What to do if a comment appears? Sample response in the book of complaints and suggestions

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Published: September 27, 2018

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By law, every retail outlet must have a guest book. However, its presence should not be limited. If customer records appear in this information source, a response to them should follow as quickly as possible. How exactly should this happen?

• Who exactly should respond to customers in the guest book?
• What wording is best to avoid when writing a response to a complaint?
• Is it possible to limit myself to a phone call to the client?
• Principles for writing a response to a customer review
• Reaction to a justified complaint
• Reaction to an unfounded claim
• Reaction to gratitude

Complaint: essence, types

Before moving on to the topic of the article, it is worth considering the concept of a complaint and its types, since the construction of the correct answer, and therefore the reputation of your company, largely depends on understanding its essence.

A complaint is a type of appeal from a citizen to an individual or legal entity, the text of which contains a demand to eliminate violations of rights and interests. An example of a complaint and a response to it is now quite easy to find on the Internet, but we must not forget that each case is individual.

Currently, it is possible to classify types of complaints according to different criteria.

By the number of applicants:

• individual;
• collective complaint.

By type of addressee:

• to individuals (for example, individual entrepreneurs);
• to legal entities (government bodies).

By subject:

• to actions;
• to inaction;
• regarding legally significant documents (adopted acts, decisions).

By area of ​​appeal:

• in the consumer sector (from the client to the contractor, to Rospotrebnadzor);
• in the housing and communal services sector;
• legal complaints, etc.

It is worthwhile to dwell separately on the types of judicial complaints.

By area of ​​law:

• in civil law;
• in arbitration;
• in criminal law;
• according to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;
• according to the Code of Administrative Procedure of the Russian Federation, etc.

In accordance with the stages of legal proceedings:

• on appeal;
• in cassation;
• to the supervisory authority;
• private complaint.

Thus, this list can be continued for a very long time, since there are a lot of criteria. This article provides only the main classification.

6. The client’s problem was not solved on the first call

When a person calls customer support, he expects that his problem will be solved after the first call. Research shows that 67% of customer churn can be avoided if the customer's problem is resolved during the first interaction. But this does not mean that you need to keep the client on the phone, but strive to solve his problem right away.

How to respond to this complaint:

When your team begins interacting with customers, they must pay attention to the urgency of the issue. If a customer has an urgent problem, try to resolve it on the first call instead of asking for more information. If this is not possible, then your specialists should explain why a solution will take more time.

Another way to quickly resolve customer issues is to add self-service options to your company website. Tools such as forums, communities, and a knowledge base can help people find answers to their questions on their own without wasting time calling customer service.

Thus, to help users of the LPgenerator platform, a Knowledge Base was created - it contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about working in the system.

Legislative regulation

The general right to file a complaint is provided for in clause 4, part 1, art. 4 of the Federal Law of May 2, 2006 No. 59-FZ “On the procedure for considering appeals from citizens of the Russian Federation.”

At the same time, depending on the type of complaint, there are special legislative acts for each. For example, when registering, filing and considering judicial complaints, the Code of Civil Procedure of the Russian Federation, the Arbitration Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the CAS of the Russian Federation and other codes are used. Thus, appeals from consumer citizens to manufacturers, sellers and performers are considered in accordance with the norms of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”; complaints in the housing and communal services sector are considered on the basis of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and other regulatory legal acts in this area.

Review period

The current legislation establishes a time period during which all measures must be taken in response to a person’s complaint.

It is thirty calendar days. The calculation of this period begins from the moment the complaint is registered. An exception in this situation is an appeal that was received for consideration by a specialist holding the highest government position, containing information about a violation of the legislation on population migration. In this case, the duration of the proceedings should not exceed twenty days.

If necessary, these time periods may be extended by an authorized official. In this case, the period cannot exceed thirty actual days.

Design Guide

From the sample responses to complaints presented above, the following rules for their preparation can be distinguished:

• in the response header you must indicate the name of the organization or individual entrepreneur, contact information, full name of the client and his contact information;
• mandatory indication of the details of the complaint and the response to it;
• when addressing a citizen, be polite and use the word respected;
• mention the essence of the complaint in the text, briefly describe the factual circumstances of the case;
• the conclusion must be concise and, if necessary, contain references to the law;
• in some cases, it is recommended to include phrases about an apology and a desire to see the client again;
• in the text of the answer, it is better to refrain from using verbs and adverbs with the particle not (can’t, don’t have the right, shouldn’t, shouldn’t, etc.), i.e. you should write from an optimistic point of view, for example, “You have the right/can/ has the right...”, “This is your right according to the law, we agree with this,” etc., since this technique significantly affects people from a psychological point of view;
• the text must be in the same business style;
• if it comes to returning money, at the end indicate when, where and in what amount the citizen will be able to receive it;
• at the end of the answer, indicate the position and full name of the person authorized to sign it, put a stamp (if available).

It is necessary to send a response to the complaint in a way that guarantees its receipt by the citizen (by courier, by mail with acknowledgment of receipt, by hand, by e-mail with notification).

Complaints procedure

The initiator must send the completed application to the authorized official body, which will subsequently conduct the proceedings. The received appeal must be recorded in a special accounting form, book or journal. It is assigned a registration number. Fixation must occur within three days from the date of admission. This period includes both weekdays and weekends.

The specialist who receives the complaint is obliged to carefully study its content; the text must not contain abbreviations, errors or inaccuracies. It is necessary to check the correctness of the applicant's information. The appeal must be drawn up in Russian, without the use of foreign symbols and designations. Also, the text should not contain profanity or expressions that degrade the honor and dignity of people.

After registration, the appeal is transferred for execution to an official whose competence includes consideration of complaints.

Consumer complaints

If your business is the provision of services or trade, then you need to learn to distinguish between several categories of citizen-consumers in order to competently respond to their complaints. And sometimes put careless clients in their place.

So, there are several main types:

• aggressors - those who are ready to flare up over any little thing, usually provoke employees into a scandal, do not like to express their complaints in writing, but are ready to raise dust in your company until they blush;
• truth-lovers - a category of people who respect order in everything, will definitely present their complaints and claims (if any) in writing, often such disputes go to court;
• narcissists are the most harmless group of citizens who sometimes simply do not have enough attention, so they compensate for this deficiency by attracting the attention of other people, in particular, store administration, company managers, etc.

Each of these categories of consumers must be treated differently. Therefore, responses to possible complaints must also be based on this classification.

So, it’s better not to argue with aggressors, this will only excite them even more, it’s better to offer a cup of coffee/tea, apologize if necessary, inform them that the perpetrators will be punished, this won’t happen again, etc. These measures are necessary so as not to stir up a scandal and do not scare away other buyers.

When meeting with truth-seekers, it is necessary to stock up on legal knowledge or hire a competent lawyer, since responses to complaints will have to be given in writing, clear, reasoned, based on the norms of the legislation of the Russian Federation. You ask: “How to write a response to a complaint if the client already intends to go to court? And is it worth compiling it at all?” We will answer that it is worth it, since the court requires a complete evidence base.

The last category just needs to be given enough attention, listen to all complaints, wishes, reviews, etc., you can offer them, for example, a loyalty card.

And yet, the main rule when considering complaints and claims from consumers is strict compliance with the rules of law, in particular the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights,” which provides specific deadlines, rights and obligations, and the procedure for conducting an examination of the quality of goods.

Who has the right to conduct unscheduled inspections

Tax office

Emblem of the Federal Tax Service of Russia

It is unlikely that a client will complain that you are evading taxes. But the fact that they didn’t give him a cashier’s check or didn’t send him an electronic copy is quite enough. In this case, tax authorities may well initiate an unscheduled audit . What if you work without an online cash register or use it incorrectly?

Rospotrebnadzor

Rospotrebnadzor - emblem

Checks compliance with consumer rights. Rospotrebnadzor has the broadest powers. They can check the quality of goods and services, the work of sellers, the condition of premises (retail outlets, warehouses and delivery points), equipment and much more. But don’t forget: the subject of the inspection must directly relate to the essence of the buyer’s complaint.

Prosecutor's office

Emblem of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation

The prosecutor's office has the broadest powers - they can check anything at all . In the law, the powers of the prosecutor are formulated approximately as follows: the functions of the prosecutor’s office are monitoring compliance with laws, including in relation to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs. Cool, really. That is, purely theoretically, a client can write a complaint to the prosecutor’s office for any reason.

But that doesn't usually happen. Buyers go to the prosecutor's office only when other authorities are inactive or find nothing. For example, a person complained to the police, and in response - silence. He went to Rospotrebnadzor - also zero emotions. Then the client, with a high degree of probability, will go to the prosecutor's office. There he will write a complaint both against you and against the inactive regulatory authorities.

Police

Russian police emblem

The police are checking you for illegal activities. They have the right to conduct test purchases, including jointly with other regulatory authorities. Police checks are lax towards online stores. But sometimes they do. If trucks are constantly approaching your warehouse, and even on the sidewalk, residents of nearby houses may well turn to the police.

The managers threw a party in the office and made noise after 23:00 - you can also expect a visit from the police.

Department for Combating Economic Crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

Emblem of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

These check economic crimes. This is usually an illegal business activity. If a client suspects that you are working without permits or are evading taxes, he will report this to the Department of Economic Crimes. OBEP can work either independently or in conjunction with the Federal Tax Service.

Roskomnadzor

Roskomnadzor - emblem

But this body is directly related to the operation of the online store. The truth is not in terms of doing business and quality of customer service. It checks compliance with laws in the field of communications and communications. To simplify, Roskomnadzor makes sure that you do not post prohibited content on your resources . This is a very broad concept that includes a bunch of points. You cannot violate copyrights, incite ethnic hatred, promote drugs, pedophilia, and that’s all.

If a client saw something on the wall of your VKontakte group that seemed offensive to him, he may well file a complaint with the RKN. And they are obliged to react. In the best case, they will contact you and demand that you remove prohibited content; in the worst case, they will block the page. True, with rare exceptions, only by court decision.

Inspections of the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Emblem of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia

Firefighters rarely check online stores, especially based on customer complaints. It is unlikely that a customer would think of complaining about the lack of a fire alarm in your store. But in exceptional cases this is very possible. Maybe someone just wants to annoy you, but there is nothing to cling to. And the machinations of competitors cannot be completely ruled out.

In general, firefighters check compliance with fire safety. Depending on the purpose, retail, office and warehouse premises are subject to a number of fire requirements. Sit in your apartment and trade directly from there - there is nothing to worry about. If you rent premises, you are required to install an alarm system, buy fire extinguishers and train staff.

Book of reviews and suggestions

Probably, each of us has come across this book in our lives, opened it out of interest in some organization, and even left our message in it.

Previously, this book was called a complaint book, therefore, it was designed only for complaints. Now it has been renamed, and the meaning has changed. Now you can find not only angry messages in it, but also friendly reviews, wishes for health and prosperity.

If you have your own business in the consumer sector, then this book must be located in a visible place and provided to the client upon request.

If you find a complaint in it, you must respond as soon as possible and enter a written response into the book. In some cases, it is also recommended to call the client by phone and notify that his complaint is being considered, and apologize if necessary. And for greater persuasiveness (in the case of, for example, a significant violation of the client’s rights, incorrect attitude towards him, etc., which can significantly affect the company’s image), offer a discount or provide the opportunity for free participation in some kind of drawing, etc. ( You should read more about marketing methods in another article).

In general, the book of reviews and suggestions should be checked regularly in order to always be prepared for an unscheduled inspection by Rospotrebnadzor.

If the appeal is left in the book of complaints and suggestions

The relevant document must be regularly analyzed by the company's management. If a claim is left in the book, you will need to prepare a response. The specifics of the procedure depend on the information received. So, if there is no personal information, but serious shortcomings in the quality of the product or the behavior of workers are indicated, the appeal is recorded on the page of the complaint book. The action is performed so that the dissatisfied client can review the document again and see the response.

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If a citizen has left information for quick communication, you need to use it and talk with the applicant. Timely responses to complaints allow not only to prevent violations of current legislation, but also to maintain the status and reputation of the company at a high level, timely improve the quality of services provided, which subsequently helps to improve the financial situation.

Consumer extremism

Probably each of us has heard the expression “the customer is always right” in life in a store, cafe or other establishments, but is this true in reality? Let's figure it out.

To illustrate this problem, it is worth giving an example of a complaint from one citizen. The buyer purchased a machine for the production of fence mesh from an individual entrepreneur. I used it for more than a year, after which I wanted to return it to the seller and demand the money back, taking into account compensation for moral damages due to the fact that the machine unexpectedly broke down. I wrote a complaint to the seller and thought that the law was on his side. However, the seller was not timid. He defended his rights in court and proved that the buyer’s actions were illegal and the demands could not be satisfied.

Thus, consumer extremism can be characterized as deliberate actions of the consumer aimed at causing damage to bona fide sellers. At the same time, as judicial practice shows, it is not easy to get rid of an annoying consumer, much less bring him to justice under the law.

Now this situation is gaining momentum, so legislative protection measures are already necessary for entrepreneurs.

Currently, one of the current methods of combating this phenomenon remains a clear recording of negotiations between the seller and the consumer in writing, including the availability of competent samples of responses to complaints.

Offer to fix everything and give a second chance

If a customer is unhappy with your product, replace it with a new one free of charge and see if that eliminates the reasons for the dissatisfaction.

If the buyer is unhappy with a particular service, then reconsider your offer. Think about what you can improve to make it more in line with the client's wishes.

If the reason for the negativity is in the work of the staff or in the customer service procedure itself, then apologize for the situation and find out from them what exactly can be corrected.

Complaints against the actions of government bodies and officials

They are a fairly common type and are based on the norms of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the CAS of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Enforcement Proceedings”. For example, a complaint about the actions of a bailiff in seizing property, a complaint about the inaction of a traffic police inspector.

Answers must always be drafted in accordance with the requirements of the relevant regulations. The form of answers is usually standard, in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations of a particular government body.

The text of a standard sample response to a citizen’s complaint is as follows: “Dear Ivan Ivanovich! Your complaint received on October 10, 2010 has been reviewed. We inform you that based on the results of checking the facts stated by you, no violations of the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation were established in the actions of officials.”

how to respond to positive reviews

But the girl, apparently, had no intention of ending her exciting game.

“So, now we will identify your identity,” she said sarcastically and beckoned me into the office building. “The situation is starting to take an unexpected turn,” I thought, and youthful lustful thoughts began to flash through my head.

I followed her. In the back room I had the feeling that I was a very rare exhibit at an exhibition.

I was already standing in front of three store employees of different ages, and they were all studying me, like archaeologists examining the remains of a dinosaur. Then one of them brought my briefcase.

- So, what's your last name? - she asked, opening her notebook. “There’s a photograph there,” I muttered embarrassedly, realizing that the situation was beginning to resemble some kind of farce, but at the same time realizing that I owed a lot to these saleswomen.

- Oh, exactly! Daniil Yuryevich, here is your briefcase, don’t lose it again!

Appeal in court

Complaints in court are a very broad topic. Among all, it is worth highlighting claims in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (a complaint against a decision in a case of an administrative offense), with the CAS of the Russian Federation, as well as appeal, cassation, supervisory and private complaints in civil, arbitration and criminal proceedings.

All these complaints have one thing in common - the court gives the answer to them. Other parties to the case can only provide feedback on them. For example, a response to an appeal in a civil case will be called an objection or response.

The content and form of these complaints, reviews and judicial acts on them are provided for by the relevant legislative act (Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, CAS RF, Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, Arbitration Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation).

Ask the right questions

You can't understand the true reasons for complaints until you get a complete picture of what is causing customer negativity. Ask more questions. This will allow you to understand the expectations of customers and those points where they diverged from reality. The ability to ask the right questions and hear the client's answers will help you get the right answers and effectively respond to negativity.

Asking your customers to provide feedback on a regular basis (even if they don't have any complaints) is also a great tool. The value of the information you can get from communicating with the buyer will be very high. Consider incorporating feedback into your business process. This practice will prevent complaints at the stage of their inception, or eliminate them altogether.

Complaints in the housing and communal services sector

Housing and communal services are an area that concerns almost every second citizen. Pipes are leaking, the roof is collapsing, the entrance is not cleaned, there is mold in the apartment, the interpanel seams have not been treated - the list of problems can be continued endlessly.

The recent increase in lawlessness in the actions of management companies, homeowners' associations and other structures gives rise to complaints from residents. The consideration of the latter is regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, and you can complain to both the housing inspectorate and the court. Collective complaints are particularly common in this area, where residents together outline the essence of their grievances and put forward similar demands. Moreover, this document is very effective, because as they say, one man in the field is not a warrior. The organization must provide a response to this complaint within 10 days under the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights,” and the housing inspectorate within 30 days.

Tips to take into account

When figuring out how to respond to a client’s complaint in writing, remember that the law does not require mandatory letter forms. Exact instructions for filling it out are also not provided. Existing practice has led to the emergence of certain rules that must be followed.

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Experts advise taking into account the following nuances:

• It is necessary to adhere to a business style of response. Rough treatment, foul language or threats are not permitted. You can't show emotions. It is important to maintain a respectful tone, thanking for the information provided and, if necessary, apologizing.
• The form for sending the response must correspond to the form of the received complaint. So, if it was provided in the form of a letter, it is necessary to respond in a similar way.
• It is necessary to prepare a response to the complaint in such a way that the applicant believes that the circumstances that became the basis for filing the complaint have been eliminated. It is acceptable to attach copies of supporting documents.
• If the response is issued on behalf of an organization, it is imperative to use company letterhead. Corrections, strikethroughs, and grammatical inaccuracies are prohibited in the document.
• If the claim is unfounded, the refusal to satisfy must be motivated and supported by references to legislation and documentation. The questions reflected in the document must be answered. It is not possible to consider only part of the claim.
• If you cannot compose an answer yourself, it is better to use a ready-made sample or seek the help of competent lawyers.
• There is no need to prolong the time frame for considering a complaint. By law, a response is required to be provided within 10 days. Sometimes the period can be extended to 1 month.
• If the appeal was left in the complaint book, you will also need to fill out a response there. Additionally, it is permissible to contact the applicant by phone and tell about the results of consideration of the application.
• If a complaint has been received that was previously considered, it also needs to be answered, but in a concise form.

If information discrediting honor and dignity has been posted that does not correspond to reality, you can request that a refutation be posted. For this purpose, a complaint is also filed.

Deadlines

What is the deadline for responding to a complaint? To do this you need to look into the law. In particular Art. 12 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On the procedure for considering appeals from citizens of the Russian Federation” provides for a general period of 30 days, which can be extended in individual cases to 60.

Art. 22 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” provides for 10 days to respond to a consumer’s complaint, and complaints left in the book of reviews and suggestions are best considered in the coming days.

The period for consideration of judicial complaints ranges from 3 to 60 days, depending on the type of claim. For example, a complaint to a court in a criminal case in accordance with Art. 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation is considered within 5 days.

In conclusion, it should be noted that whatever answer you provide to your client, remember that it must be logically constructed, well-formulated and legally correct. In the long run, it is better to have an established database of sample responses to complaints.

What to do if you receive a complaint

Having analyzed an example of a response to a complaint, it is necessary to take into account the specific actions in the current situation. The mechanism of action that must be followed when receiving a claim directly depends on the type of document. If a person contacts an entrepreneur or company, the norms of civil law must be taken into account.

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You need to act according to the following scheme:

• Read the information reflected in the document. If necessary, you need to contact the complainant and clarify the circumstances reflected in the complaint. Additionally, an employee survey will be conducted.
• The facts are subject to careful analysis. Sometimes an examination may be required. In certain situations, it is necessary to conduct a professional assessment of the eligibility of the claims made. So, if the applicant complains about defects in the product, the expert will find out who exactly is to blame for the breakdown.
• Based on the results of the procedures carried out, a decision is made. If the claim is justified, measures are taken to resolve the conflict. If there are no grounds for satisfying the complaint, the request is correctly rejected.
• A response to the claim is drawn up and sent to the applicant.

You should not ignore complaints, regardless of the form in which they are sent. The answer must be given in writing. Sometimes complaints are sent by provocateurs who deliberately try to stir up a conflict, after which they turn to the supervisory authority. This could be initiated by a competing company. Sometimes the actions are carried out by scandalous citizens who enjoy such activities and humiliation. Therefore, the claim is considered as carefully as possible.

What to do with good customer reviews?

BUSINESS SOTTKA 100 day program for entrepreneurs with micro- and nano-businesses.

Work with a personal curator.

You do a great job, and clients note this with comments on the Internet.

Just smiling back is not enough: you have to work with positive feedback! What mistakes do business owners most often make when dealing with customer gratitude? Working with thousands of business owners on , I encounter errors every day that spoil the entire effect of positive reviews.

What should you remember if you want a grateful client to become your regular customer? Mistake #1. You are not asking for praise at all. If customers don't write positive reviews, it doesn't mean they're unhappy.

Most likely, they are still happy. We’re just used to speaking out only on negative occasions, and when everything is fine, to remain silent. What to do about it? Consider this a feature of the national character that must be combated.

Therefore, it is worth motivating satisfied customers to write about you - with requests, bonuses, discounts and small gifts. Or just write that their opinions are important to you! Well, for example, like this. There is a common misconception that if customers write reviews, they will definitely be bad ones: just give people the opportunity to tell nasty things.

It is not true. On all review services, the majority of comments are positive! For example, for good reviews - 70%! Mistake #2.

Examples of responses to gratitude in the guest book

— — If you have a client who understands the intricacies of the matter and can notice new accents, focus or emphasis on any previously unnoticed elements, then he can be happy to demonstrate his knowledge by writing a review. A manager who responds to positive feedback about the company is an example of a leader who cares about fulfilling today’s main marketing tasks: promoting the company in the market and strengthening relationships with customers.

Many firms have realized the benefits that come from positive campaign feedback, exemplified by the pursuit of it in any way possible.

They are willing to pay money to someone who has a solid opinion about the work of the organization or the product being sold.

This approach helps to collect opinions at the initial stage, but if the actual work does not correspond to the purchased review, then the opinions of dissatisfied customers will not be long in coming. And one negative review carries tens of times more weight than one positive one.

Some managers require their employees to ask satisfied customers for feedback on their work. The downside is that such responses are usually neutral.

They don't serve the purpose of promoting a business, and they don't inspire those who read. Perhaps, receiving the most effective reviews is facilitated by solving non-trivial problems faced by the company’s employees, which are often not included in the list of their services, as was the case with the confectionery shop. A normal person will naturally have a feeling of gratitude, which can result in positive feedback.

Offer

If the client has received a correct proposal to improve the quality of service, then the text should indicate that his proposal has been considered. Next, you need to honestly answer whether it is possible to satisfy his offer in the future. You also need to thank the consumer for the suggestion.

Example : “The company management expresses gratitude for your proposal. The assortment is planned to increase at the end of August 2020"

On our website you will find other publications about the book of complaints and suggestions, after reading which you will learn:

• How to flash it and do I need to register it?
• How to format according to the sample, as well as instructions for maintaining the document.
• How to fill out the title page?
• What can you write in the complaint book and what should you do if the seller refuses to provide it?