Complaints

Customer Feedback is important to us and we welcome and encourage our customer’s comments, compliments, and complaints.

We have the utmost confidence in our employees and our product, but if things do go wrong, then we need to have an effective system in place to handle complaints. By encouraging our customers to tell us when they are not satisfied, we have an opportunity to help them achieve an improved outcome and we can continually improve our processes.

1.0 Aims and Objectives:

This Customer Complaint Policy aims to:

• Provide a framework for SoundWave Audiology employees to work with when handling complaints from customers
• Ensure consistency within SoundWave Audiology in handling and resolving complaints from customers and
• Support our commitment to provide quality products, services, and customer service.

SoundWave Audiology defines the term complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction or grievance made to any employee within the group by a customer or member of the public with any product, service or conduct of ours.

Our objective is to resolve the vast majority of inquiries and complaints during the customer’s first call/interaction.

It may not always be possible to resolve a complaint on the first call, for example, because records have to be reviewed or inquiries made. Our objective is that complaints that cannot be resolved during the first call will be resolved within time frames agreed with the customer.

We are committed to continuous improvement of our customer service delivery. We recognise the opportunity afforded us to improve when a customer or member of the general public lodges a complaint.

2.0 Lodgement of Complaints:

All SoundWave audiology employees are charged with the responsibility to provide reasonable information and assistance to ensure that complaints are lodged effectively using our Customer Relationship system.

Providing customers with easy access and a point of contact to lodge a complaint is a fundamental element of our overall complaint policy. Complaints may be lodged by:

• Phone on (07) 444 4014
• Email to info@soundwaveaudiology.co.nz
• Post to PO BOX 13, Te Awamutu, 3840

Complaints will be acknowledged, and customers will be advised of a reference number that can be used to identify the progress of their complaint within 3 business days.

3.0 Review of Policy:

The Customer Complaint Policy is available for all staff and customers to view and download from the SoundWave Audiology website.

This Policy will be reviewed and monitored on a regular basis to ensure it remains current and practical.

4.0 Complaints Procedure:

4.1 Making a complaint

A person wishing to make a complaint may do so in writing or verbally to:

• the staff member they were dealing with at the time unless you are making a complaint about this person
• managing director of SoundWave Audiology
• Phone on (07) 444 4014
• Email to info@soundwaveaudiology.co.nz
• Post to Post to PO BOX 13, Te Awamutu, 3840

If the complaint is about:

• a product or service delivered by SoundWave audiology, then the complaint will be dealt with by the managing director.

4.2 Procedure for complaints management

The person managing the complaint will be responsible for:

Registering the complaint:

• Registering the complaint in the SoundWave Audiology complaints register
• Informing the complainant that their complaint has been received and providing them with information about the process and time frame within 3 business days

Investigating the complaint:

• Examining the complaint within 5 working days of the complaint being received
• Informing the complainant by letter within 10 working days of the complaint being received of what is being done to investigate and resolve it, and the expected timeframe for resolution.
• As far as possible, complaints or appeals will be investigated and resolved within 20 working days of being received. If this time frame cannot be met, the complainant will be informed of the reasons why and of the amended time frame for resolution.

Resolving the complaint:

• making a decision or referring to the appropriate people for a decision within 20 working days of the complaint being received
• Informing the complainant of the outcome and any options for further action if required

 What if I am unhappy with the resolution?

• If you are not happy with the outcomes of a complaint, you can request that we escalate the complaint internally for review by a more senior member of staff or you can complain directly to the Health and Disability Commissioner and/or to the New Zealand Audiological Society.