COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURE

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

This policy is intended to ensure that we handle complaints fairly, efficiently, and effectively. Our complaint management system is intended to:

• Enable us to respond to issues raised by people making complaints in a timely and cost-effective way
• Boost public confidence in our administrative process, and
• Provide information that can be used by us to deliver quality improvements in our products services, staff and complaint handling.

This policy provides guidance to our staff and people who wish to make a complaint on the key principles and concepts of our complaint management system.

1.2 Scope

This policy applies to all staff receiving or managing complaints from the public made to or about us, regarding our products, services, staff, and complaint handling.

1.3 Organizational commitment

This organization expects staff at all levels to be committed to fair, effective and efficient complaint handling. The following table outlines the nature of the commitment expected from staff and the way that commitment should be implemented.

2. Complaint Management System

2.1 Introduction

When responding to complaints, staff should act in accordance with our complaint handling procedures as well as any other internal documents providing guidance on the management of complaints.

Staff should also consider any relevant legislation and/or regulations when responding to complaints and feedback. The five key stages in our complaint management system are set out below.

2.2 Receipt of complaints

Unless the complaint has been resolved at the outset, we will record the complaint and its supporting information. We will also assign a unique identifier to the complaint file.

The record of the complaint will document:

• The contact information of the person making a complaint
• Issues raised by the person making a complaint and the outcome/s they want
• Any other relevant and
• Any additional support the person making a complaint

2.3 Acknowledgement of complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of each complaint promptly and communicate our acknowledgement to the person preferably within 10 working days.

Consideration will be given to the most appropriate medium (e.g. email, letter) for communicating with the person making a complaint.

2.4 Initial assessment and addressing of complaints

Initial assessment

After acknowledging receipt of the complaint, we will confirm whether the issue/s raised in the complaint is/are within our control. We will also consider the outcome/s sought by the person making a complaint and, where there is more than one issue raised, determine whether each issue needs to be separately addressed.

When determining how a complaint will be managed, we will consider:

• How serious, complicated or urgent the complaint is
• Whether the complaint raises concerns about people’s health and safety
• How the person making the complaint is being affected
• The risks involved if resolution of the complaint is delayed, and
• Whether a resolution requires the involvement of other

Addressing complaints

After assessing the complaint, we will consider how to manage it. To manage a complaint, we may:

• Give the person making a complaint information or an explanation
• Gather information from the product, person, or area that the complaint is about, or
• Investigate the claims made in the

We will keep the person making the complaint up to date on our progress, particularly if there are any delays. We will also communicate the outcome of the complaint using the most appropriate medium. Which actions we decide to take will be tailored to each case and take into account any statutory requirements.

2.5 Providing reasons for decisions

Following consideration of the complaint and any investigation into the issues raised, we will contact the person making the complaint and advise them:

• The outcome of the complaint and any action we took
• The reason/s for our decision
• The remedy or resolution/s that we have proposed or put in place, and
• Any options for review that may be available to the complainant, such as an internal review, external review, or

If in the course of investigation, we make any adverse findings about a particular individual, we will consider any applicable privacy obligations under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and any applicable exemptions in or made pursuant to that Act, before sharing our findings with the person making the complaint.

2.6 Closing the complaint, record keeping, redress and review

We will keep comprehensive records about:

• How we managed the complaint
• The outcome/s of the complaint (including whether it or any aspect of it was substantiated, any recommendations made to address problems identified and any decisions made on those recommendations, and
• Any outstanding actions that need to be followed up

We will ensure that outcomes are properly implemented, monitored and reported to the complaint handling manager and/or senior management.

2.7    Making a complaint

If you have a complaint relating to the System, its installation or this agreement generally, you can make a complaint to us by:

• Please call Technoport on our telephone number 03 4432 5370 or
• Written notice by post Factory 2, 9 Pioneer Way, New Gisborne, VIC 3438, or email info@technoport.com.au

2.8 Alternative avenues for dealing with complaints

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can refer the complaint to with the relevant Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs office in your state or territory, as follows:

• ACT:   Office of Regulatory Services Phone: (02) 6207 3000
• NSW: Fair Trading Phone: 13 32 20
• NT: Consumer Affairs Phone: 1800 019 319
• Qld: Office of Fair Trading Phone: 13 74 68
• SA: Consumer and Business Services Phone: 13 18 82
• Tas: Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Phone: 1300 654 499
• Vic: Consumer Affairs Phone: 1300 558 181
• WA: Consumer Protection Phone: 1300 304 054

3. The three levels of complaint handling

We aim to resolve complaints at the first level, the frontline. Wherever possible staff will be adequately equipped to respond to complaints, including being given appropriate authority, training and supervision.

Where this is not possible, we may decide to escalate the complaint to a more senior officer within Technoport. This second level of complaint handling will provide for the following internal mechanisms:

• assessment and possible investigation of the complaint and decision/s already made, and/or
• facilitated resolution (where a person not connected with the complaint reviews the matter and attempts to find an outcome acceptable to the relevant parties).

Where a person making a complaint is dissatisfied with the outcome of Technoport review of their complaint, they may seek an external review of our decision (by the Ombudsman for example).

4. Accountability and learning

4.1 Analysis and evaluation of complaints

We will ensure that complaints are recorded in a systematic way so that information can be easily retrieved for reporting and analysis.

Regular reports will be run on:

• The number of complaints received
• The outcome of complaints, including matters resolved at the frontline
• Issues arising from complaints
• Systemic issues identified, and
• The number of requests we receive for internal and/or external review of our complaint handling
• Regular analysis of these reports will be undertaken to monitor trends, measure the quality of our customer service and make

4.2 Monitoring of the complaint management system

We will continually monitor our complaint management system to:

• Ensure its effectiveness in responding to and resolving complaints, and
• Identify and correct deficiencies in the operation of the

4.3 Continuous improvement

We are committed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our complaint management system. To this end, we will:

• Support the making and appropriate resolution of complaints
• Implement best practices in complaint handling
• Recognise and reward exemplary complaint handling by staff
• Regularly review the complaints management system and complaint data, and
• Implement appropriate system changes arising out of our analysis of complaints data and continual monitoring of the system.