Abstract/Executive Summary

Organizations go to great extents to satisfy customers however every business will

experience unhappy customers at some point in their operations. Complaints from
such customers can have an adverse impact on the organization and its often
reduce its marketability to potential customers. The organizations are aware that
they cannot avoid complaints and thus have implement complaint management
processes which ensure all complaints are investigation and learnings from the
complaints are implemented into the organization’s process, products and
operational guidelines. Such organizations are called customer focused
organizations, they consider complaints as opportunities for improvement.
Customers using such organizations are encouraged to complain and the
organizations make it easy for them to do so. It is believed that effectively resolving
complaints increases customer loyalty and retention.

The basic steps of a complaint management process are to record the incident,
investigate, identify, review, and implement corrective action. Organizations have
dedicated Customer Complaints Management (CCM) team which is looked after by a
manager who has directly reporting lines to a Chief Executive Officer or an
Executive. Throughout the complaint management process, CCM are in direct
contact with the customers and seek information, verify and implement corrective
actions. One of the important characteristics of a customer focused organization is
that they empower their front-line staff in order to do whatever is necessary for
instant resolution of complaints or customer issues.

Introduction
This project paper will attempt to explore the complaint management process in
three local organizations which are listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange:

1. BSP Convertible Notes

2. Kontiki Finance Limited
3. Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Ltd

Through using the research questionnaire, the project will explain the process of the
complaint management, how complex or easy is it for its customers to submit a complaint,
what is the outcome and how is the complaint information used by the organisation.

A short background on each of the above listed organisations is provided as follows:

BSP is a financial services organisation having its Head Office in Papua New Guinea. It
operates a Banking, Life and Health Insurance and Asset Financing businesses in Papua
New Guinea, the South Pacific islands and in Cambodia. Kontiki Finance is a Fijian non-
bank Financial Institution that concentrates on Personal and Business Deposits and
Lending services. It has its Head Quarters in Suva, Fiji and branches across the Fiji
islands. Amalgamated Telecom Holdings is a subsidiary of the Fijian Government and
oversees the operations of Telecom Fiji, a Fijian telecommunications company. Its primary
business is to provide telecommunications and network services to the Fijian customers.
Methodology

Three corporate businesses who are listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange was
identified through the SPSE website. These organizations are:

4. BSP Convertible Notes

5. Kontiki Finance Limited
6. Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Ltd

We approached the customer services team at these organizations to assist us with

answering a few research questions for our assignment.

We designed questionnaires to determine how these organizations respond to complaints

and use complaint information in their organizations. The questions were open ended that
required brief, concise responses from the representative of the organization. There were 5
questions, and 3 set of questionnaires were distributed to the Supervisor Customer Service
Centre at each of the organizations.

A sample of the questionnaire is provided below.

Analysis of Results/Discussion of Results

Our findings reveal that each of the 3 organizations have a complaint management policy.
Customers are given various options to submit their complaints and there are standard
procedures to handling the complaint at the organization level.

Our findings are summarized in the bullet points below:

a. Each of the organizations have a complaint management procedure in place.
b. There are multiple options available for customers to lodge or submit their complaint.
Some of the methods are through email, over the phone, walk into the customer
service counter, via social media or through live chat features.
c. All 3 organisations place high importance on complaint management and have a
workflow method in which complaints are received, assessed, investigated, resolved or
escalated, and finally closed.
d. There are structured investigation methods in place in each of the organisations which
comprise of a Complaints Committee who are independent of the Business Units in the
organization. The committee comprises of 2 Executive Members, the Customer
Service Manager and a nominee appointed by the CEO of the organization.
Collectively, the Committee review the complaint using the process and procedure in
place.
e. The outcome of the complaint varies and depends of the nature and the type of
complaint. Some of the outcomes are:
 Staff coaching, training, dismissal, and other formal disciplinary actions.
 Process review, procedure update, risk review.
 Organisation wide awareness, discussions with staff.
 Staff training on revised process, procedure.
 Withdrawal of a product or service, temporary suspension of a service or
agent.
f. The customer is offered an apology for what the customer encountered together with a
commitment and confirmation that the complaint will be duly investigated.
MG311 – Total Quality Management (For Appendix)
Assignment Interview/Questionnaire Sheet - 2022

Topic: Interview managers of small or large or businesses listed on the Stock Pacific
Stock Exchange to determine how they respond to complaints and use complaint
information in their organizations.

1. Please indicate if your organization has a Complaint Management policy?

2. Please explain how customers can lodge a complaint about a product or service in
your organization?

3. Kindly elaborate on the process that follows once a complaint has been lodged.

4. How is the complaint information used in your organization?

5. Please advise what is the process if a complaint cannot be resolved?

Thank you for your time.

Topic – Customer complaints
Interview managers of small or large or businesses listed on the Stock Pacific Stock Exchange to determine how they
respond to complaints and use complaint information in their organizations.

Companies: BSP Convertible Notes

Kontiki Finance Limited
Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Ltd
Details BSP Convertible Notes
Complaint handling
Yes
procedure?
Options available for Email on bula@bsp.com.fj
customers to Written to Private Mail Bag, Suva
complain? Complete the Complaints &
Feedback Form
Call Centre: 132 888
In person at any Branch
Regulated by the RBF
Kontiki Finance
Yes
Email on
customercare@kontikifinance.com
Written to Private Mail Bag, Suva
Customer Complaint Form
Call Centre: 0800 330 3402
In person at any outlet
Online Form on website.
Live Chat feature on website.
Licensed non-bank FI by the RBF.
Amalgamated Telecom Holdings
Yes
Online form on the web.
In person: 2nd Floor Harbour Front
Bldg, Suva
Written to Private Mail Bag, Suva
Phone: 3308700
Fax: 3308044
Separate group entities have
separate complaints process:
Telecom Fiji
Online form on webpage
Webchat
Phone: 11 22 33
Email: contactus@telecom.com.fj
Vodafone
Online form on webpage
Web chat feature
Contact Centre: 124
In person: 168 Princess Road Suva
Written to Private Mail Bag Suva
Email: info@vodafone.com.fj
Fintel
Online form on web
Toll free: 0800 3315718
In person: 151 Rifle Range,
Vatuwaqa, Suva

What is the process
for lodging a Refer above
complaint?
How is the complaint  Receive complaints – verbal or
handled by the written
organisation?  Substantiate claims and address
customer concerns – BU gets
involved
 Lodge it on Tracker (complaint
tracking database).
 BU to advise on root cause, how
was it resolved, and steps taken
for it not to repeat. BU conducts
staff training and obtains sign off.
 Include in Complaints Report
submitted in the monthly
Executive meeting documents.
 A complaints management
procedure is in place.
Refer above
 Receive complaints – verbal or
written
 Substantiate claims and address
customer concerns – Manager
gets involved
 Manager to investigate and
advise on root cause, how was it
resolved, and steps taken for it
not to repeat. Manager conducts
staff training and obtains sign off.
Written to: Private Mail Bag, Suva.
Email: inquiries@fintelfiji.com
Refer above
Depending on the type of complaint
and the area it impacts, the
complaint is referred to the
appropriate business head
(Product, IT, Customer Service, HR
etc).
The complaint is analysed and
seen if it can be easily resolved
(within a few days) or does it
require gathering more information
or more consultation.
The head of the business is
required to contact the customer
within 24 hours of receipt of the
complaint and provide them
assurance that they are personally
looking into the matter and that
they will be the point of contact for
the customer.
The results of the complaint, what
caused it, and preventative
measures are discussed with the
impacted team and a proposed
resolution agreed upon. This is
then communicated to the

Staff coaching, training, dismissal,
and other formal disciplinary
actions.
Process review, procedure update,
risk review.
What are the
Organisation wide awareness,
outcomes of the
discussions with staff.
complaint?
Staff training on revised process,
procedure.
Withdrawal of a product or service,
temporary suspension of a service
or agent.
Other details?
What the customer Acknowledgement and an apology
can expect as for what the customer encountered.
feedback to their A confirmation that the complaint
complaint. will be duly investigated, and a full
investigation will be conducted.
Customers can be offered fee or
Staff coaching, training, dismissal,
and other formal disciplinary
actions.
Process review, procedure update,
risk review.
Organisation wide awareness,
discussions with staff.
Staff training on revised process,
procedure.
Withdrawal of a product or service,
temporary suspension of a service
or agent.
If then you are not satisfied with the
resolution, or any extended time
that we have taken, you have a
right to refer your complaint to:
CHIEF MANAGER
Financial Systems Development
Group Reserve Bank of Fiji Tower
6, RBF Building, Pratt Street, Suva
Telephone: +679 322 3381 Email:
complaints@rbf.gov.fj
Acknowledgement and an apology
for what the customer encountered.
A confirmation that the complaint
will be duly investigated, and a full
investigation will be conducted.
Customers can be offered fee or
customer. The customer has the
right to accept the resolution or
may be still unsatisfied with the
outcome after which the senior
management will be consulted.
Staff coaching, training, dismissal,
and other formal disciplinary
actions.
Process review, procedure update,
risk review.
Organisation wide awareness,
discussions with staff.
Staff training on revised process,
procedure.
Withdrawal of a product or service,
temporary suspension of a service
or agent.
An apology is provided to the
customer and their
complaint/feedback is
acknowledged. They are provided
with a ticket ID/reference number to
help them with seeking updates.

interest refunds, a different product
or assignment to a different
relationship manager.
Timeframe for resolution or an
update is 5 working days. Through
this time, customers are updated
regularly.
If customer is unsatisfied with the
outcome, they may request to see
the Senior Management team or
even the Regulators (Consumer
Council, FCCC, RBF).
For complex complaints, more
people need to be consulted.
General cases when complaints are
escalated for investigation are:
 when a quick resolution was tried,
but the customer is still
dissatisfied.
Notes  in cases of some VIP customers.
 in cases of complex and/or
sensitive complaints.
 when the complaint raises
complex and/or high-risk issues,
etc.
interest refunds, a different product
or assignment to a different
relationship manager.
Timeframe for resolution or an
update is 7 working days. Through
this time, customers are updated
regularly.
If customer is unsatisfied with the
outcome, they may request to see
the Senior Management team or
even the Regulators (Consumer
Council, FCCC, RBF).
For complex complaints, more
people need to be consulted.
A confirmation that the complaint
will be duly investigated, and a full
investigation will be conducted.
Customers can be offered refunds,
a different product.
Timeframe for resolution or an
update is 5 working days. Through
this time, customers are updated
regularly.
If customer is unsatisfied with the
outcome, they may request to see
the Senior Management team or
even the Regulators (Consumer
Council, FCCC).
For complex complaints, more
people need to be consulted.