Welcome!

Complaints 101

Presented by:Sarah Hilliker, Krystle Wallace,

Karen Thompson & Tori Chandler

Your Conciliation Team

Katya Karaz

Ann Jones

Thaddeus Lewis

Dominique Connell

Krystle Wallace

Maureen Slater

Tori Chandler

Karen Thompson

Steve Farr

Sarah Hilliker

My company receivedour first complaint…

Don’t Panic!

BBBs Definition of Customer

1. Someone who has purchased a product or service from the business; or

2. Someone who has entered into a contractual relationship with the business; or 

3. Someone who has directly received services from the business, or was contacted by the business with a demand for payment of money owed.

• Consumer is alleging a defect or breakdown with a product

or service

• Consumer has asked the BBB for our assistance

• No longer effective communication between the two parties

• An exchange of dollars is not necessary – could be a sales practice issue, solicitation or marketing issue

Why might my company receive a complaint?

1. Retain YOUR Customer!

2. Word of mouth goes a long way.

Why resolve a complaint? What is the goal?

A complaint can help your company:

• Gives your business a voice in complaint process;

• Notice where warranty, refund or other policies that may need adjusting;

• Evaluate salespeople’s performance; and/or

• Identify issues with supplier.

The positives of a complaint

Classifying the nature of a complaint

1.) Product or Service Issue2.) Delivery Issue3.) Advertising or Sales Issue4.) Billing or Collection Issue5.) Guarantee or Warranty Issue

This is where you will find the complaint classification in a business review

Complaint Acceptance

• Valid name and postal address

• Company’s name and location

• Seek assistance from the BBB

Complaint Acceptance Continued

• Relates to a marketplace experience

• Alleges a problem experienced with services or products

Beyond BBB Scope

• Alleging discrimination• Employer/employee issues• Based solely on price• “Just to inform the BBB”• Company has already resolved

Beyond BBB Scope Continued:

• Against a government agency• Against an individual• Have gone or are going to court • Third party complaints • Anonymous complaints • Regarding collection of payment owed

The complaint process: Responding to the BBB

Complaint received

Reviewed by Mediation Coordinator

Sent to company

Company provides response

The complaint process

Complaint Process Timeline

• Complaints are sent to the business 1 to 5 days from the date BBB receives

• Business is asked to respond within 10 calendar days from the date BBB sends complaint

• Complaints are usually closed within30 calendar days from the date submitted

Providing a Business Response

• Company response must be in writing via postal, email, or fax.

• If you need help revising a response, need more time to respond, already resolved the issue or if the consumer refuses to allow you to complete the job…

…TELL US

Response Tips:

• Acknowledge the experience the consumer had

• Stick to the facts

• Be sure to address all issues!

• Provide documentation

• BBB will send your response to the consumer

What is fair & reasonable?

Is this fair & reasonable?

• Mediation Coordinators have been trained on how to mediate various issues

• Mediation Coordinators are skilled at identifying the core issue at hand

• Examples

Ratings

BBB’s 16 factors used to determine ratings:1. Type of Business

2. Time in Business

3. Competency Licensing

4. Complaint Volume

5. Unanswered Complaints

6. Unresolved Complaints

7. Serious Complaints

8. Complaint Analysis

9. Complaint Resolution Delayed

10. Failure to Address Complaint Pattern

11. Government Action

12. Advertising Review

13. Background Information

14. Clear understanding of business

15. Mediation/arbitration

16. Revocation

Business reviews will include a company’s rating – click on reason for rating and you will be brought to that section on the company’s report or click on BBB ratings system overview and you will be brought to further information on the BBB’s 16 point rating system on the BBB’s website

Ratings Information

• Your company size plays a role in your complaint threshold

• Your rating could fluctuate

Ratings Information Continued

• Closed complaints will remain in your business review for 36 months

• If ANY company, accredited or non-accredited, fails to respond to any complaint from the BBB, it will be closed as “unanswered” and negatively impact a company’s rating

Consumer Responses

What is NOT Considered a Consumer Response?

• “I will never do business with your company again!”

• “I demand an apology!”

• “I will tell everyone I know about this experience!”

Reopening a Complaint

• Previously unanswered, now responding

• Consumer says company failed to follow through

• New information provided

File Reviews

• Mediation Coordinators will often conduct file reviews on a business.

• If your business is contacted, you are not in trouble!

Community Mediation Center (CMC)

Services available to you as an Accredited Business:

• Pre-complaint assistance• Formal Mediation• Binding Arbitration• Conflict Resolution Training• Pre-dispute Contract Clause

Advertising Review

Where & What

• Print• Broadcast• Electronic

• Too good• Superlative claims• Triggering terms• Missing information• Confusing or

misleading

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Basic Principals of the BBB’s Code of Advertising:

The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive advertising rests with the advertiser. Advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any claims or offers made before publication or broadcast and, upon request, present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or the Better Business Bureau.

Advertisements which are untrue, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent, falsely disparaging of competitors, or insincere offers to sell, shall not be used.

An advertisement as a whole may be misleading although every sentence separately considered is literally true. Misrepresentation may result not only from direct statements but by omitting or obscuring a material fact.

Process

Individual Business

• Contact Business• Provide expertise• Prior to Publication

Services

Industry Wide Issues

• Contact all businesses in area

• Meet to:– Develop industry

guidelines– Develop consumer

tips

Outcomes

• Individual cases

– Substantiated– Modified– Discontinued– Referred to others

• Results– No impact– Press Release– Law Enforcement

Snapshot

We track not only complaints, but other stats, too!

For example: • Number of times your business review was visited• “Click-throughs” to your website • Roster requests

Snapshot Sample

Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total2011 3 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 112010 4 1 4 7 5 6 7 12 3 1 4 2 562009 3 2 2 3 2 5 4 5 0 0 3 6 352008 15 10 19 4 5 5 5 2 2 3 7 2 792007 4 4 11 3 6 4 7 8 4 6 3 7 67

Other Inquiries

Company URL’s clicked 25

Roster Requests

In the last 12 months 1124

Complaint Detail

As of March 1, 2012 our BBB will begin reportingComplaint detail in business reviews!

“The text of your complaint will be publicly posted on the BBB

website.  Please do not include any personally identifiable information in describing the nature of your

complaint.  By submitting your complaint you are representing that it is a truthful account of your

experience with the business.  BBB may edit your complaint to remove any personally identifiable information and/or inappropriate language, but it is ultimately your responsibility to remove this information.”

Why Complaint Detail?

• Consumers ranked companies types of complaints and their resolutions at the top of what they found useful in reports on businesses

• Consumers found previous BBB language very unhelpful/informative

• Gives Business a voice in the process

• Makes process even more transparent

Complaint Detail & Your Business Response

• It will be public – be consistent and professional

• Omit personally identifying information

Current Business Review

Complaint Summary

1 complaint closed with BBB in last 3 years

0 closed in last 12 months

Complaint Type Total Closed Complaints

Billing / Collection Issues 1

Advertising / Sales Issues 0

Problems with Product / Service 0

Delivery Issues 0

Guarantee / Warranty Issues 0

Total Closed Complaints 1

Customer Complaints Summary Read complaint details

Definitions | BBB Complaint Process | File a Complaint

Complaint Breakdown by Resolution

Complaint Resolution Log (1) BBB Closure Definitions

Complaint resolved with BBB assistance (1 complaint)

08/04/2010Billing / Collection Issues | Read Complaint Details

Closure Definitions

• Complaint resolved with BBB assistance

• BBB found business made good faith effort to resolve complaint, but customer not satisfied with business response

Closure Definitions Continued

• Customer not satisfied with business response

• BBB did not receive a response from business

• BBB cannot process complaint

The Positives of Complaint Detail

• Individuals will be able to form their own opinion

• Gives both parties a voice

• Adds transparency and openness to BBB process