Ø INTRODUCTION

   This specialized course tackles the issue of customer complaints by focusing on its two components: the behavioral aspect related to the individual employee who deals face to face with the complainant, and the system's or procedural aspect related to how the organization should process a complaint, every step of the way, from the moment it is raised to its conclusion.

Relying on ISO 10002 guidelines and other international best practices, the course also covers the necessary preparations an organization must go through in terms of culture development and openness before it can hope to benefit from complaints, recover complaining customers, improve internal processes and achieve new heights in customer satisfaction.

Ø Objectives

At this program's conclusion, participants should be able to:

l  Defend the vital role of a customer complaints management system in enhancing organizational performance

l  Demonstrate how a properly trained employee handles, step-by-step, complaining customers, gains their confidence and gratitude and secures their satisfaction  

l  Implement a customer feedback system that will maximize customer satisfaction and retention

l  Manage every phase of the complaint handling process from preparation to closing including receipt, analysis, escalation, tracking, and all internal and external communication

l  Formulate relevant key performance indicators to assess and audit complaint systems 

Ø TRAINING METHODOLOGY

This training course will combine presentations with instructor-guided interactive discussions between participants relating to their individual workplace. Practical exercises, video material and case studies aiming at stimulating these discussions and providing maximum benefit to the participants will support the training.

This interactive training course includes the following training methodologies as a percentage of the total tuition hours:

l  30% Lectures, Concepts, Role Play

l  30% Workshops & Work Presentations, Techniques

l  20% Based on Case Studies & Practical Exercises

l  20% Videos, Software & General Discussions

Pre and Post Test

Ø WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

 l  Customer complaint system managers and staff

l  customer service managers and staff, as well as managers and staff of support departments such as HR and IT, that provide services to other departments (internal customers) in the organization.. 

                                                                               Outline

Day 1

Introduction to understanding your customers

l  Interesting facts and figures

l  Customer retention

l  The principal foundation of retaining and developing our customer base

l  The 'PRIDE' model for understanding customer needs

l  Service mix elements

l  The service quality model and service gaps

l  Managing customer expectations

Day  2

 Introduction to complaints management

l  'Customer complaint' definition

l  The importance of complaints

l  Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty

l  The 'Kano' model

l  The danger of ignoring complaints

l  Levels of complaints

l  Complaints handling: process and behavior

l  Sources of customer complaints

l  Dealing with customer complaints 

Day 3

 Complaints management standards and Complaints Handling Process (CHP)

l  Complaints management standards - background

l  ISO 9001 process model

l  ISO 9001 and requirements for complaints management

l  Essential elements of a complaints management system

l  ISO 10002:2008 guidelines for CHP

l  Scope and guiding principles

l  The complaints handling policy

l  Responsibility and authority

o   Top management

o   Management representative

o   Other managers

o   All personnel in contact with customer

o   All other personnel

Day 4

 Planning and design

o   Objectives of the CHP

o   Customer satisfaction, linkages and alignment

o   Resource requirements

o   Competency requirements

Operation and communication

o   Essential elements

o   Receiving, recording and tracking

o   Assessing, investigating and closing

Maintenance and improvement

o   Collection of information

o   Satisfaction with CHP

o   Monitoring the CHP

o   Auditing the CHP

o   Management review

Day 5

 Assessing and monitoring a complaints management system

l  Quotes on measures

l  Metrics, measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

l  Where do KPIs come from

l  Some organizational Key Result Areas (KRAs)

l  Criteria for ‘good’ KPIs

l  Analysis of complaints: root cause analysis

l  Prioritizing problems

l  Finding effective and efficient solutions