Complaint management for employees: Basics, legal requirements and tips for implementation
No matter how well a company is managed, problems can arise anytime and in various areas. Effective employee complaint management is essential for companies because it identifies and solves internal problems and promotes operational efficiency. Through systematic complaint management, companies improve their processes and create a positive working atmosphere, which increases employee productivity and commitment.
This article highlights the importance of complaint management for employees and its impact on satisfaction, process optimisation, and increased efficiency. If you want to know how to handle all of these aspects digitally, we recommend looking at our comprehensive and free e-book on HSQE management!
The big book of digital HSQE management
Find out in detail how a comprehensive software solution can support you in the area of HSQE!
Introduction to complaint management
Complaint management for employees refers to the systematic handling of feedback and criticism that arise within a company. The primary goals of this process include increasing employee satisfaction and optimising operational processes. Through well-structured complaint management, companies can gain important insights and make strategic decisions that help achieve their overarching goals.
- strengthens employee loyalty to the company
- continuously optimises internal processes
- ensures higher employee motivation
- identifies problem areas before they become hard to manage
- improving working conditions
- promoting dialogue among all employees
Prerequisites for successful complaint management
Professional complaint management requires specific organisational and cultural conditions. Employees must receive clear instructions and training on articulating complaints and dealing with them effectively. In addition, a culture of open communication encourages employees to raise their complaints without fear of negative consequences.
Tasks of complaint management
Complaint management involves extensive tasks, including receiving, processing, and analysing complaints. This is followed by the development of preventive strategies. A distinction is made between direct and indirect complaint management.
Tasks of the direct complaint management process
For a successful complaint culture, your employees’ opinions and problems must be taken seriously. The process should be kept as simple as possible for employees. Offer many different communication channels: written or verbal, in person or by phone, by email, text, or other simple methods. Complaints can be accepted and processed through direct feedback so that employees can be sure that their concerns are being taken seriously. Concrete solutions should then be offered and implemented promptly.
Tasks of the indirect complaint management process
In indirect complaint management, the focus is on the internal analysis and improvement of processes after complaints have been recorded. This area of complaint management also includes, above all, quality management. It uses the data collected from the available sources to recognise patterns and identify systemic problems within the company. The aim is to treat the causes of complaints preventively through specific adjustments. This active complaint management leads to optimising work processes and results in fewer complaints.
Process & roles of complaint management
The complaint management process is complex and requires those responsible to undertake or delegate specific, related tasks to ensure that complaints are heard and resolved.
Steps of the complaint management process
There are four complaint management phases that are linked to each other. They ensure a systematic complaint management process from acceptance through resolution to final evaluation.
Tasks of the complaint managers
Complaints managers are responsible for processing complaints. They coordinate the entire process and are the contact person. Their main tasks include accepting, documenting, analysing, and processing complaints. They must have strong communication skills, act empathetically, work systematically, and be solution-oriented. It is also crucial that they can give constructive feedback and implement effective solution strategies.
Measuring and analysing complaint management effectiveness
Measuring the effectiveness of complaint management ensures that the processes not only exist but also support dissatisfied employees by constructively addressing the problems mentioned.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for complaint management
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure performance in complaint management. The key figures help record complaints’ processing quantitatively and evaluate their impact on employee satisfaction and process efficiency. The number of complaints, the processing time until resolution, the number of follow-up complaints and other key figures can be used here.
Methods for data collection and analysis
An effective employee complaint management system uses various data collection methods to gain deep insight into the effectiveness of the process. Data can be collected through online forms, hotlines, surveys, digital communication platforms, suggestion boxes, group discussions and personal conversations. The subsequent analysis of this data helps to identify common causes of complaints, affected departments, and employee satisfaction with the process.
Various analysis methods, such as quantitative and qualitative analysis, root cause analysis, sentiment analysis or time series analysis, can be used.
Continuous improvement and adaptation of processes
Continuous improvements and adjustments to complaint management processes are made through systematic monitoring and feedback evaluations. Companies use data from complaint analyses to do so. They identify deficits and develop targeted actions. These adjustments can include training for staff, optimising communication channels, or introducing new tools to record and process complaints more effectively. Regular control—checking, adjusting, applying—ensures that the processes always meet employees’ current needs and effectively support company goals.
A tool for digital complaint management
Whether you record employee complaints verbally, in writing or electronically, the subsequent derivation of actions is a critical task in all cases. This is where our compliance management software, iManSys, supports you in drawing the right conclusions for your work processes from the complaints. iManSys includes all accompanying processes in complaint management, such as creating chains of measures for a complaint. Even complex tasks and follow-up measures can be derived as a response. In addition, it is also possible to set up individual complaint processes with our software solution.
Would you like to learn more about the possibilities of iManSys? Then, take a look at our free e-book, which explains all the functions in detail!
The big book of digital HSQE management
Find out in detail how a comprehensive software solution can support you in the area of HSQE!
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