COMPLAINTS ACTION PLAN

Ref: Initial Recommendation

Expected benefits

Actions Recommended

C1

C1.1 Training to be delivered to

all Customer Service staff.

C2

Provide staff training regarding:

a. Complaints policy and procedure to be
followed
b. The definition of a complaint
c. Compensation policy
d. Use of good will payments
e. Use of customer profile data when
handling calls, including complaints, to
identify if the customer has any particular
vulnerabilities that would require PPHTs
response to be more tailored to their
needs
Refresher training should then be
provided on a regular basis.

Improve the quality of written responses

to complaints by:
a. Producing a more customer focused
template for letters
b. Ensuring acknowledgement letters and
final responses provide names and
contact details of the officer dealing with
the complaint
c. Introducing quality checks of response
letters sent to customers, to ensure that
these are clear and provide a resolution
to complaints
d. Including details of what the customer
can do if they are not satisfied with the
response from CPPHT (i.e. Stage 1
letters should give information about
progressing to stage 2 if the customer
remains dissatisfied)

A better shared
understanding of what
constitutes a complaint
A more consistent
service provided to all
customers

C1.2 Training to be delivered to

all front line staff to raise
awareness of complaints
process, inc all housing services,
property services, Finance and
development and community
initiatives teams.

A clearer focus on
complaint resolution
Clearer information for
customers
Improved customer
experience and
therefore improved
customer satisfaction

Action
Owner

Target
Date

KM

31/03/2012

KM

C1.3 Refresher training to be

provided to managers and
investigating officers.

KM

C1.4 Amend the complaint case

summary to highlight vulnerability
of customers where necessary.

KM

C2.1 Set up a working group

with the residents register to
review the following actions:

KM

C2.2 Template letters to be

reviewed to ensure customer
focussed.

KM

Target Date
Change

Progress and
Evidence
This training is now
completed. However
refresher training is
part of an annual
programme.
S:\Complaints Action
Plan\CS Staff
Training Complaints.pptx

Completed
Date
15/12/2012

This date has

moved as it was
30/07/2012 set prior to
agreement of
plan and was
awaiting
approval.
This date has
31/08/2012 moved as it was
set prior to
agreement of
plan and was
awaiting
approval.
31/05/2012
This date has
13/06/2012 moved to
consolidate the
STAR working
group
This date has
30/06/2012 moved due to
C2.1 moving

C2.3 Template letters to include

names of investigating officers
and contact details.

MM

31/03/2012

C2.4 Template letters to be clear

about the next process if not
happy with response.

MM

13/04/2012

Letter amended and

31/03/2012
currently being used.
S:\Complaints Action
Plan\stage1acknowle
dgement.doc
Last paragraph of all 31/03/2012
response letters state
the next stage of the
process.
S:\Complaints Action
Plan\stage1response
.doc

C3

As an interim measure, address the

inconsistencies identified in the policy
and between the policy and leaflet. On
completion, communicate this to staff and
all customers

A better shared
understanding of what
constitutes a complaint
A more consistent
service provided to all
customers.

C3.1 Review Policy to amend

sections 3.7 and 4.4.
C3.2 Consult with Residents
Register on amends of Policy.
C3.3 Publish amendments in
Plain Speaking re how
complaints can be made.
C3.4 Update complaints leaflet
in line with policy including LVT
details, customer champions
address, methods of contact, tear
off slip improvements.

C4

Carry out a full review of the complaints

policy and procedure in consultation with
customers with a view to:
Shortening the complaints process
to two stages
Allowing more time at Stage 1 to
focus on resolving complaints and
ensuring that personal contact is
made with the customer
throughout this stage
Good practice: St Ledger Homes,
Doncaster (3 star organisation) have a
two stage procedure.

A more efficient and

effective process for
handling complaints
that focuses on early
resolution
A more customer
focused approach to
complaints handling
and therefore
increased customer
satisfaction

C4.1 Consult with residents

register on preferred methods of
contact during complaints, ie
visits, telephone calls etc.
C4.2 Enhance the complaint
case summary form to allow
online completion by managers
and incorporate outcome actions,
tracking of outcomes, and
lessons learned.

MM

10/06/2012

MM

30/06/2012

MM/RA

July 2012

KM

At stock
re-supply

KM

KM

C4.3 Feedback outcomes of

complaints taken by CS staff as
part of their continued
development of being able to
resolve at first point of contact.

KM/KA

C4.4 Develop a Level 4 CS

Assistant who can support call
handlers in dealing with
dissatisfaction at first point of
contact.

MM

C4.5 Customer Journey Map

stage complaints to understand
the customer experience and
establish reason for escalation of
complaint. Results to be shared
with managers and assistant
directors to be used for future
complaint prevention.

KM/MM

This date has

moved due to
C2.1 moving
This date has
moved due to
C2.1 moving

This date has

moved due to
30/06/2012 C2.1 moving
This date has
moved as it was
set prior to
31/08/2012 agreement of
plan and was
awaiting
approval.
This date has
moved as it was
30/05/2012 set prior to
agreement of
plan and was
awaiting
approval.
31/08/2012

This date has

moved as it was
set prior to
30/06/2012 agreement of
plan and was
awaiting
approval.

C5

C6

C7

C8

C9

Record and review outcomes and

learning points from individual complaints
as part of the performance management
arrangements.

Provide regular feedback for customers

on action taken to improve services as a
result of complaints received.
Good practice: East Durham Homes
produce regular bulletins for customers
about learning points and action taken

Take immediate steps to address the

problems the Customer Inspectors found
in trying to use the info@PPHT email
address.

Take immediate steps to publicise the

complaints policy on the website and in
the reception area, making it easier for
customers to find the information

Develop clear criteria regarding payment

of goodwill and compensation payments
and publicise this clearly for customers

More systematic way of

demonstrating learning
from complaints and
demonstrating
customer influence in
improving services

C5.1 Provide quarterly and end

of year reports to Challenge
group highlighting all the lessons
learned

KM

More systematic way of

demonstrating learning
from complaints and
demonstrating
customer influence in
improving services

C6.1 Provide a regular fixed

article in Plain Speaking on
complaints management. (Refer
to East Durhams article as good
practice).

MM/RA

Improved customer
access

C7.1 Email address to be used

is Trust@peaksplains.org

Improved customer
access

A transparent and
understandable
arrangement for
making payments

Ensure that all informal complaints are

captured and used to inform service

This would provide

additional information

July 2012

MM

31/03/2012

C8.1 Complaints Policy to be

published on website and
reception.

MM

31/03/2012

C8.2 A dedicated complaints

and compliments page to be set
up on the internet for customers
to access all complaint
information such as policy,
performance, complaint logging,
etc.

KM

31/07/2012

C9.1 Compensation payments to

be reported by category by team
in the quarterly Challenge
Report.

C9.2 Compensation to be
publicised within the new Plain
Speaking article.
C10

30/04/2012

C10.1 Expressions of
dissatisfaction that are resolved

KM

May 2012

MM/RA

July 2012

Confirmed that the

email address is
trust@peaksplains.or
g
Website updated and
reception has copies.
http://www.peaksplai
ns.org/downloads.as
p

This is now being

reported. See end of
year report.
T:\Customer
Services\COMPLAIN
TS &
COMPLIMENTS\Boa
rd Reports\Quarterly
EMT
Reports\2012\COMP
LAINTS REPORT2 EMT - MAY 2012.doc

All complaint
information is
reported quarterly to

13/03/2012

05/03/2012

10/05/2012

improvement

C11

Introduce telephone satisfaction surveys

to capture views of complaints. Set up a
system for responding to and learning
from dissatisfaction expressed by
complainants

to help CPPHT
improve customer
services and therefore
customer satisfaction

at first point of contact to be

recorded and shared with
assistant directors quarterly.
Lessons learned to be addressed
during these feedback sessions.

A more efficient and

effective way of
collecting customer
views
Improved customer
care

C11.1 Review the complaint

satisfaction survey with the
residents register to ensure most
appropriate questions are being
asked.
C11.2 Set up outbound dialler
for CS staff to carry out
satisfaction surveys of
complaints process on closure of
complaints.
C11.3 Offer Tenant Inspectors
opportunity to be involved in
outbound surveys on complaints.

C12

Remove the overall average response

time from performance monitoring
information

More accurate and

meaningful
performance
information

Awaiting clarity on this

recommendation.

C13

Set up robust systems to record and

monitor the amount of money paid out to
customers in compensation and good will
payments

A method for
systematically
measuring the cost of
complaints / service
failure e.g. in terms of
staff time,
compensation,
instances of jobs
having to be done
more than once rather
than right first time
Would facilitate a value
for money assessment
of complaints handling
and enable tighter
budget control

C13.1 Create Fusion report

which monitors all payments of
compensation including
categories and values.

KM

31/02/2012

KM

This date has

moved due to
30/06/2012 C2.1 moving.

KM

This date has

moved as it
30/07/2012 requires
consultation at
working group

KM/SL

This date has

30/07/2012 moved as part
of C11.2

MM

31/03/2012

assistant directors
and lessons learned
from both formal and
informal are detailed
within the quarterly
reports.
S:\Complaints Action
Plan\Informal
Complaints
Example.xls

This has now been

developed and is
used to extract
information for the
quarterly EMT
reports.
S:\Complaints Action
Plan\Compensation
Extract.xls

15/12/2012

01/02/2012