad for the company. It
is advisable to deal with
these types of customers with
empathy and provide them
with better services.
Figure 1.2 personnel complaint
6) Product Specific Complaint:
Product specific complaints are made when a product or a service is faulty. When a customer
makes such a complaint, he should be asked to hand over the faulty product or provide a
detailed description of the faulty service. The faulty product must to replaced with a
similar new product and he should be given some compensation for the poor service.
If you take such actions a customer will think that you give importance to his association
with you and there are chances that they will bring more business to the company along with
advocating it.
7) Wait – Times Complaint:
These types of customer complaints are common and recurring on phone calls or in lengthy
queues at a store or delay for food delivery at a restaurant or waiting too long to get the
delivery of a product. Long waiting time irritates people and gives an impression of the
inefficiency of the service. Time is precious to everyone and they prefer instant services.
These complaints can be solved by confronting the customer and apologizing for the delay.
However, it is a short time solution. To reduce wait times complaints, a company should plan
and use the various methods by consulting with their team and management.
8) Complaints because of misunderstanding:
Misunderstanding takes place because of miscommunication. Miscommunication is
inevitable when dealing with people. A customer can misunderstand or misinterpret what you
say. Sometimes they can get annoyed also and accuse you of lying. However, in such a

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scenario, one should not lose temper and take the matter to the experienced executive and
settle the matter.
It is suggested that you should treat the customer with respect even when he is clearly
misunderstood. To avoid such complaints requires knowledgeable and experienced staff and
precise advertising material.
9) Delivery – related Complaint:
This is a common example of customers’ complaint about online business. As the growth in
the trend of online shopping, chances of delivery-related blunder increase. Customers lose
patience when delivery gets delayed by the expected date and complains about it. Such
problems can be dealt with by discussing the issues with the shippers and providing online
tracking details of the product. So that if there is a real issue with the delivery of the product,
it can be resolved.
10) Quality of service-related complaint:
Quality of service-related complaints is types of complaint that no business would want to
have. Great investments in the quality of products and service do not guarantee zero quality
of service related complaint.
1.2. Informing relevant stakeholders

A stakeholder is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be affected
by the business. The primary stakeholders in a typical corporation are its investors,
employees, customers, and suppliers.
 Business stakeholder
Business stakeholders any person, group of people or other organization that has an interest
in the activities of a business. Businesses need to be aware of their stakeholders, as many of
them will be affected by its activities. Stakeholders can also influence the decisions that a
business makes.A stakeholder is any person or entity that has an interest in a business or
project. Stakeholders can have a significant impact on decisions regarding the operations and
finances of an organization.

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Types of Business stakeholders
 Customers  Government.
 Investors  Consider expectations.
 Employees  Manage
 Local community  expectation
 Suppliers and partners
Ways to effectively communicate with your stakeholders
1. Identify key stakeholders and plan communications.

2. Email and e-newsletters.
3. Communication automation.
4. Presentations.
5. Project Summary Reports.
6. Group video call or 'screen to screen' meetings.
7. Leverage informal stakeholder communications.
Effective communication with stakeholders not only aims to ensure they are aware of the
objectives and finer points of a project, it also serves to help the organization understand
those who will be affected by the project, how they will access and interpret information
from the organization and allows the organization.
 Stakeholder management
Stakeholder management is the effective management of all participants in a project, be it

external or internal contributors. Arguably, the most important element in stakeholder
management is communication where a manager has to spend his 99% time in doing meetings,
checking and replying e-mails and updating and distributing reports,

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Process of Stakeholder management
1 Stakeholder identification 3 .Stakeholders planning
2 .Stakeholder analyses 4 .Stakeholder engagements
 The Key Types of Stakeholders
Internal Stakeholders are all the people (or groups of people) who are involved in the project
and are influenced by the company’s operations. Such examples of stakeholders include
employees, managers, board members, and company owners.
These can be further categorized by the following roles:
 Marketing stakeholders
 Technical stakeholders
 Sales stakeholders
 Impacted Employees
 Executive Stakeholders
External Stakeholders are entities that are not part of your organization, but still, have an
interest in a project. The most commonly identified external stakeholders are investors, lenders,
suppliers and customers (to some extent). But you can provide enough information and updates
so that marketing and sales departments can pass on pertinent info about a project to interested
customers if they deem it appropriate.
There are also other external project stakeholders, less often identified as such public agencies
when projects involve current legislation or regulations, customers of the client company who
stand to benefit, outside groups/organizations that may support or oppose the project.
The fact that there can be so many stakeholders can make stakeholder management a very
complex responsibility indeed. The best cure for the over whelm is to work out an effective,
repeatable stakeholder management approach.

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 Create a Stakeholder Management Strategy
Project managers often get this title of a glorified translator between the executors and the
stakeholders. In a shortly, that’s what an effective stakeholder management plan entails. Now
let’s dive into the details of creating stakeholder by Identify the main stakeholders and analyze
their needs and goals.
They often need to possess top communication and relationship management skills to ensure
that:
 Every stakeholder’s objective is clear.

 Any possible conflict between two stakeholders is resolved or mitigated before it impacts
the operations.
 Overall stakeholder engagement (interest and support for the project) remains high.
 The stakeholders receive timely project updates and respond to authorization requests and
other queries on time.
The stakeholders will vary depending on the organization and the type of project to be
undertaken. Identifying all of them will be the first key task on your agenda.
1.3. Documenting customer complaints

Documenting means showing where you got source information that's not your own. Remember,
a research paper blends your ideas with ideas and information from other sources. It means
backing it up with as much provable fact or information - documentation - as possible.
Documentation shows the reader what ideas are yours and what information and ideas you've
taken from a source to support your point of view.
As we'll discuss below, documenting a complaint can be as simple as taking notes on a

conversation, and as complicated as engaging in extensive library research and collecting many
pieces of evidence.

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Some of the things you may have to document are:
 That the action or condition or policy you're complaining about actually happened or
exists
 That the action or condition or policy in question was intentional, or at least that those
responsible for it knew, or should have known, its consequences, or known that it was
illegal or unethical
 That a particular individual or entity was or is responsible for the action or condition or
policy in question
 That you or others actually had particular experiences or conversations
 That someone was actually harmed or otherwise negatively affected by the action or
condition or policy in question
 The particular physical, social, economic, health, psychological, environmental, or other
results of the action or condition or policy in question
 Your own credentials, or those of any experts you consult or cite
This doesn't mean that you have to have a doctorate in chemistry to document an environmental
complaint, for instance, but rather that you've had some relevant experience. That experience
could be personal - with the negative health consequences of a particular environmental
violation, for instance.
Whatever the case, you can't expect a regulatory agency, municipal officials, a newspaper
reporter, the entity you're trying to change, or the public to accept your version of events unless
you can back it up. That's what documentation is all about.
 The importance of Complaint document
The most important reason to document a complaint is that already mentioned: regulatory
agencies, courts, and ombudspersons need evidence in order to sort out the reality of a situation.
(That's why we have trials - so that the judge or jury can figure out who's telling the truth.) If you
can prove the substance of your complaint, or at least show that all the evidence points in the
direction you're suggesting, you've gone a long way toward getting something done about it.

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There are other compelling reasons to provide careful documentation for any complaint,
however, such as:
 It establishes you as a credible witness. In other words, it shows you're telling the truth.
 It establishes that you were concerned enough to pay attention to and record the details of
the situation.
 It may determine whether or not your complaint is taken seriously.
 Having the proper documentation may make a difference as to whether or not the
complaint can be acted on by a regulator or court. A regulatory body or judge may not
have the authority to act without a certain piece or a certain minimum of information.
There may be an inspection requirement (in the case of a consumer complaint, for
example). It's vital to know what's needed and to make sure you have it.
 Having the proper documentation may make a difference as to how the complaint is acted
upon. Careful documentation, for instance, could determine whether or not the law was
violated, to what extent, and if there were extenuating circumstances. All of these could
make a big difference in the outcome of your complaint.
 Proper documentation can protect you against libel or slander charges if you make public
accusations. You can't lose a libel or slander suit - and may be able to dismiss one - if you
can prove that you're telling the truth.
 Libel and slander are the legal terms for damaging someone's reputation by publicly
making untrue statements about her. The difference between the two is that libel refers to
written statements, and slander to those that are only spoken.
 In most cases, proof of your complaint automatically gives you the moral advantage.
Responsibility of handling document complaints
As should be obvious by now, anyone who wants to file or register a complaint should document
it. If you think there's a problem, you need evidence to convince others that that's the case. There
are some people, however, whose documentation may be particularly important.

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 Experts in the field. If you're worried about practices or possible leakage at a local
nuclear power plant, for instance, having a nuclear engineer help you document the
situation may be more effective than doing it alone. He may see things that you wouldn't
have thought to look for, or understand why a particular procedure is important to your
complaint.
 People on the inside. Whistleblowers or others who are willing to document practices or
actions within the entity you're complaining about may have access to information you'd
never have found otherwise.
 People directly affected by the issue. Those who have been harmed, endangered, or
otherwise negatively affected by the subject of the complaint, should be documenting
every detail of their experience. Those details may eventually supply the most convincing
support for the complaint.
 Community leaders or other respected individuals. Your documentation can take on
added strength and credibility if some of it comes from people in the community whom
everyone knows and looks up to.
Time for documenting complaints
The great approach about documenting complaints is that - as you often find out later - you
should start before you realize you have a complaint. If you take that seriously, you can spend
your whole life documenting everything. Since that's probably not how you want to spend your
time, you have to make some choices about when you actually try to document what's
happening. In fact, there are some specific times when it makes sense to gather evidence.
 When you're seeking evidence to bring before a regulatory body or court. This is
perhaps the situation in which there is the clearest need for documentation. Your
documentation in this case needs to be as detailed and accurate as possible, and needs to
have been obtained legally. It won't hurt if it's corroborated by several sources as well.
 When you're looking for facts to back up advocacy for or against legislation or
policy. If you're advocating for legislation or policy that would address the subject of

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your complaint, your chances of success will be far greater if you have documentation of
the practice or condition you want to change.
The Voting Rights Act was passed at least partially because Civil Rights Movement activists
were able to produce documentation of clear discrimination against potential black voters in the
South. Illiterate whites were regularly allowed to register, while African-Americans with college
degrees were consistently turned away. Faced with the evidence of this practice, the federal
government had little choice but to yield to public opinion and act to rectify the situation.
 When you're trying to convince an organization to change its procedures or policies. If

the staff of the welfare office often humiliates welfare recipients, for example, bringing
documentation to the administrator in charge may be enough to change organizational
policy about the treatment of clients.
 When you're accusing an organization, business, or government body of wrongdoing,
malpractice, or incompetence. Unless the entity has actually broken the law, you'll
generally have to provide documentation of a series of events that show a pattern, rather
than just a single one.
 When you suspect a pattern of consumer fraud. When elders in the area receive phone
calls offering spectacular deals or investment possibilities too good to be true, they
usually are too good to be true. There are numerous stories of phone solicitations that
lead to people - older people particularly - losing their life savings, or paying outrageous
prices for inferior aluminum siding that they didn't need. Documentation can help to stop
this practice, and can also be used to prosecute those responsible.
 When you suspect that the target of your complaint might accuse you of slander or libel,
or might falsely accuse you of some other wrongdoing. As explained above, truth is the
ultimate defense against slander or libel. If you carefully document not only the details of
your complaint, but the details of theirs against you as well, you'll be able not only to
prove your case, but to demonstrate your opponents' true colors.

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 Method of documenting complaints
The first step in documenting a complaint understands what kind of documentation you'll need. It
will vary, depending upon whom you're registering the complaint with. Once you've settled that
question, you then have to make a plan for collecting the documentation, and actually do it.
 Determine what kind of documentation you'll need
You may be complaining to an official body - a regulatory agency, a labor union, the personnel
department of a company - or you may be taking your complaint public in some way. Whatever
the case, you'll have to provide documentation in the form and of the type that's required.
 Complaining to an official body
Most regulatory bodies, businesses, institutions, and organizations have some sort of official
complaint or grievance procedure. If you're using such a procedure, make sure you know it cold,
and follow it carefully. Failing to do so may mean that your complaint won't be heard at all, and
to refine it may take months.
 Submit the complaint to the proper entity, and to the proper department or individual
within the entity. It may take some research to find out beforehand who's responsible for
the type of complaint you're submitting.
 Submit the complaint within the time limits imposed by the procedure. There may be
time limits involved (the statute of limitations, for instance, or fiscal year considerations),
or complaints may have to be submitted within a certain time after the actual violation or
incident that sparked the complaint.
 Submit the complaint in the proper form. You may have to record the complaint on an
actual form generated by the oversight body, or the complaint may have to be notarized.
There may have to be a certain number of copies; you may need a separate form for each
incident you're reporting. You may have to make a personal appearance, in which case
you'll need notes so you can document the complaint properly.

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 Find out exactly what documentation is necessary for the official body to act on the
complaint, and make sure you have it. Sometimes, you'll need to be able to document
specific instances, rather than a pattern of behavior. In other cases, it will be the opposite.
You may have to find out informally - through a contact at the entity you're submitting
the complaint to - exactly what's required, or what the entity prefers.
 Deliver the complaint at the required place and time.
In addition to making sure you get everything right, it makes sense to try to identify the actual
individual (or panel) that will review the complaint, and try to develop a contact either with that
individual or with someone else within the entity who can help you track the progress of the
complaint, and answer questions.
 Complaining to the entity that's the object of the complaint
Unless you're going through something like an official corporate or organizational grievance
procedure - in which case, you should follow the instructions above - you'll need documentation
that's both specific enough and powerful enough to convince the entity to change its ways. That
may mean proof that it's been doing something illegal, or close to illegal, or simply enough
evidence that what it's doing is harmful that it would prefer not to have to face public pressure on
the issue. In either case, your documentation will need to include specifics - dates, times, places,
people involved, exactly what happened - to make it clear that there's really no room to slide out
of the situation.
In order to gain cooperation in this circumstance, your initial approach should probably be low-
key and cooperative in itself. Rather than "We've caught you red-handed," a friendlier "We all
want to make sure this situation is corrected; let's work together on it" might be more effective.
You can always get tough later, if it becomes clear that the entity doesn't want to cooperate.
 Using the media to make the complaint public
Just as in the two instances above, the media will want documentation of the specifics of the
complaint, but they'll need some other support as well.

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When you approach the media, remember the three C's:
 Coherence. Your story has to be understandable, and able to be told in a not-overly-

complicated way. The media will be interested if they feel that your complaint is one that
the public can or should understand and be moved by. Your documentation, or at least
some of it, has to support your complaint clearly, and show both reporters and the
potential audience that your complaint has substance.
 Consequences. Your complaint will be most compelling to the media if it has some
general effects that the audience can see as relevant to themselves. Therefore, your
documentation should refer to consequences that touch the general public. A complaint
based on threats to public health, economic stability, or political conniving, for instance,
is likely to be more newsworthy than one relating to a single person's experience.
 Confirmation. Most reputable news organizations won't publish anything - especially
anything accusatory, controversial, or potentially libelous - without having the facts of
the story confirmed by at least one source other than the original. Important stories, or
stories that are particularly controversial, usually require corroboration by several
sources. You should be prepared to refer reporters to others who can independently
confirm the facts that you've given them.
There are three other important points to consider when working with the media. The first is that
you should never embroider, exaggerate, or lie for effect to a reporter or columnist. If she can't
trust you completely, she won't deal with you, or - worse - will expose you as a liar, and discredit
your complaint.
The second is that, while a reporter can be of help to you, there's no guarantee that she will be.
Her job is to get the whole story, and she may be convinced by your opponents' arguments.
Whenever you work with the media, that's a chance you have to take. That's all the more reason
to make sure that your documentation is complete, correct, and convincing.
Finally, find out the appropriate person to bring your story to. In the words of a New York Times
reporter, "I would recommend that people read/watch local newspapers and news shows

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carefully enough to know WHO would be most interested in their stories. Selling an educational
outrage story to the reporter who covers retail marketing is a waste of time for all concerned. (I
get a lot of this - when flacks call now, I ask, before they can start their pitch, if they know what
I cover. If they don't know, and they then ask 'Well, who does cover widgets?' I know that they
are mindlessly cold-calling reporters from some list they have been given.)"
Collections of the actual data documentation have the following procedure
1. Try to anticipate the need for documentation
As we discussed earlier, any time you're involved in an advocacy situation that may develop into
a complaint, you should be collecting documentation from the very beginning. It's not always
possible to anticipate, but if you have any inkling that a complaint is possible, act on it.
The same is true if you think a complaint may be lodged against you. If your advocacy activities
involve confrontation or investigation, your opponents may see a complaint as a way to
neutralize your message. Even if they're not successful, they could put you and your cause in a
bad light. If they are successful, they might be able to silence you completely. If you can
document that what you're doing is legal (assuming it is), and that what you're saying is true,
they don't have a case.
2. Do the research to get the background information you need
Know any relevant laws or regulations inside out. Learn as much as you can about the science,
sociology, psychology, economics, or politics involved, as well as the history of the issue. If
you're accusing an entity of actually or potentially causing harm, you're much more likely to be
listened to if you can back up your complaint with research. If you're challenged, you should be
able to discuss the issue with confidence, answer questions, and show why you're registering the
complaint. The more informed you are, the greater the chances that your complaint will see
action.
3. Get the basic facts

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After background, you'll need specifics. These are the nitty-gritty facts of the situation that may,
in fact, be extremely important in getting your complaint resolved.
They include:
 Time and date

 Place
 The individual(s) or group(s) involved
This category comprises not only those who are responsible for actions, policies, etc., but those
who give you information, those with whom you negotiate, and those with whom you discuss the
complaint, among others. There is a reason that the folks who staff the IRS information line, for
instance, always identify themselves by name and ID number. Other possible members of this
category include owners or operators of businesses or vehicles or equipment involved in the
complaint, potential witnesses, and others who may be needed to supply testimony or
information. Relevant addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, websites, etc.
It's important to be as accurate as possible with all this information, not only for the purposes of
documentation, but also to establish your credibility. If you weren't careful enough to spell
people's names correctly or get their addresses right, that could imply that the rest of your facts
aren't right, either the number of incidents, and/or the duration of the problem.
4 .Describe as clearly as possible exactly what the complaint is about
If the complaint concerns the violation of a law or regulation, for instance, be sure to explain
which law or regulation is at issue, and exactly what elements of it were violated. (And be sure
you know and understand the details of the law or regulation.) If there’s no specific violation,
then define and explain your complaint as fully as possible. Your complaint should state both
what is occurring that you think is unacceptable, and what you think would be acceptable.
5. Document exactly what happened

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Be specific, including as much detail as possible, and for as many incidents as possible. The
step-by-step sequence of events for each incident (as well as the sequence of incidents) may be
important.
6. Document conversations with the target of the complaint
It's important to document exchanges with everyone involved - this includes not only the target
of the complaint, but also regulators and officials, those affected by the actions or policies you're
complaining about, and anyone else related to the issue. If you can, get conversations, or at least
the important parts of them, word-for-word. That may mean using an audio recorder (you'll
generally need permission to do that), or simply taking good notes. Be careful to get the name of
anyone you're talking to, especially if that person is acting in any official capacity - as a technical
assistance person for a government agency, for instance - and to record the time and length of the
conversation, so it can be confirmed by phone or appointment records.
7. Document the effects of each incident, or of the overall pattern of events
There are several types of consequences you might be concerned with, and consequences might
come from a single policy or action, from repeated actions over time, or from an unrelated series
of careless or intentionally harmful policies or actions by the same entity over time.

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Self- check of unit one
I. CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FROM THE GIVEN ALTERNATIVE
1. From the following which one is key stakeholders
A. Local community B. manager C. Marketing stakeholder D. All
2. Ways to effectively communicate with your stakeholders are
A. Ask question B. Use email C .Active listening D. All
3. How you can collect the actual data
A. By doing research
B. By getting the basic fact
C. Documenting exactly what happened
D. None
4. One of the following is not internal stakeholder
A. Manager B. employee C. Supervisor D .Local community
5. Which one of the following are the sources of complaint
A. product quality B. services delivery C. online services D. All E. none
II. GIVE SHORT ANSWER FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTION
6. Write the process we follow when handling customer complaints
7. Define what is complaint?
8. Write the types of complaints
9. List the key stakeholders
10. Who should document the customer complaints?

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UNIT TWO:- PROCESS COMPLAINTS
The learning guide Processing complaint is developed to provide you the necessary information
 Identifying complaints escalation

 Identifying information to resolve compliant
 Preparing information
Learning outcome will also assist you to attain the following specific objectives. Specifically,
upon completion of this Learning outcome you will be able to:
 Identify complaints for escalation

 Identify additional information to resolve complaints
 Prepare information for resolving complaint
2.1. Identifying complaints escalation

A customer escalation is a scenario where a customer is not pleased with an employee interaction
and wants someone at a higher level within the company to resolve the complaint. Escalations
should be taken seriously, because this means you have an irate or agitated customer on your
hands.
The complaints and escalation policy is designed to identify problems and resolve issues quickly
and fairly. Intake monitors and reviews the effectiveness of its complaints handling process to
ensure the process continuously improves and that what we learn from handling complaints is
carried through into the organization
The components of customer Complaint Process

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 Acknowledgement: The complaint will be formally acknowledged within 1 working day
and responded to within 3 working days. An acknowledgement will confirm who is
dealing with the complaint and when the complainant can expect a reply. A copy of this
complaint’s procedure will be attached.
 Review: Intake undertakes an initial review of the complaint and determines if any
additional information or documentation may be required to complete an investigation.
We may need to contact the complainant to clarify details or request additional
information where necessary.
 Investigation: Within 5 business days of receiving the compliant Intake will investigate
it objectively and impartially, by considering the information provided to us, our actions
in relation to the complainant's dealings with us, and any other information which may be
available that could assist us in investigating the complaint.
 Response: Following our investigation, we will notify the complainant of our findings
and any actions we may have taken in regards to the complaint.
 Further action: Where appropriate, we amend our business practices or policies.
 Record: Intake will record the complaint about the continuous improvement process and
monitoring through regular review, the complainant's personal information will be
recorded in accordance with relevant privacy legislation.
Customer Complaints Policy and Escalation Policy
The Customer Complaints and Escalation Policy is designed to identify the problems and resolve
issues quickly and fairly. Monitors and reviews the effectiveness of its complaints handling
process to ensure the process continuously improves and leanings from complaints handling are
carried through into the organization. Continuous improvement also allows delivering consistent,
high-quality, and accountable response to complaints across the organization.
 Resolving Complaints
Stage One The complaint will be formally acknowledged within 48 hours and will be logged to
our customer feedback register within 2 working days. An acknowledgement will confirm who is
dealing with the complaint and when the complainant can expect a reply. A copy of this

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complaints procedure will be attached. In many cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person
responsible for the issue being complained about. If the complaint has been received by that
person, they should try to do so if possible and appropriate. If it has not already been resolved, an
appropriate person (Director) will investigate and take appropriate action within 5 working
days. We may ask the member of staff who dealt with the complainant to reply to the complaint.
You may be asked to meet the complainant to discuss and hopefully resolve the complaint. This
will be done within 5 days of the end of our investigation. Within 2 days of that meeting we will
write to the complainant to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed with you. If they
do not want a meeting or it is not possible, we will send a detailed reply to the complaint. This
will include suggestions for resolving the matter. This will be done within 5 days of completing
our investigation.
Stage Two If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage one,
they can request that the complaint is reviewed at Board level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed
to Group Managing Director. The request for Board level review will be acknowledged within 48 hours
of receiving it. The acknowledgement will confirm who will deal with the case and when the complainant
can expect a reply. The Group MD may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably
senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the case and speaking with the person who dealt with
the complaint at Stage One. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given
a further opportunity to respond. Stage 2 complaints will receive a definitive reply within 10 working
days. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a
progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given. The decision taken at
this stage is final. If the complainant is still not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, they can
contact REC, the industry trade association, of which we are a member by writing to the Professional
Standards Manager, REC, 15 Welbeck Street, London, W1G 9XT.
Stage 3 We monitor and review the effectiveness of our complaints handling process to ensure
that this continuously improves and learning’s from complaints handling are carried through into
the organization. This policy does not cover complaints from staff who should review the
Grievance Policy. Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the HR
Manager. Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to
take further action.

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2.2 Identifying information to resolve compliant
Identifying information means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction
with any other information, to identity a specific person, including name, address, telephone
number, social security number, date of birth, government passport number, employer or
taxpayer identification number or unique .
Customer service problems
There are 4 simple ways you can identify problems with your existing customer service training
program.
1. Ask Your Customers
One of the simplest and most effective ways to identify problems with your customer service is
by asking your customers. You can do this by giving customers the option to fill out a brief
survey or rate their experience. To keep participation high, try keeping the survey short by
asking no more than five questions. Longer surveys usually get fewer participants. It is also
helpful to provide at least one open-ended question where customers can share their thoughts.
These questions often lead to helpful insights that will help you identify problems and create
subsequent solutions.
2. Encourage Reviews
It is important to encourage customer reviews online. Most customers are comfortable with leaving
reviews than taking surveys. Reviews will help you identify both why your organization is doing well and
what needs to be improved. It also gives you the unique advantage of having a conversation. Unlike
surveys, you can respond to reviews. If a customer leaves a complaint or negative review, you can not
only identify the problem to prevent it from occurring in the future, you can also respond to the customer
and resolve their problem

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3. Ask Your Employees
Your customer service teams are also an important resource when it comes to identifying customer
service issues. Your team members are your companies’ direct link to customers. They have the ability to
gauge how your customers are feeling and let you know if there are any patterns they could notice.
Asking your employees about customer satisfaction is as easy as having a quick conversation with
employees or sending out a survey to all your reps. Whatever method you choose, asking your employees
for feedback is a great step towards identifying problems and finding solutions.
4. Track Returning Customers
Data can tell you a lot about your interaction with customers. The amount of repeat business you receive
will help you measure brand loyalty. A high rate of repeat business tells you that you are
probably doing something right. However, if you see a pattern of customers who do not return or
make another purchase. It is an indicator that you may have problems with your customer
service. By tracking customer patterns and habits, you can pinpoint where exactly the problem is
occurring in the customer cycle.
Identifying information
Identifying information means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction
with any other information, to identity a specific person, including name, address, telephone
number, social security number, date of birth, government passport number, employer or
taxpayer identification number or unique electronic identification number
Personally identifiable information, or PII, is any data that could potentially be used to identify a
particular person. Examples include a full name, Social Security number, driver's license
number, bank account number, passport number, and email address.
Examples of personal information a person's name, address, phone number or email address. a
photograph of a person. a video recording of a person, whether CCTV or otherwise, for example,
a recording of events in a classroom, at a train station, or at a family barbecue. a person's salary,
bank account or financial .

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2.3 Preparing information
Data preparation is the process of gathering, combining, structuring and organizing data so it can
be used in business intelligence (BI), analytics and data. And data preparation is the process of
collecting, cleaning, and consolidating data into one file or data table, primarily for use in
analysis.
Good data preparation allows for efficient analysis, limits errors and inaccuracies that can occur
to data during processing, and makes all processed data more accessible to users. It's also gotten
easier with new tools that enable any user to cleanse and qualify data on their own.
The ways that we can prepare the information :
 Awareness – Make information available about how individuals can make a SAR (eg on
your website, in leaflets or in your privacy notice).
 Training – Provide general training to all staff to recognize a SAR. Provide more
detailed training on handling SARs to relevant staff, dependent on job role.
 Guidance – Create a dedicated data protection page for staff on your intranet with links
to SAR policies and procedures.
 Request handling staff – Appoint a specific person or central team that is responsible for
responding to requests. Ensure that more than one member of staff knows how to process
a SAR, so you have resilience against absence.
 Asset registers – Maintain information asset registers which state where and how you
store personal data. This helps speed up the process of locating the required information
to respond to SARs.
 Checklists – Produce a standard checklist that staff can use to ensure you take a
consistent approach to SARs.
 Logs - Maintain a log of SARs you have received and update it to monitor progress. The
log may include copies of information you’ve supplied in response to a SAR, together
with copies of any material you’ve withheld and why.

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 Retention and deletion policies – Have documented retention and deletion policies for
the personal data you process. This helps to ensure that you don’t keep information
longer than you need to and therefore potentially reduces the amount of information you
need to review when responding to a SAR.
 Security – Have measures in place to securely send information. For example, by using a
trusted courier or having a system to check email addresses and review responses before
sending.
2.3.1 Ethical way of gathering of information
Facebook received a lot of heat after it was discovered in March 2018 that data firm Cambridge
Analytical had harvested the information of 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge.
People were outraged, calling for an investigation of the social media company. Confidence in
Facebook decreased significantly.Trust is a major component of building relationships with your
leads and clients. The best way to build trust is to be transparent about your data-collection
policies. Keeping clients in the dark about what data you’re collecting is, at best, a breach of
trust; at worst, it’s unethical. And if clients believe you’ve betrayed them, you may lose their
confidence and their business.
Here are a few ways to ethically gain customer data:
 Provide a straightforward survey asking for specific information

 Allow customers to opt in to share valuable information, such as through a dialogue box
 Draft a privacy policy to display on your website and other online properties
With all of these suggestions, keep the customer’s privacy in mind at all times. Customers will
value your transparency.
2.3.2 Information management systems
You will find it difficult to deal with effectively without adequate information management
systems and procedures. Given that subject access has been a feature of data protection law since
the 1980s, your information management systems should facilitate dealing with SARs. They

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should enable you to easily locate and extract personal data and allow you to redact third-party
data where necessary.
If you are implementing a new information management system, you need to take a data
protection ―by design and default‖ approach and ensure that the system facilitates dealing .
You should also have effective records management policies, such as:
 a well-structured file plan;

 standard file-naming conventions for electronic documents; and
 a clear retention policy about when to keep and delete documents.
Preparing Your Speech to Inform
 Start with What You Know.

 Consider Your Audience's Prior Knowledge.
 Adapting Language and Technical Terms.
 Using Outside Information.
 Presenting Information Ethically.

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Self- check of unit two
I.CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FROM THE GIVEN ALTERNATIVE
1. The ways you use to identify the problem in your customer services are:-
A. Ask your customer B. Encourage reviews C. Ask your employee D. All
2. ---------- is the process of gathering, combining, structuring and organizing data
A. Data preparation B. data identification C. Information D. All
3. Which one of the following is effective records management polices
A. A well-structured file plan B. a clear retention policy C. standard file-naming D. All
4. ---------- is a scenario where a customer is not pleased with an employee interaction
A. Customer escalation B. Customer complaints C. Policy D. None
1.List how you can identify customer services problem

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UNIT THREE RESOLVING COMPLAINTS
The learning guide Resolving complaints developed to provide you the necessary
information regarding the following content coverage and topics are:
 Identifying implications of complaint
 Analyzing options to resolve customer complaints
 Using effective communication options
 Determining Escalating matters
The above Learning guide will also assist you to attain the following specific objectives.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning outcome you will be able to:
 Identify implications of complaint for customer complaints
 Analyses options to resolve customer complaints
 Propose options of effective communication to resolve customer complaints
 Determine matters for escalate
3.1 Identifying implications of complaint

3.1.1 The implications of the complaint for the customer
Customer complaints give businesses valuable information about how they need to improve. The
impact a complaint has on your business is largely determined by you. If complaints are handled
poorly, customers may withdraw their business and encourage others to do the same.
The results of the research showed that there is a statistically significant impact of the overall
dimensions of complaint handling (service recovery, service quality, switching cost, service
failure, service guarantee, and perceived value) on customer satisfaction.
As an entrepreneur, it may be frustrating to receive criticism and unfavorable comments about a
product you have put your heart and soul into. But you should not take it personally. As a matter
of fact, if you look at them from another angle, you will see that customer complaint are quite
valuable. In fact, they can be a game-changer for your business.

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3.1.2 Importance of Customer Complaints
Here are the main reasons why complaints are important:

1. Customer satisfaction enhancement
Many people, when unsatisfied with a product, will keep it to themselves and simply stop using
your services.
However, those who do share, usually express not only their own feelings but those of other
customers too. So when you address their feedback and provide a quick resolution, you are likely
to make more than one customer happy.
2. Product/service upgrade
When clients report encountering some problems with your product or service, or simply features
or aspects they do not like, this is the gold. You no longer need to look for ways how to make
your service more appealing to customers to ensure that they keep choosing you over your
competitors.
Customer complaints serve as a source of insights on what areas should be worked on and
upgraded.
3. Improvement of policies and procedures
Most companies have a number of policies and procedures designed to make the business run
more smoothly.
However, you don’t always know if they are working as intended and suit your company's needs
best. Luckily, negative feedback often highlights flaws in your internal processes and contains
hints on what is not working or is unclear to customers exactly.
4. Boost in customer communication
Besides, customer feedback also serves as a channel of communication between your company
and the clients. The statistic shows that the biggest percentage of clients leave companies
because they feel like the latter does not care about them
5. Positive impact on brand image
Having an open channel of communication where customers can report problems with your
service or bad experiences also positively affects your brand image. It improves your reputation
and makes your company look trustworthy and caring.

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Disadvantages of a complaints procedure
 It can be a time consuming process to collate complaints and identify action.

 Some staff may be unsure of the complaints procedure and will not handle complaints
effectively.
 It will take time to train all staff in the correct procedure when handling complaints.
A mishandled complaint may result to loss of customer and cause a deep dent in the company's
reputation. To repair reputation, it could take years and millions of shillings in public relations
gimmicks and marketing efforts. Mishandled complaints result to a waste of management time.
Not only do you lose customers, but you run the risk of losing your best employees. When your
companies have a customer service problem, your best employees are forced to pick up the slack
for bad employees. This leads to burnout and dissatisfaction from the people you rely on most.
How can complaints help a business?
A customer complaint highlights a problem, whether that's a problem with your product,
employees or internal processes, and by hearing these problems directly from your customers,
you can investigate and improve to prevent further complaints in the future.
3.2. Analyzing options to resolve customer complaints

Options Analysis is one of the most important techniques to select the option that meets a
project’s needs and which, at the same time, is worth the investment from a financial and
technical viewpoint.
Options are financial derivatives that give buyers the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell
an underlying asset at an agreed-upon price and date. Call options and put options form the basis
for a wide range of option strategies designed for hedging, income, or speculation. option is a
contract giving the buyer the right—but not the obligation—to buy (in the case of a call) or sell
(in the case of a put) the underlying asset at a specific price on or before a certain date. People
use options for income, to speculate, and to hedge risk.
However, a good practice is to analysis options through the following parameters:

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 Cost: how much is such option going to cost to implement?
 Benefits: what benefits, financial and non-financial, can result from implementing such
option?
 Resources: how many people are needed to implement such option?
 Timescale: how long would it take to implement such option?
 Risks: what risks are involved in the implementation of such option?
3.2.1 Performing option analysis
The process of analyzing project feasibility and options aims to explore all
feasible alternatives and provide evidence that the proposed project choice can actually be
implemented with the best option available among all feasible alternatives.
Obviously the analysis process consists of two components or stages, Option Analysis
and Feasibility Analysis. Let’s describe both stages in detail. For this purpose we’ll use the
following project feasibility and options analysis template.
Template
The process of analyzing project alternatives and feasibility comes in the following steps:
1. Option Identification
2. Feasibility Analysis
3. Option Selection
The first and third steps are the components of the alternative analysis stage. The third step refers
to the stage of evaluating feasibility of the selected option(s) to determine their economic sense
and technical sustainability within the project environment.
Step 1. Option Identification
 Describe a baseline scenario. It is a forecast of the future without reference to the
project. In other words, this scenario identifies the ―business as usual‖ projection. The
baseline scenario explains a no-investment situation that comprises incurring operational
and maintenance costs within already existing infrastructures. It is also called the ―do-
nothing‖ scenario.

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 Define the “do-minimum” option for the project. Now you must describe a scenario
that is obvious for the project and requires minimum effort and cost. This step assumes
incurring certain insignificant investment outlays that go beyond the existing operational
and maintenance costs. For example, partial modernization of an existing infrastructure
requires fewer investment effort and expenditure. The ―do minimum‖ option provides the
least cost solution for achieving the project goals.
 Explore “do-something” options for the project. At this step of the project feasibility
and options analysis template, you need to look for other possible alternative solutions
against the ―do-nothing‖ scenarios. Such solutions are identified on the basis of technical,
regulatory, compliance, and demand opportunities and constraints. The ―do-something‖
options involves an amount of investment depending upon the project objectives.
 Advice. In most projects, the focus of analysts is often placed on pricing policy. This
means every scenario will be evaluated against assumptions on tariffs and quotes. An
option that requires lower investment performance will be prevailing, as compared to
other alternatives with higher cost requirements. In this context, the baseline scenario and
the ―do-minimum’ options will be evaluated and considered first.
Step 2. Feasibility Analysis
 Carry out demand analysis. Such an analysis means you must evaluate the need for a
project investment through assessing 1) Current demand and 2) Forecast demand of the
project. Demand analysis aims to formulate a hypothesis about the project’s capacity and
size which are defined by either current demand or forecast demand. For each of the
identified options you need to conduct demand analysis and find out which option ensure
the most suitable capacity and size of the project in terms of current/future demand.
 Check for available technology. Technology makes a project feasible. For example,
availability of communication technology (e.g. virtual collaboration solutions) enables
project participants to effectively communicate with other. Your goal is to understand
what technologies are required by each alternative and then figure out which of
technologies are available for your project environment.
 Review staff requirements. You must determine which of the available options ensure
complete staffing of the project. Your project will be feasible if it is provided with

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sufficient staff with the right skills and experience. When reviewing staff requirements of
each alternative, focus on these items:
 Role requirements
 Personnel assigned to roles
 Resource leading chart
 Training needs
 Determine broad scope. Every alternative is feasible within certain limits or boundaries
which define brad scope. When determining and comparing broad scope of the available
project options, try to figure out the following:
 Inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, constraints
 User requirements
 Issues to be resolved
 Deliverables
 Reporting. This step of the project feasibility and options analysis template is to
summarize the analysis and develop a feasibility study report (FSR). The report will
include the results of the previous steps and suggest the best solution that has been
proposed for the project.
Step 3. Option Selection
 Perform cost-effectiveness analysis. This step of the project feasibility and options
analysis template requires you to make a comparison of the alternatives with a unique
common effect. The goal is to select an option that either minimizes the net present value
of costs, or maximizes the output level. The analysis is bets applied to projects with
predictable expenses.
 Perform multi-criteria analysis. Another way to select the best option is to compare all
the options by a family of algorithms or criteria. This kind of project analysis lets you
deal with a suite of different objectives that cannot be aggregated into a single benefit.
You need to figure out if your project fits into the requirements of multi-criteria analysis,
and if so you can use this analysis in option selection.
 Evaluate economic impact. Along with the two previous analyses, you can try to use
impact analysis as a way to select the best alternative to your project design. Such an

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analysis entails the identification and evaluation of the foreseeable impact of every option
on the economic background of your project. It focuses on using high-level economic
indicators and forecasts their influence on the project environment.
 Make the final decision. At the last step of this project feasibility and options analysis
template you need to summarize all the steps taken and confirm whether the analysis has
demonstrated that alternative feasible options have been adequately examined and
considered and that the best option has been selected for your project design.
3.2.2 Preparing Options Analysis template
Options analysis is a statistical technique based on the idea that changes over time will affect the
cost and benefit of a future business investment. Option Analysis Templates Establish Criteria
The sum of all the criteria must add up to one .
The option analyses have following sections:
 Problem Statement: a recap of why the options analysis is needed in the first place; after all, we
have a problem that needs solving!
 Constraints: if there are any known constraints at this stage that impact the selection of the
solution should be covered here. for example constraints like budget and timescale of the project.
 Options and their Analysis: in this section options are identified and listed.
 Recommended Option: This section recommend the best option when compared with other
options, may also consists of justification for the recommended option with known constraints.
Basic steps to evaluate and identify the right option
 Beginning with an investment objective and culminating with a trade.

 Define your objective,
 evaluate the risk/reward,
 consider volatility,
 anticipate events,
 Plan a strategy, and define options parameters.

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Many of the best practices for options trading come directly from technical analysis concepts.
Technical analysis focuses on price. Fundamental analysis does not solely focus on price. When
it comes to options, choosing a strike price is an important part of the trade process that technical
analysis can help with.
The option include the following
 Price  Incentives (before sale and after sale

 Place service) And
 Quality of products or services
Incentives can be defined as a thing that organizations use to encourage or motivate their customer to
increase their customer loyalty.
3.3. Using effective communication options

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to
another. Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message and a recipient. This
may sound simple, but communication is actually a very complex subject.
3.3.1 Importance of communication
Communication is important to express oneself. It also satisfies one's needs. One should have
effective communication for advancement in the career. In your personal life, effective
communication skills can smooth your way and your relationships with others by helping you to
understand others, and to be understood.
Importance of Communication
1. To begin an action: Be it a small act of initiating a conversation or launching a multi-

million business project, communication plays a key role in determining the end result.
For example, a smile and a firm handshake while introducing oneself can set a good base
for communication. Similarly, an effective use of language in marketing can make or
break products.

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2. To manage tasks: To sustain an activity or keep a process going, we need to give
instructions or guidance. Teachers have to mentor students, managers have to ensure
team members give their best, adults need to run a home etc. All these activities can
happen smoothly only when there is coordination and cooperation between individuals.
To achieve that, how we communicate becomes important.
3. To influence people: The most influential people in the world (leaders, writers, thinkers)
are good communicators who know when, where and how to say things. The ability to
talk or write persuasively comes with practice. To disagree without offending, to be
assertive without being aggressive, and to engage with people without being insincere
requires a mastery of communication.
4. To be empathetic and lend support: Language has the power to heal people. Being able
to articulate our emotions and offering consoling words or spreading positivity through
encouraging words are part of effective communication strategies.
5. To realize complete self-potential: The most crucial aspect of communication is to help
us bring out our maximum potential. Our latent talents and creativity can be expressed
through our words, both written and spoken. We also feel happy when we can express
ourselves without any barriers.
We have seen the power of communication. Although the ultimate goal of communication is the
sender is able to convey the information to the receiver, it is also important to avoid language
errors. Errors of spelling, punctuation, grammar will give a poor impression about the person. It
can also give rise to misunderstandings. Therefore, it becomes pertinent that irrespective of the
century you were born in, use a language appropriately giving due respect to the rules of the
language while communicating.
Importance of communication to an individual
Individuals also need to acquire and hone (Sharpen) their communication skills. The success of
an individual at familial levels in the neighborhood and at his job depends on his ability to
communicate. Who would like to have a sour faced neighbor either at home or office?
Communication is a primary responsibility in many careers such as customer relations, labour

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relations, marketing, personnel and public relations, sales and teaching. Career advancement is
easy for a person with good communication skills. The importance of communication skill to
managerial and accounting positions is well recognized now. The ability to communicate is
essential for promotions and advancement.
3.3.3 The effective ways of communication
Effective ways of Communication are
 Clarity – Be clear and concise when giving instructions. Clarify doubts to avoid
miscommunication. It is better to be careful than contrite later.
 Consistency – Be constantly in touch with the people you are working with. Regular
updates given and received leads to lesser chances of miscommunication.
 Economy – Be precise in the process of communication. Choose the most effective media
of communication (either written, oral, face-to-face or otherwise) for sharing
information.
 Feedback – Be open to taking feedback. Communication is a two-way process and
feedback enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of the message. Feedback also ensures
open inter-personal communication.
 Networking – Keep open and unrestricted channels of communication. Communication
also includes networking, which has a significant impact on productivity, employee
satisfaction, and the revenue of the organization
 Effective communication - is the use of verbal and nonverbal methods to convey
information to others effectively. Effective communicators make others understand their
points easily and effectively.
 Active listening  Cultural awareness

 Verbal & nonverbal  Writing skills
communication  Presentation skill
 Trust  Compassion and etc….
 Personal connection

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Figure 3. 1 Effective communication skills
3.3.4 Common barriers to effective communication
Communication is a complex struggle. It requires people to really understand each other and all
organization rely on effective communication for efficiency. Hence we must be aware of all
barriers that prove to be obstacles in our struggle for effective communication.
Physical Barriers
In the last few years, various research and scientific observations have proven physical barriers
to be the biggest hindrance to effective communication in the workplace. This is the reason why
hundreds of organizations have completely re-structured the way they operate. Large
multinational firms, like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, no longer have managers and

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executives behind closed doors or in giant secluded offices. They have a more of an open floor
way of operating where all the managers, employees and directors of the company operate in an
open space with tables sticking side by side and people working face to face in a large wall-less
room.
Cultural Diversity
Now that the world has openly embraced globalization, you find yourself working in different
countries, with different races of people and sometimes very different cultural and moral
backgrounds. In some countries, religion is considered the ultimate guiding force in the
workplace while in others it’s personal goals. Hence, diversified culture makes it very hard to
maintain a proper working environment. This is why companies tend to promote ―organization
culture‖, a unique company environment, morals and rules that all members of the organization
must follow and happily accept. Any employee who doesn’t fit into the culture eventually is out
of the company either by choice or force.
Language Barriers
Just like diversified culture, you end up working with people speaking different languages. An
Arab (speaking Arabic) might visit India (language: Hindi) for his company’s Raw Materials
supply. Here, there will be a lot of distortion and misinterpretation even in direct contact between
the two people.
Limited Or No Feedback
Sometimes people send messages and information that do not require feedback or do not allow it.
Here if the information is misrepresented or misinterpreted, then there is no way to clear the
doubt the receiver has about the message and hence, unable to properly comply.
Emotional Distractions
Emotions play a big role in effective communication. People can be shy, confident or just plain
blunt and may not allow full or honest feedback to the receiver. Sometimes people are good
listeners but because of the emotion in the tone the manager or a higher authority exerted, the
employee feels he does not have the authority or confidence to reply back.
Distractions
Imagine yourself in a meeting, you are discussing important strategies for the company and there
are people arguing outside the room, or maybe there is a game on and people are all gathered

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together. Such noise and distractions create distortions in effectively conveying messages to the
receiver while the sender gets distracted.
Personal Behavior
People have their own attitudes, quirks and perceptions of things. Some people just don’t bother
spending too much time in conveying messages and expect people to just understand. Such
behavior can be a serious barrier in communication.
Too much information
Sometimes going into too much detail can also be a distortion. You should try to keep the
messages simple, plain and to the point with hard facts. That is the best form of effective
communication.
Presentation
The way a message is represented is crucial. If a ―Stop‖ sign on the middle of a road were not on
laminated material or was too small or didn’t have the word STOP, people would have to spend
too much time figuring out what the sign meant and that time is simply wasted. It could also
mislead.
The Medium
Finally, the medium of communication must be as short as possible. Like in the previous
example of the CEO, if the medium of communication is too long and takes too much time, then
the message is likely to be late and loose significance. Use direct e-mails, memos or direct
contact instead.
Effective communication can lead to better understanding and higher work efficiency which only
results in higher profits. This is the perception that organizations must work with and must
develop communication channels with minimum barriers, because the fact remains that barriers
cannot be completely removed but they can be minimized.
3.3.5 Ways of improving communication skills
While communication comes more naturally to some, everyone can improve their workplace
communication skills. To do so, you need to understand the importance of listening, monitor
non-verbal communication, elevate your verbal communication, enhance your written
communication, and spend some time on visual communication.

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The following points are the specific things that help to improve communication skills:
1. Listen, listen, and listen. People want to know that they are being heard. Really listen to
what the other person is saying, instead of formulating your response. Ask for clarification to
avoid misunderstandings. At that moment, the person speaking to you should be the most
important person in your life. Another important point is to have one conversation at a time. This
means that if you are speaking to someone on the phone, do not respond to an email, or send a
text at the same time. The other person will know that she doesn’t have your undivided attention.
2. Who you are talking to matters. It is okay to use acronyms and informal language when you
are communicating with a buddy, but if you are emailing or texting your boss, ―Hey,‖ ―TTYL‖
or any informal language, has no place in your message. You cannot assume that the other
person knows what the acronym means. Some acronyms have different meanings to different
people, do you want to be misunderstood? Effective communicators target their message based
on who they are speaking to, so try to keep the other person in mind, when you are trying to get
your message across.
3. Body language matters. This is important for face-to-face meetings and video conferencing.
Make sure that you appear accessible, so have open body language. This means that you should
not cross your arms. And keep eye contact so that the other person knows that you are paying
attention.
4. Check your message before you hit send. Spell and grammar checkers are lifesavers, but
they are not foolproof. Double-check what you have written, to make sure that your words are
communicating the intended message.
5. Be brief, yet specific. For written and verbal communication, practice being brief yet specific
enough, that you provide enough information for the other person to understand what you are
trying to say. And if you are responding to an email, make sure that you read the entire email
before crafting your response. With enough practice, you will learn not to ramble, or give way
too much information.

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6. Write things down. Take notes while you are talking to another person or when you are in a
meeting, and do not rely on your memory. Send a follow-up email to make sure that you
understand what was being said during the conversation.
7. Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone. If you find that you have a lot to say, instead of
sending an email, call the person instead. Email is great, but sometimes it is easier to
communicate what you have to say verbally.
8. Think before you speak. Always pause before you speak, not saying the first thing that
comes to mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. This
one habit will allow you to avoid embarrassment.
9. Treat everyone equally. Do not talk down to anyone, treating everyone with respect. Treat
others as your equal.
10. Maintain a positive attitude and smile. Even when you are speaking on the phone, smile
because your positive attitude will shine through and the other person will know it. When you
smile often and exude a positive attitude, people will respond positively to you.
Communicating effectively is a teachable skill, therefore following a few of the tips outlined
above, will enable you to hone up on your communication skills.
Essential communication skills
 Written communication. Convey ideas and information through the use of written
language.
 Oral communication. Convey ideas and information through the use of spoken language.
 Non-verbal and visual communication.
 Active listening.
 Contextual communication.

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3.4. Determining Escalating matters
What does it mean to escalate a matter? to become more important or serious, or to make
something do this: a problem/crisis/dispute escalates Mediation can be used to settle disputes at
an early stage and stop problems escalating. escalate a problem/matter/complaint If the customer
remains dissatisfied with the response, they may then escalate the complaint.
What is escalating issue? Escalation means you bypass your direct contact by reaching out to
their management in order to direct attention to a pressing issue. It's a way of saying: ―Hey, we
got a problem here that your team is responsible for.
 Measuring escalation
To calculate the rate of escalation for an item, you must first locate the initial price and the
current price and find the difference between the two prices. Then, divide that difference by the
initial price and multiply by 100 to find the rate of escalation expressed as a percentage.
The escalation procedures are the ways in which the PM communicates certain changes, with
respect to the project forecasts, at the board of directors of the company. The projects can fail for
the most disparate reasons, but probably the main one is the failure to correctly monitor the
project.
What is escalation factor? An escalation factor is a condition that leads to increased risk by
reducing the effectiveness of controls. An escalation factor cannot directly cause the top event or
consequence rather it increases the likelihood that the scenario will progress because the
associated control will be degraded or fail.
Incident escalation processes
 Hierarchical escalation.
 Functional escalation.
 Automatic escalation.

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Preventing escalation
Here are some important ways to prevent escalation
1. Listen carefully to the customer.

2. Ask questions in the right manner.
3. Apologize without blaming.
4. Empathies not just sympathies.
5. Ask the customer, ―What would be an acceptable solution for you?‖
6. Explore options, find ways to help.
The Summary of Resolving customer complaint
Often a bad experience can be solved, and it can turn into an opportunity if measures are taken
timely and properly. Solving customer complaints eventually helps brands in finding the masked
opportunities of nurturing customer relations which will lead to the prosper of business. While
communicating with unsatisfied customers might not be an easy task to do, implementing the
following steps for dealing with customer complaints can be proven to be quite rewarding and
helps in building customer loyalty in the future.
1. Listen to Your Customers

Active listening helps in resolving customer queries easily whenever a customer is not happy
with the previous solution. Listening to angry customers and their feedback is crucial in making
notes and identifying the problematic areas. Listening to customers will help in providing
relevant solutions rather than incompetent solutions that will leave the customers miserable and
the problem unsolved.
2. Offer Actionable Solution
Well, offering proper solutions to angry and dissatisfied customers can only happen when the
customer service agent listens carefully to the customer complaints. While following the brand
guidelines solutions can be offered with generosity and humbly so that the customers are
satisfied with the solution. Let the helpless customer know that your brand is willing to take
ownership of the problem and you are willing to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Always

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remember that the solutions must be realistic and strictly adhere to the company policy and can
be fulfilled within the stipulated time.
3. Avoid Challenging Customer’s Complaints
If you are in a state to serve customers in the best possible way, avoiding arguments with the
customers along with actively listening to the cause of the problem are the things that the
customer service agent must focus on. However, it will not help in your efforts if you challenge
whatever the customer is saying. Apologize for the inconvenience caused and try to offer some
solutions which may resolve the issue and might cause customer delight.
4. Offer an Apology with Gratitude Attached
It really does not matter at all what is the reason and who caused the problem. A lot of the times
customers can go wrong, and many times brands also fail to fulfill what they claim. Offering a
sincere apology can be the best solution whenever someone is taking initiative in resolving the
issue. A deep apology implies ownership. A sincere apology can eliminate the anger and disgust
of the customer to a large extent. It will help the customer in calming down so that they can
explain the issues more elaborately.
5. Be Polite While Responding
When a customer reaches a brand with an issue, you should be patient and listen actively to what
the customer is trying to say without any interruption. After listening to the problem, politely
respond to the customer while trying to build a positive relationship by offering effective and
relevant solutions. It is advisable not to use any negative words or argue during the time of
conversation. Always make your customers feel that they are getting listened to and the brand
empathizes with the situation. Usually, the situation might diffuse when the customer will realize
that you are sorry for the situation and try to help as much as possible.
6. Use Right Tools for Managing Complaints
Shifting the traditional methods of problem-solving to digital ways of customer complaint
handling is proven to be the most efficient way that companies practice nowadays using proper
tools and technologies. Using proper tools will help in timely responding to customers while
monitoring them and offering proactive actions. With a well-defined KPI, focusing on customer
feedback, a proper ticketing system, and implementing live chat, a brand can successfully resolve
all the customer complaints in an effective manner.

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7. Share Actionable Feedback with the Team
After offering an effective solution to the customer, if the customer is happy, then the customer
service agent must seek feedback and can pitch about new products and services after the
consumer has agreed to listen. Offering a product that can benefit the customer is always
considered a good gesture and a cross-sell technique that brands practice for better customer
service and improved profitability. Customer care executives must take follow up until the probe
by seeking feedback and sharing among the team so that next time onwards the same problem
should not happen with any customer.
8. Cover All Communication Channel
Focusing on an Omni channel strategy is an effective way of handling customer complaints
effectively because customers sometimes do not reach a brand through the same communication
channel. Hence, companies must get the information of a customer from all communication
channels that can be possible with the implementation of an Omni channel communication
approach where you can integrate all the channels. Thus, you can proactively engage your
customers while offering effective solutions thus reducing the number of customer complaints
gradually.
Figure 3.2 Best practices

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Self- check of unit three
1. The impact of overall dimension of complaint handling is
A. Service recovery B. Service quality C. Service failure D. All
2. One of the following is the important of customer complaint
A. Customer satisfaction enhancement B. Service failure C. Loss customer D. all
3. The process of analysing project alternatives and feasibility comes from
A. Option identification B. Feasibility analysis C. Option selection D. All E. none
4. The parameters that used to analysis option
A. Cost B Benefit C. Resources D. None E. All
II. GIVE SHORT ANSWER FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTION1
1. Write the disadvantage of complaints procedure

2. List the reason why the customer complaints are important
3. Write the basic steps of to evaluate and identify the option
4. Discuss the importance of the communication
5. Write the effective communication ways
6. List the common barrier of communication

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UNIT FOURE: REFERRING COMPLAINTS
The learning guide Referring complaints developed to provide you the necessary information
 Identifying and referring complaints
 Investigating report documents
 Following personnel
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning outcome you will be able to:
 Identify complaint that requires referral
 investigate report documents
 Follow appropriate personnel
4.1 Identifying and referring complaints
4.1.1 Identifying complaints
Here are some points on how to identify customer complaints and use them to drive more
business:
Analyze all customer feedback: It is important to analyze all the feedback that an organization
gets because some feedback gives remarkable details that could potentially be a major
breakthrough for your business.
Categorize each feedback: Sorting feedback into categories provides a larger picture of how
customers view your business and services and can help to highlight the less noticeable elements
of your business operations.
Identify the root causes: Customer feedback will help an organization to understand what
driving customer loyalty is by analyzing the root causes. To achieve this, it is necessary to have a
management system to qualify feedback and search through potentially large amounts of data
that will help identify root causes of issues.

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Consolidate results and determine a plan of action: Once an organization understands the
feedback results, it is time to fabricate a feasible and effective plan of action to address the
issues. Alert the right teams within your organization: After collecting all feedback, it is
important to share it with the customer service and support teams for resolution.
4.1.2 Referring complaints
Complaint referral means a referral of an alleged contravention of section 8(1)(a) of the Act read
with Regulation 4 of the Consumer Protection Regulations
Your procedure could include the following steps.
1. 1 Listen to the complaint.
2. Record details of the complaint.
3. Get all the facts.
4. Discuss options for fixing the problem.
5. Act quickly.
6. Keep your promises.
7. Refer the case to appropriate Pearson
8. Follow up.
The Ombudsman may refer a complaint to another complaints scheme where:
 Considers that it would be more suitable for the matter to be determined by that scheme;
 The complainant consents to the referral.
Factors that the Ombudsman may take into account in considering whether to cease to consider
the merits of a complaint so that it may be the subject of a test case in court include (but are not
limited to):
 whether the point of law is central to the outcome of the dispute;

 how important or novel the point of law is in the context of the dispute;
 the significance of the consequences of the dispute for the business of the respondent (or
respondents in that sector) or for its (or their) customers;
 the amount at stake in the dispute;

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 the remedies that a court could impose;
 any representations made by the respondent or the complainant; and
 The stage already reached in consideration of the dispute.
4.2. Investigating report documents

A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience
and purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered orally, complete reports are
almost always in the form of written documents.
The ways of writing a report
1. Choose a topic based on the assignment. Before you start writing, you need to pick the
topic of your report.
2. Identify information about the topic.
3. Prepare an outline.
4. Write a rough draft.
5. Revise and edit your report.
6. Proofread and check for mistakes.
What is the purpose of report document? A report is a sharp, short document that is written for a
specific audience. It usually sets out and analyses problems or situations. It also makes
recommendations for actions to be taken in the future. It is a paper that focuses on facts.
Report writing is a formal style of writing elaborately on a topic. The tone of a report and report
writing format is always formal. The important section to focus on is the target audience. For
example – report writing about a business customer complaints case, report about business
performance and etc..

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Investigative report
An investigation report usually starts with a cover page where you should present all the relevant
case data in a concise way. Make sure to indicate a case number, date, place where the incident
happened, and contact information of the people involved the end product of an investigation is
usually an investigation report. This is what the decision maker will use to make misconduct
findings. There for the investigation report should:
• explain the allegations
• explain how the allegations have been handled to date
• explain the investigation methodology
• refer to and summaries all relevant evidence
• analyses the evidence and come to clear findings of fact in relation to each factual allegation an
• consider opportunities for organizational improvement.
The investigation report should be as short as possible, while still referring to all necessary
evidence. The investigation report for a very simple investigation may only be a page or two. A
complex investigation report may be very lengthy. Large slabs of copy and pasted evidence is
generally not helpful. The decision maker can refer to the actual evidence if necessary. It is,
however, important to accurately cite materials used as evidence in the report. All the usual plain
English and readability rules apply to investigation reports.
Depending on your organization’s disciplinary framework, it may be preferable for matters that
are not directly related to the respondent’s alleged misconduct to be reported separately. This
may include, for example, opportunities for organizational improvement. Assessment and
analysis of evidence The section of the report that analyses the evidence is the most important. It
is also the hardest part of the report to write. Remember that the aim of the investigation is not to
prove or disprove the allegations. The aim is to uncover the facts. Your analysis of the evidence

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and the findings this process leads you to is therefore the most important part of your
investigation.
Investigation Report Template
1. Provide general information on the subject of investigation.

2. Specify the type of case and record the complaint summary.
3. Document physical evidence and investigative interviews.
4. Identify the disposition of the investigation and reach a conclusion
Investigative report has many purposes. It's a document that sparks some sort of action based on
the official findings it presents. This could be a termination of employment, corrective action,
implementation of training, counselling, or some other action taken based on the findings
The steps of proper investigation must:
1. Gather information.
2. Search for and establish facts.
3. Isolate essential contributing factors.
4. Find root causes.
5. Determine corrective actions.
6. Implement corrective actions.
4.3 Following personnel
Personnel are a noun describing a group of people who follow orders, usually at a company. If
you have a job, you're probably considered personnel to be managed. The word personnel is also
sometimes short for the "personnel department," another name for the human resources or
employment office.
Examples of personnel

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Personnel are the people who are working for a specific company or on a specific project. An
example of personnel is the customer service staff you hire to answer phones at your office.
Personnel policies refer to principles and rules of conduct which ―formulate, redefine, break into
details and decide a number of actions‖ that govern the relationship with employees in the
attainment of the organization objective
Every personnel file should include the following documents:
 Original job application and supporting documents, including the employee’s resume and
cover letter
 Verification of the employee’s education and employment history
 A rejection letter for those individuals who are ultimately not hired
 Description of his or her position, along with any supporting documents used to create
the position
 Performance review
Personal is an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or affecting, the person." Personnel is a noun
referring to people themselves or a collection of people. A company's "personnel" would be all
the people employed, an army unit's personnel would be the people in that unit.
The adjective "personal" (with the stress on the first syllable) means private or individual. The
noun "personnel" (stress on the last syllable) refers to the people employed by an organization,
business, or service.

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Self- check of unit four
1. One of the following is not include in the procedure referring complaints
A. Get all the facts B. Follow up C. Record detail of the complaint D. None
2. Factors that the Ombudsman may take into account is
A. Whether the point of low central B. How important the point of low
C A&B are answer D. None
3. ---------- is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific

audience and purpose
A. Customer complaints B. Report C. Information D. Communication
4. -------------- are describing a group of people who working for a specific company
A. Personnel B. Manager C. Stakeholder D. Customer
1. Write the contents of investigation report template

2. List the document that should include in personnel file

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UNIT FIVE EXERCISE JUDGMENT TO RESOLVE CUSTOMER
SERVICE ISSUES
The learning guide Exercising judgment to resolve customer service issues developed to provide
you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage and topics are:
 Identifying Implications of Customer complaints

 Analysing and negotiating options for resolving issues
 Proposing visible options
 Ensuring referring matters
 Identify Implications of Customer complaints

 Analysing and negotiating options for resolving issues
 Propose visible options for customer services
 Ensure and negotiate matters referring solution
5.1. Identifying Implications of customer complaints
It is important that you have a good understanding of the organization that you work for. If you
are very familiar with the way things are done and understand your level of responsibility, you
will find it easier to make decisions about how to process customer complaints. Every
organization has a different culture. This means that every organization has a different way of
doing things and a different way of approaching issues. Some organizations are very formal and
staff must follow structured rules and procedures. Other organizations are more relaxed and
staffs have the autonomy to make decisions about how to handle situations. Whether
organizations are formal or informal, large or small, they all must follow legislation and statutory
requirements, and all organizations should have policies and procedures that govern their

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business practices. When a customer is not satisfied with the products or services (especially the
service) they receive from an organization, the result of their dissatisfaction may have many
implications for the organization these can be both positive and negative.
1. Negative implications
When a customer experiences poor service or buys a faulty product, the negative implications for
the organization are likely to be:
 Loss of reputation
 Loss of customers
 Loss of revenue
As a member of an organization you can prevent all of these things from happening by handling
a complaint professionally and effectively. It is important that you remember that a successfully
processing of a customer’s complaint can turn a negative situation into a positive situation, for
both the customer and the organization.
2. Positive implications
When an organization receives a complaint, this provides an opportunity to identify where it is
going wrong and how it can better foster customer relationships. Complaints give organizations a
chance to put things right and turn dissatisfied customers into happy ones. Complaints should be
seen as a continuous improvement tool that the organization can use to regularly improve and
increase customer satisfaction. Responding in a positive way to customer complaints has the
ability to actually enhance an organization’s reputation, and thereby meeting the customers need.
Organizations can use complaints to:
 Turn a dissatisfied customer into a happy customer
 Improve service and product range
 Better understand individual client needs
 Increase client and brand loyalty
5.2. Analyzing and negotiating options for resolving issues

Negotiation is a discussion between two or more disputants who are trying to work out a solution
to their problem. This interpersonal or inter-group process can occur at a personal level, as well
as at a corporate or international (diplomatic) level. Where a complaint does not need to be

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referred, you will need to negotiate a resolution to the complaint with the customer and obtain an
agreement, where possible. Before you enter a negotiation, you need ensure that you are
prepared. When making decisions you should have determined the nature of the problem and
potential solutions for the customer. Always consider what the other person hopes to achieve
from the negotiation. This will be useful in helping you reach an agreement. Where possible,
negotiate in person. Make an appointment and set out the agenda in advance. Some of the
resolution options available to you include.
5.3 Proposing visible options

Proposal Options to bring up the options selector. When the proposal options selector appears,
you can choose to either copy the current option or create a new option from scratch. Once you
have added at least 1 option, there are a few actions you can perform. Clients can pick the option
that best suits their needs, enter their payment information, and sign, all in the one place.
5.3.1 Type of option
Pricing options: - Presenting different pricing options to your client is a fantastic way to build
immediate upsells, or alternatively - provide various options to first capture your client, build the
relationship, and then look to upsell in the future.
A great way to structure your options is to build standardized ―packages‖ that contain different
levels of service. This helps tap into a client’s loss aversion tendencies and subtly push them to
make a choice.
Here are a few examples:
 Basic, Plus, Deluxe packages
 Bronze, Silver, Gold packages
Payment cadences
Providing different payment options to your client is also a great way to influence a purchase
decision.
Your clients’ preferences and situations will be varied, and they may want the option to pay in
different cadences for cash flow reasons, so it makes sense to provide options like:
 Weekly payments
 Monthly payments

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 Annual payments
You can also decide whether to include a discount if you prefer your clients to pay a certain way.
The most common offering is a discount on a longer cadence .
When providing different payment options to your clients, we suggest including a paragraph
around out of scope services in your terms and conditions to ensure that you are covered in case
of scope creep.
Pricing models
If you are not charging fixed fees and/or are moving from an hourly based billing model, you can
experiment with creating options that will provide greater transparency to your clients.
Through our extensive research, we’ve discovered that clients prefer the transparency of their
billing and care mostly about the result rather than the number of hours it took to complete their
services.
This can also be an opportunity to encourage your clients to move to a fixed fee engagement,
which can be incredibly beneficial to your business.
 Hourly model (uncertain pricing, loose deliverables, less protection from scope creep)
 Fixed model (transparent pricing, structured services and deliverables, protection from
scope creep for both parties)
5.3.2 Building and present a proposal with options
When you wish to build a proposal with different options, strongly suggest the following work
flow:
 First, build the desired or ideal option that you would like your clients to accept.
 Duplicate this option and edit the services within the option depending on the type of
variation you’d like to present to your client.
 Repeat Step 2 and create another option if needed.
Presentation of proposal options
When you are finished completing your proposal with different options, you can examine how
this will look like from a client’s perspective in the Presentation step.

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5.4. Ensuring referring matters
If complaints cannot be resolved directly between the consumer and retailer or manufacturer,
they should be referred to appropriate personnel for the dispute resolution. Third-party
mechanisms use the services of unbiased individuals or panels to resolve disputes through
conciliation, mediation and arbitration.
 Conciliation: A neutral conciliator brings the parties together and encourages them to find
a mutually acceptable resolution to the dispute.
 Mediation: A neutral mediator becomes actively involved in negotiations between the
parties. The mediator can propose a resolution, but cannot dictate a settlement of the
dispute.
 Arbitration: An independent individual or panel hears the facts on both sides of a dispute
and reaches a decision. Usually both parties have previously agreed to abide by the
decision, but in some systems, only the business agrees in advance to abide by the
outcome of the arbitration.
Third-party dispute resolution is advantageous to business because it enables expeditious,
economical and fair complaint resolution without government regulation or legal action. In
fact, government agencies encourage the use of third-party mechanisms when complaints
cannot be resolved directly between buyer and seller. Proponents of third-party systems point
out that their use can help make manufacturers and retailers more responsive to consumer
problems. By submitting disputes to a neutral decision maker, a business can demonstrate
goodwill through its willingness to seek unbiased solutions to consumer complaints.
Alternative dispute resolution when direct negotiations fail, alternative dispute resolution
offers proven strategies for resolving conflicts without costly and time-consuming legal
action. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) typically achieves a high rate of success. Some
studies show that ADR clients can save up to 95% of the costs they would have outlaid going
to court. In ADR, neutral third-party mediators work with disputing parties to achieve a
negotiated settlement in a way that encourages common sense, seeks practical solutions and
preserves business relationships. Mediators help parties find a settlement that is acceptable to
both, within a fully confidential process. ADR gives disputing parties total control over

2022
outcomes, removing the uncertainty that comes with a court judgment. When parties cannot
achieve an agreed settlement, they retain the right to proceed with legal action.
Benefits of ADR (Alternative dispute resolution):
 It imposes fewer costs than litigation.
 It is time-efficient, flexible and confidential.
 A high percentage of cases mediated in ADR settle to the satisfaction of both
parties.
 A wider variety of settlement options are available.
 Parties have greater control over the process and outcome.
 Parties are required to employ best-practice professional conduct in discussions and,
in doing so, minimize damage to business relationships
Refer matter means a matter in relation to which supplies is providing reviewer administration
services, dispute resolution services or accredited customer services and for which reviewers are
providing services and refer.
Mandatory referral criteria
Criminal offence or behavior liable to lead to misconduct proceedings and which, in either case,
is aggravated by discriminatory behavior on the grounds of a person’s
 race,  sexual orientation,

 sex,  gender reassignment,
 religion or belief,  marriage and civil partnership or
 age, pregnancy and maternity
 disability,
 A relevant offence, or
 Complaints or conduct matters that are alleged to have arisen from the same incident as
anything falling within these criteria

2022
Self- check of unit five
1. One of the following is not the types of option
A. pricing option B. pricing model C. Payment cadences D. None
2. From types of option which one is fantastic way to build immediate upsells or provide various
option
A. Pricing option B. Pricing model C. Payment cadence D. use incentive
3. ---------- option is provide a pay of different cash flow
A. Pricing model B. payment cadence C. pricing option D. None
4. -------------- means in relation to which supplies is providing reviewer administration services
dispute resolution services
A. Presentation B. refer matter C. Complaints D. Customer
1. What strong suggestion you use to build a proposal with different option?
2. List the mandatory referral criteria

2022
References
1. (Blithe,J (2001) Essentials of Marketing 2nd bed, Ashefoldcolor press, Hampsire).
2. Bennet, A. (2010). The Big Book of Marketing. New York, NY, USA: McGraw Hill.
3. Boone, L., Kurtz, D. (1992). "Contemporary Marketing". Fort Worth, TX: Dryden Press.
4. Kenneth E. Clow, (2003). Integrated Advertising Promotion and Marketing. 2nd Edition,
New Delhi.
5. Kotler, P. (1997), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and
Control, 9th ed., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, .
6. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2006) Principles of Marketing (Version 12/E) Pearson
Education Inc. New Jersey
7. Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2013). Marketing. Ohio, USA: South Western
8. McCarthy, E.J. (1960), "Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach", Richard D. Irwin,
Homewood, IL.

2022

Module - 04 11 22 - Handle Customer Complaint1

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Marketing and Sales Management

Module Title: - Handle customer Compliant

Page 1 of 69 Author/Copyright : Handle customer complaint Version - I

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Know how to receive customer complaints

1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning outcome.

4. Accomplish the ―Self-check‖ given at the end of each information sheet

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1.1Assessing customer complaint

A complaint is a statement in which you express your dissatisfaction with a

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B. Complaints that are declined

 The complainant’s specific circumstances make it unreasonable to expect them to pursue

The process we follow when handling contracting complaints made about us or

1. Our complaint handling standards

2. Assessing the complaint to determine who handles it

4. Examining the issues raised

5. Taking action to address the issues and resolve the complaint

6. Closing the complaint

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8. For complainants: summary of what to expect

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1.2. Informing relevant stakeholders

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1. Identify key stakeholders and plan communications.

Stakeholder management is the effective management of all participants in a project, be it

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1 Stakeholder identification 3 .Stakeholders planning

2 .Stakeholder analyses 4 .Stakeholder engagements

 The Key Types of Stakeholders

These can be further categorized by the following roles:

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 Every stakeholder’s objective is clear.

1.3. Documenting customer complaints

As we'll discuss below, documenting a complaint can be as simple as taking notes on a

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 The importance of Complaint document

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Responsibility of handling document complaints

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Time for documenting complaints

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 When you're trying to convince an organization to change its procedures or policies. If

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 Determine what kind of documentation you'll need

 Complaining to an official body

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 Complaining to the entity that's the object of the complaint

 Using the media to make the complaint public

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 Coherence. Your story has to be understandable, and able to be told in a not-overly-

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Collections of the actual data documentation have the following procedure

1. Try to anticipate the need for documentation

2. Do the research to get the background information you need