A complaint usually arrives with two problems: the original service failure and uncertainty about whether anyone will resolve it. A useful workflow addresses both. The customer needs a way to explain what happened, while the team needs reliable ownership and a record of the next action. Start with a process people can actually follow during a busy day.
Business.gov.au's complaint guidance highlights listening, keeping records and following up after resolution. The workflow below develops those basic principles into an operational example. Consumer rights and formal dispute procedures vary by location; use the applicable guidance and specialist support when deciding remedies or handling a legal dispute.
Make the entry point obvious
Publish a contact route that is monitored, and tell customers what information helps the team investigate. An order reference and a short description may be enough to begin. Do not demand extensive evidence before acknowledging the concern. Offer an accessible alternative where the usual contact method creates a barrier.
Explain expected response times honestly. If the team works only on business days, say so. An automatic receipt can confirm that a message arrived, but it should not be described as a substantive response. Customers need to know whether someone is now examining the problem.
Capture the customer's account
Ask what happened, when it happened and what the customer expected. Reflect the account back before proposing a solution. For a damaged delivery, the relevant distinction may be whether the item arrived damaged or became unusable later. Avoid guessing based on a familiar complaint category.
Record confirmed facts separately from statements that still need checking. Use a concise case note with the reference, issue, requested outcome, owner and next update date. Gather supporting information through approved channels and collect only what is needed. Do not ask customers to send sensitive payment details in an ordinary email.
Assign one owner for the response
Several people may investigate, but one person should remain responsible for the customer update. If ownership changes, record the handover and any promise already made. The customer should not need to explain the whole story again because the request moved between teams.
For example, a delivery complaint might involve the warehouse and carrier. The support owner can ask each for relevant facts while telling the customer when the next update will arrive. An internal transfer does not suspend that commitment. If the promised investigation takes longer, communicate the delay before the customer has to chase.
Explain the proposed next step
State what the team can do, what information is still needed and how the action relates to the reported problem. Avoid offering a remedy the colleague lacks authority to approve. When escalation is necessary, tell the customer what happens next without exposing unnecessary internal detail.
An illustrative update might say: “We have confirmed that the parcel was marked delivered, but your report says it has not arrived. We are checking the delivery record and will update you by Thursday afternoon.” This is clearer than implying the issue has been solved merely because tracking shows a completed status.
- A monitored contact route is easy to find.
- Acknowledgement and investigation are clearly distinguished.
- The case has one response owner and a next update time.
- Promises and confirmed facts are recorded accurately.
- Proposed remedies follow appropriate authority and applicable rules.
- Resolution is followed by a check and a learning review.
Check the result and investigate patterns
After the agreed action, ask whether the practical problem has been resolved. Mark the case closed with a reason, while allowing a customer to return if the issue remains. Avoid treating silence as positive feedback. A closed internal task may still leave the customer without the outcome they needed.
Review repeated causes separately from individual blame. Several complaints about delivery wording may suggest unclear expectations, while repeated packing damage may require a process change. Track the chosen improvement and inspect later cases to see whether it helped. A complaint workflow creates value when it repairs the immediate problem and informs better everyday work.
Sources and further reading
This original guide was prepared with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative. The edition date is an assigned date in this 2026 catalogue. See our editorial policy and report a correction.