System Design
We work with you to understand your organisation, your goals for setting up a system, your internal resources and then design a system that best meets your business needs.
All complaints and dispute resolution systems are different. One size does not fit all.
What makes complaints and dispute resolution systems effective?
When designing complaints and dispute resolution systems for clients, we apply the following guiding principles of good system design:
- enabling complaints through easily accessible, free, well publicised channels that focus on making it easy and safe for customers to complain
- managing complaints promptly, fairly and confidentially
- resolving complaints at the earliest possible opportunity, and at least cost
- managing all parties’ behaviour and safety, including complaint handling staff
- systems to ensure clear accountability for the system, ability for the organisation to learn from complaints and minimise escalation of complaints into disputes
When designing dispute resolution schemes, we apply the following Australian Department of Industry, Science and Tourism’s ‘Benchmarks for Industry Consumer Dispute Resolution Schemes’ (the Benchmarks).
- Accessibility: the scheme must be readily available to consumers by promoting knowledge of its existence, being easy to use and having no cost barriers
- Independence: the decision-making process and administration of the scheme are independent from the provider of the service being complained about
- Fairness: the scheme promotes decisions that are fair and seen to be fair by observing the principles of procedural fairness, by making decisions on the information before it and by having specific criteria upon which its decisions are based
- Accountability: the scheme publicly accounts for its operations by publishing its decisions, information about complaints, and by highlighting systemic problems that become apparent
- Efficiency: the scheme operates efficiently by tracking complaints, ensuring complaints are dealt with by the appropriate process or forum, and regularly reviewing its performance
- Effectiveness: the scheme is effective by having appropriate and comprehensive terms of reference and periodic independent reviews of its performance
Who designs complaints management systems?
As the largest company in New Zealand specialising in conflict management, we have significant experience in designing and operating complaints and dispute resolution schemes.
What process do we follow when designing a system?
Our design team works with you – or multiple parties if necessary - to agree the steps to be followed, taking into consideration the most cost-effective resources at each step. Factors we consider are largely a result of our experience and include:
- relevant legislation, sector or industry codes, and your existing policies and procedures
- the nature of the complaints you receive
- best practice complaints management
- how our proposed system can best add value to your business
- ease of process navigation for all parties
For more information about this service, please call us on 0800 77 44 08 or email civildr@fairwayresolution.com