Why Value Complaints?
Complaints are valuable. Not only is the public’s confidence and trust in public services eroded when they are handled badly but they also provide a vital source of feedback and learning for service providers to help drive improvement. Adopting good practice in complaints management has real benefits for public bodies.
As well as providing an efficient, effective and understanding way for users of public services to get their issues addressed, complaints offer a chance for public bodies to gain an accurate picture of the level and quality of service they offer from the perspective of the user. They provide free feedback on service delivery and provide a means for the user to have an input into the continuous improvement of an organisation.
Studies have shown that an organisation that truly welcomes, values and uses complaints to inspire and guide improvement will be more successful than one that does not.
Complaints often provide an early warning of more fundamental problems in service design and delivery. If the evidence from complaints is made readily available to the decision-makers in an organisation, it gives them an opportunity to make improvements before problems escalate.