Since the days of the Soviet Union, it is believed that complaining is low, shameful and indecent. However, when consumers' rights are directly violated, complaints about the quality of service appear or you just want to suggest something in order to improve the service, you can’t do without reviews. The complaints and suggestions book is an ideal tool that allows the service seller to hear their customers.
Which businesses should have a complaints book?
A book for feedback and suggestions is needed in order to protect the rights of its customers. According to the Law on Consumer Rights, a book of complaints and suggestions must be present:
- in retail stores;
- in cafes and restaurants (catering places);
- in car services (consumer services);
- in pharmacies;
- in hospitals and clinics;
- in hairdressing and beauty salons;
- in museums;
- at local police stations;
- at stations and at airports;
- in departments of housing and communal services;
- at the post office;
- in banks;
- in sanatoriums and children's camps.
That is, wherever some people provide services to others, there should be a book of complaints and suggestions. Reviews in it can be written by everyone, regardless of gender and social status.
Consumer rights
The buyer should understand that poor-quality service, rudeness of the seller, sale of damaged goods should not go unpunished. At the same time, anyone can write a positive or negative review. The complaint book is issued at the first request of the consumer. In this case, the seller has no right to ask for the documents of the complainant. The buyer is also not required to speak out the reason for the requirement of the review book.
On the other hand, the employee must provide not only the book itself, but also:
The administration must respond to the complaint within 14 days. It is worth considering that if the seller assures that there is no such book (lost, not yet opened) - this is a serious violation for which the company may receive a large fine. The notebook itself for proposals may look like anything: in the form of a notebook, a large notebook, a common notebook, the main thing is that it has a special wax seal and pages are numbered. Otherwise, there is a chance that management will not see the claim.
What should a leader know?
It’s good when consumers know their rights. Even better when managers know their responsibilities. So that there would be less unpleasant situations with dissatisfied customers, and with Russian law not at all, each director at his company needs a book of complaints and suggestions. An instruction showing how to properly create a notebook for reviews is presented below:
- It is better to purchase a finished book in a special store. This is a fairly serious document, the appearance of which directly affects the image of the company.
- On each page you need to affix a number (in the lower or upper right corner).
- The book must be laced up, and the lacing itself sealed. At the junction of the seal and the book you need to put a seal (if it is not, you can put your signature). This is done so that it is impossible to discreetly open the seal.
There is currently no need to certify a book of reviews and suggestions. However, it should be borne in mind that you need to draw up a document in accordance with local laws. If there are no adopted laws and regulations regarding complaints books in the region, it is recommended to use Order No. 346 of 1973 of the Ministry of Trade.
What do clients write about?
Of course, administration and management do not always read only negative reviews. Sometimes customers are happy to share pleasant experiences in a notebook. In general, the book of complaints and suggestions fixes:
- Violations in the service sector. For example, rudeness, refusal to accept low-quality goods back.
- Abuse of authority may include selling “off the counter” or overpricing in one's own interests.
- Positive feedback on employees and goods. When the service completely satisfied the customer.
- Suggestions for improving the quality of work.
This gives the leader the opportunity to look at your business from the side, improve it. For customers, this is a chance to be heard.
How should a proposal book be drawn up?
Despite the fact that any notebook can become an otzovik, the legislation of the Russian Federation requires managers to observe the correct design. The book of complaints and suggestions, according to Government Decision No. 55, should:
- to have a number on each page (so that it would be impossible to imperceptibly tear out a page with unpleasant remarks);
- to be laced;
- the book must bear the seal and signature of the leader;
- the first page must contain the legal or physical data of the enterprise;
- Mandatory presence in the book of understandable instructions for its completion (in this case, one sheet is intended for review, and the second - to answer it);
- the consumer must find in the notebook the addresses and phone numbers of regulatory authorities (for example, Rospotrebnadzor).
It is important not to miss any of these points, especially when designing a book yourself.
What should alert you?
Culture and art could not pass by such a vivid phenomenon as the plaintive book. Chekhov has a short humorous story on this subject, ridiculing ignorant consumers. In Soviet times, often funny extracts from the book were published in the Crocodile magazine. Then they shot a famous film: "Give a plaintive book."
That's just the offended consumer is often not laughing, especially when he is refused a book of reviews. What should alert the client:
- refusal to give out for far-fetched reasons (“we are already closing”, “you don’t see, we have lunch”, “the book is being checked by the director”);
- providing an empty notebook or a copy of the complaints and suggestions book.
Both of these examples are administrative violations. In the second case, we are talking about the deliberate deception of the consumer. Responsibility, most likely, will be borne by the seller under Art. 14.15 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. The manager or administrator should closely monitor subsequent reviews after complaints. Often workers themselves write praise after claims to “neutralize the negative.” It is unacceptable.
Where can I find a review book?
In general, the book of complaints and suggestions should be freely available. For example, in the trading floor. So that the client himself could find her. If this is a store for several departments, then the otzovik should be in each of them. Again, if it is a cafe or restaurant that has two or more rooms, then each of them should have its own book of offers.
More often than not, a consumer can find a document in the Buyer's Corner, not far from the exit. If the client himself cannot find the notebook for notes, the employee must provide it. As mentioned above, in addition to the book, the consumer needs to be given a chair, a writing surface and writing materials themselves.
How to complain?
So, an ambiguous situation has occurred, in the hands of a book of complaints and suggestions. Sellers cannot give a sample for filling (it simply does not exist). How to properly complain so that the claim is heard and taken action?
Algorithm of actions:
- on the first clean page after the entries you need to put the current date;
- a complaint should be written on its own behalf;
- you must leave your contact details and sign (the administration is not obliged to respond to anonymous complaints).
Despite the fact that claims are written in free form, it is worth observing the unwritten rules for their execution. Experts recommend:
- Adhere to a formal business style.
- Avoid insults and profanity at sellers.
- You should not leave the topic in lengthy reasoning, drag out the text of the complaint, and, on the contrary, write too short reviews (“poor-quality goods”, “rude seller”).
- It is advisable to know which law the employee of the enterprise violated.
If you follow this instruction, it is likely that the problem will be solved by the administration, which will help the book of complaints and suggestions. Example A claim may look like this:
“November 10, 2016.
When buying dairy products, I discovered the presence of expired goods on the shelves. Including spoiled cottage cheese, the expiration date of which expired on November 5, 2016. Please take action.
Anton Ivanov, signature, phone, address (electronic, actual). ”
You can also indicate in the recall that if the administration does not answer it, then you will contact the higher authorities.
How are claims considered?
After drawing up the claim, the employee must report the incident to the administration of the enterprise. It is best to immediately provide an explanatory for its part. The complaint is considered by the director exclusively in the presence of the employee to whom it was written.
Within two days, the manager must understand the situation, take measures and not later than five days later send a written response to the applicant. Also, a response from the administration should appear in the proposal book itself. Copies of the written replies must be kept by the company during the calendar year. If five days is objectively not enough to solve the problem, the review period may be extended to 14. However, the applicant must be warned in writing.
The response to the claim is mandatory, but at present its absence is not considered an administrative violation. And punishments, respectively, are not provided. However, problems may arise with higher authorities.
Competent control
If a consumer arrives in two weeks and sees that nothing has been answered to his recall, there is no point in writing a new claim. Most likely, the book of complaints and suggestions did not reach the leadership. A photo of the statement with the date and signature can serve as indirect evidence of inaction for higher authorities.
Where can the consumer turn in this case:
- Rospotrebnadzor;
- to the Department of Consumption and Services;
- to the State Trade Inspectorate.
It is better to write at once to several instances. For a quick response, it is recommended to send a registered letter or send in person. You need to write a complaint in duplicate (keep one).
Of course, you can not react in any way to rudeness, expired goods, overpriced and other violations, but then no one will protect the rights of consumers. And the buyer will remain right only in his head.