STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc.

QMS Tier 2 Doc.: QA will enter

QMS – Procedure Rev.: A
Date: 05 June 2019
Subject: Customer Complaint
Page: 1 of 4

Customer Complaint Procedure

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 STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc.
QMS Tier 2 Doc.: QA will enter
QMS – Procedure Rev.: A
Date: 05 June 2019
Subject: Customer Complaint
Page: 2 of 4

1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE

1.1 Purpose
1.1.1 The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance on how to handle field complaints
coming for STULZ USA customers.

1.2 Scope
1.2.1 The scope of this procedure is applicable for all customer feild complaints at STULZ.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The following documents are applicable as specified herein:

STULZ
Document(s):

Form(s):
QA 1084 – Customer Complaint Data Sheet

3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1 General
3.1.1 Quality Assurance – shall be responsible for the execution, effectiveness and
maintenance of this procedure.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS
4.1 Definition of a Complaint - A complaint is any customer notification that Commented [TG1]: Removed the word employee
indicates one or more of the following are below their expectations:
 Service
o Communication
o Paperwork
o Shipping
 Product
o Form
o Performance
o Quality
o Fit
o Function

4.2 Acknowledgement and Notifications

4.2.1 Complaints may come in various forms from the customer. This includes discussions at
customer visits, notification via an email to a STULZ USA employee, a fax, or a phone

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 STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc.
QMS Tier 2 Doc.: QA will enter
QMS – Procedure Rev.: A
Date: 05 June 2019
Subject: Customer Complaint
Page: 3 of 4

call. If the complaint is received outside Product Support, the Customer Complaint Data
Sheet should be utilized to ensure all pertinent info has been gathered.
4.2.2 The person receiving the complaint must immediately ensure that the Quality Assurance
Manager is aware of the complaint by either submitting the Customer Complaint Data
Sheet or sending an email notification.
4.2.3 The Quality Assurance Manager or designee shall ensure that the customer is aware
that the facility is investigating the issue.
4.2.4 If applicable and once information is available, the Quality Assurance Manager or
designee shall post information regarding the complaint for all employees to ensure all
personnel are aware of the nature of the complaint. Commented [TG2]: Where will this information be posted?

4.3 Investigation
4.3.1 During initial communication with the customer, gather as much information regarding
the nature of the complaint as possible.
4.3.2 The Quality Assurance Manager or designee shall begin investigating the complaint
within 24 hours of receipt.
4.3.3 The complaint shall be entered into SAP as a Q1 with as much information as available
within 24 hours after the complaint notification.
4.3.4 All necessary documents for the complaint shall be collected and/or copied so they may
be uploaded/documented by QA. This may include formal customer complaint
documents, pictures, bill of ladings, visual inspection forms, operator reports, preform
tickets, unit tags, COAs/COCs, or any other document necessary.
4.3.5 If necessary, a 5-why analysis may be created for identifying possible causes and the
root cause. The root cause of the complaint will be evaluated by the Quality Assurance
Manager and/or Director of Quality, along with any ad-hoc team members as needed.
4.3.6 The Quality Assurance Manager shall update the complaint record with any information
found, the possible causes, and the possible corrective actions.

4.4 Containment and Control

4.4.1 As soon as the investigation identifies possible affected material and/or lots of finished
goods, these items must be contained and controlled.
4.4.2 Any units or starting materials still remaining in the facility that may be affected by the
complaint shall be put on hold per the Nonconforming Control procedure.
4.4.3 Any units returned from a customer due to the complaint must be put on hold per the
Nonconforming Control procedure.

4.5 Corrective Actions and Resolution

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 STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc.
QMS Tier 2 Doc.: QA will enter
QMS – Procedure Rev.: A
Date: 05 June 2019
Subject: Customer Complaint
Page: 4 of 4

4.5.1 Any possible resolutions and corrective actions may be discussed with the QA Manager
if necessary. Occasionally STULZ USA Corporate Engineers or other personnel may be
involved if the root cause of the complaint is a design issue.
4.5.2 Customer visits may be required to observe and help resolve the complaint firsthand.
4.5.3 The STULZ USA salesperson in charge of all customer accounts affected by the
complaint shall become involved if the complaint requires returned product and/or a
monetary claim. The salesperson is responsible for ensuring the customer considers the
complaint resolved when communicated by QA.
4.5.3.1 If a claim is requested by the customer or product has been discarded or returned,
Product Support shall enter the claim/credit.
4.5.4 The Quality Assurance Manager shall ensure that all corrective actions determined have
been implemented and that they remain effective.

4.6 Customer Follow-up

4.6.1 Throughout the investigation of the complaint, facility management shall keep the
customer informed of the status and progress.
4.6.2 When possible, a corrective action response should be provided to customers via email
or phone. Fill out any complaint response forms provided by the customer with as much
(non-proprietary) information as you can give them within their required timeframe.

4.7 Corrective Action Follow-up and Review

4.7.1 All parties involved shall review and examine all changes made to resolve the complaint.
4.7.2 Ensure that all changes have not negatively affected the product or process in any way.
4.7.3 Facility management shall notify affected employees of the changes made and their
impact.
5.0 Review of Complaints
5.1 The Quality Assurance Manager shall post a document showing identification of the
complaint type, affected product type, and final corrective actions put in place. Each
employee in the affected department/area shall sign a roster stating that they have reviewed
this information.
5.1 Complaints shall be reviewed for trends.
5.2 Complaints shall be reviewed for proper corrective actions.

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