About AGA > Dispute Resolution Process

AGA Procedure to Handle Customer Complaints To provide a procedure for resolving customer complaints quickly and wherever possible to the satisfaction of the customer, and for preventing their recurrence. Scope The procedure applies to any expression of dissatisfaction by a customer concerning the quality of products or services received from the Technical Office. Complaints may be verbal or written and could range from adverse comments to strong demands for action. If a complaint regarding technical interpretations and/or judgements turns into in a formal dispute, it is resolved in accordance with Procedure 804 – Dispute Resolution . Responsibilities Any employee may record a customer complaint. Managers are responsible for ensuring investigation and resolution of complaints in their areas. All staff must give customer complaints top priority and must co-operate fully in any action required to resolve a complaint. Procedure 1. Customer Access on Complaints Customers may access the complaint handling procedure through any AGA employee by phone, fax, letter or in person. 2. Receiving and Registering a Complaint a) Minor complaints, eg, where a customer points out a small defect or expresses mild dissatisfaction, are recorded and passed to the Manager, Industry & Support Services, who keeps them on file. If deemed appropriate, the Manager, Industry & Support Services may raise a Corrective Action Report (CAR) from minor compaints. b) All written and verbal complaints deemed serious require that a CAR be raised to control and record corrective action. c) A person receiving a serious complaint either informs the Manager, Industry & Support Services of the details or raises a CAR to specify the nature of the problem, signs and dates the form. and passes it to the Manager, Industry & Support Services (who notifies the AGA Chief Executive) together with any letters or faxes from the customer. 3. Investigation and Rectification a) The Manager, Industry & Support Services ensures a CAR exists and assigns responsibility for investigation and rectification of the complaint to an appropriate person. b) Response and action on customer complaints must be swift, thorough and fair. The customer's concerns are to be listened to and discussed courteously and sympathetically. c) The person handling the complaint gathers sufficient information and data to enable a thorough investigation and response. d) Quick action may be required to resolve an immediate problem. The person handling the complaint ensures that action agreed with the customer is carried out and recorded. e) In addition to quick-fix action, complaints may need to be investigated to identify underlying causes and action taken to ensure the problem does not recur. f) Short term action and action taken to prevent recurrence are carried out and recorded on the CAR in accordance with Procedure 803 - Corrective and Preventive Action . 4. Customer Returns If defective product (eg wrong or badly printed materials) is returned by a customer, the product is identified and handled in accordance with Procedure 802 - Control of Non conformance . 5. Keeping the Customer Informed The customer is informed of progress on complaint investigation and rectification at stages judged appropriate by the person handling the complaint or as agreed with the Manager, Industry & Support Services. 6. Complaint Records Copies of appropriate correspondence and information related to a customer complaint for which a CAR has been raised, are retained on file with the completed CAR. Copies may also be retained in the appropriate Approval and/or Central Office files. A register summarising CAR forms is maintained by the Manager, Industry & Support Services. 7. Improvement from Customer Comments a) The Manager, Industry & Support Services monitors customers' comments and minor complaints as originally recorded to detect areas for corrective or preventive action. b) Where a problem or potential problem is evident, Manager, Industry & Support Services may raise a CAR or report the matter for consideration at the next management review meeting. Where Unable to be Resolved - Dispute Resolution Process The Certifying Body encourages Customers to resolve disputes at the local level with staff of the Certifying Body. If such dispute cannot be resolved at the local level then the Customer may refer the dispute to the AGA Chief Executive. The AGA Chief Executive will attempt to resolve the dispute with his counterpart in the Customer's organisation. If the dispute cannot be resolved at Chief Executive level, a formal dispute process may be commenced by the Customer. The current Quality Procedure for such a Dispute Resolution process and the approved Form to be used are available here: Procedure... and Form... Note: The Dispute Resolution process does not prevent the Certifying Body from exercising any of its rights or obligations under the Rules Governing at any time. There are alternative certification options available to industry and the Customer is not obliged to seek certification through the AGA Product Certification Scheme.