RA 7394

Business firms are encouraged to develop comprehensive complaints-handling programs like the CWD. These will enable them to operate quickly and inexpensively, as well as promote consumer patronage.

Advantages of Setting Up CWDs:

1. Effective Selling Technique
   Looking for new techniques or come-ons to attract customers? One proven strong selling point is by making prospective customers aware that your firm has set up a Consumer Welfare Desk that will address their needs.
2. Promote Customer Satisfaction
   Reputable firms attest to the fact that consumers who complained about their problem and received satisfactory results exhibited the highest degree of continued patronage. Hence, these firms welcome complaints.
3. Complaints as Built-in Warning Signs
   Consumer complaints serve as early warning signs that your business may be, just may be, violating some fair trade laws and provide you with an excellent opportunity to correct the problem as soon as it crops up.
4. Source of Valuable Information
   In lieu of market surveys which are costly, information gathered through your CWDs can help you evaluate the quality of your products as well as the service and public relations practices of your personnel.
5. Enhances Business-Government Relations
   A well-managed CWD will enhane the relationship between the regulating government agencies and the business establishment. In fact, your efficient handling of consumer complaints is the big load off the shoulders of government agencies.

The following is a checklist of procedures in setting up the CWDs:

Consistency

• Set up uniform producers for receiving, recording and resolving complaints. It is advisable to put your company’s policy in writing. Give specific guidelines to employees assigned to man the CWD and spell out how much discretion they can exercise for specific cases.
• The CWD ensures the consumers are not referred from one person to another. In other words, the buck should stop at the CWD.
• Provide standardized complaints form to ensure that all necessary information are elicited from the complainant, whether complaints are received by mail, telephone or walk-in.
• If necessary, conduct training seminars to improved the staff's skills in handling complaints. Train your personnel to handle complaints courteously and fairly.
• Monitor the procedure to find out how effective the system is.

Accessibility

• Announce to the public the presence of the CWD in your store.
• Set up the CWD in a conspicuous place.
• Make the complaint-filing procedure simple, clear and convenient. Assure the consumer that complaints are accepted during business hours, whether complaints are filed personally or by phone.
• If supervisors are needed to handle complaints outside the CWD’s jurisdiction, make sure these supervisors are available at all times.
• Make sure that the consumer’s first impression of your store’s complaints-handling procedure is positive, not negative.

Objectively

Give the consumer an opportunity to present her side. Many small problems can be prevented from developing into big ones if you have a knowledgeable person assigned to man the CWD.

Promptness

• Try to resolve complaints as fast as possible. The longer it takes you to resolve a complaint, the more time you lose precious business hours and the more likely will your frustrated customer patronize other stores in the future. Consumers will appreciate your quick response even if all you do is acknowledge and receive the complaint.
• When an immediate written response to a complaint is necessary, use telegram.

Monitoring/Recording/Follow-up

• Data and information gathered from CWD records can be extremely helpful to the business in a number of ways: A systematic analysis of complaints can help you identify specific problems regarding your products, suppliers or employees and help you avoid the same problem in the future.
• Follow-up and record-keeping can identify bottlenecks and show consumers that their feed backs are important.