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Managing complaints and feedback 104-02000000

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This document explains the Services Australia complaints and feedback management process for Centrelink, Child Support and Medicare.

Note: customer and non-customer is referred to as 'customer' in the complaints Operational Blueprint files.

On this page:

Customer complaint and feedback management

Manager - actions required

Correctly attributing feedback - Managers and Team Leaders only

Search for a Feedback ID in Customer First

Medicare only: Search for a Consumer ID and add a Consumer ID to a CFT entry

Customer Comments mailbox access

Sending letters and emails to complainants

Sending Complaint Action required emails and Complaint FYI emails


Customer complaint and feedback management

Table 1

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Item

Action

1

Customer contact requirements

Select from the options below.

Outbound phone contact

Before phoning a customer, Centrelink only staff send a pre-call notification (SMS only) alert. This is if the customer is subscribed to SMS Electronic Messaging. A pre-call SMS tells the customer to expect a call from Services Australia.

Make 2 attempts to contact the customer by telephone. If contact is unsuccessful, follow up with an email or letter inviting the customer to contact the agency. This does not apply to customers with Managed Service Plans (MSP).

Contact attempts must include a morning and an afternoon/evening call on the same day or next business day.

When contacting customers, for complaint management, staff must:

  • complete Proof of Record Ownership (PoRO) according to agency requirements
  • introduce themselves and the reason for the call
  • try to contact the customer according to their contact preferences (if possible). Consider any Restricted Servicing Arrangements
  • escalate complaints to Level 2 when the complaint meets a complaint escalation reason
Inbound phone contact

Calls to the Services Australia Complaints and Feedback line must be consistent across service brands.

See contact requirements in Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback.

Written correspondence

Use approved complaint email and letter templates if:

  • phone contact is unsuccessful
  • contact is not possible, or
  • a written response is requested

2

Managing customer aggression

If the customer is aggressive or displaying unreasonable behaviour:

Address the behaviour per the customer aggression response guidelines, then:

  • continue managing the complaint issue
  • give the customer a resolution

Written customer feedback containing obscene or offensive content

Disengaging with a customer because of the use of obscene or offensive written feedback may trigger more customer escalation. If written feedback contains obscene or offensive content, still address the feedback issue(s):

  • Contact the customer to discuss the issues raised
  • Tell the customer of the agency's behavioural expectations, this includes written feedback

For help with de-escalation see Telephone standards and Customer aggression - response.

3

Personalised Services

While managing a complaint, Centrelink and Child Support staff may recognise customers who may benefit from Personalised Services.

Manage the complaint issue and give the customer an outcome. This may be with help from or by Personalised Services.

See Referring customers to and handling customer enquiries and correspondence for Personalised Services.

4

Vulnerable or at risk customers

Where staff recognise customer vulnerabilities, they must offer support. This can be:

  • welfare assistances
  • social work referral
  • financial information referrals

Manage the complaint and give the customer an outcome. Take appropriate action to ensure the customer's wellbeing.


Manager - actions required

Table 2

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Step

Action

1

Feedback about staff members

Managers get feedback about a staff member by:

The email provides a link to the completed service request in the CFT. Select the link to view the feedback and action taken by the staff member managing the feedback.

To request access to the specialised agent Inbox for the CFT, see Accessing the Customer Feedback Tool.

If the complaint or compliment is about a phone conversation, consider requesting and listening to the call recording.

For more details:

  • contact the customer
  • contact the Manager of the staff member, or the staff member who recorded the staff complaint

2

Review feedback

If the feedback has been assigned to the incorrect service officer, see Table 3.

Review the feedback to determine what actions are required. This may include:

  • discussing feedback or compliments with individual staff
  • identifying training and development needs to support individuals or teams, or
  • evaluating local procedures and work practices to drive continuous improvement

To action the feedback, consider:

  • if the compliment or feedback is about an individual or a team process
  • if the feedback requires any more action and if so the urgency of this action
  • the best method to communicate the feedback
  • if the feedback identified a training or development need and if so, how best to give this
  • if the feedback indicates local work practices are being used instead of the appropriate Operational Blueprint procedures

Where appropriate, managers reviewing staff feedback may also access and listen to a call recording.

If the feedback is:

3

Feedback is correct and appropriate - action and update status

Take the appropriate action to give the feedback to the individual, team or work area.

When discussing the customer's feedback with the staff member who is the subject of the complaint, allow the staff member to discuss what they observed during the call or visit, and to recognise any opportunities for self-improvement.

Consider:

  • how to communicate the feedback, for example, as part of the staff member's regular coaching discussion
  • if there is an identified training or development need. If so, how best to give this
  • listening to the call recording together (if available), to find out perceptions and future learnings

After addressing the feedback with the staff member, document the CFT entry with Manager comments:

  • Go to the Notes tab
  • Select Edit and change the Text Type dropdown to 'Action Taken/Response Provided'
  • Record in the Notes the date the feedback was reviewed including the manager identifier and if the staff member has received feedback. Do not include specific details. For example, ‘ABC123 reviewed the customer’s feedback and provided feedback to the staff member on xx/xx/xxxx'

Check the Has TL provided feedback to staff? checkbox. This checkbox is located in the Status section of the Details tab in the CFT. Note: Team Leaders need Administrator access (available via ESS) to perform this function. See Accessing the Customer Feedback Tool.

4

Feedback is incorrect or inappropriate - update the CFT entry

Document the CFT entry with Manager comments:

  • Go to the Notes tab in the complaint entry
  • Select Edit and change the Text Type dropdown to 'Action Taken/Response Provided'
  • Record in the Notes the date the feedback was reviewed including the manager identifier and feedback not required. Do not include specific details. For example, ‘ABC123 reviewed the customer’s feedback on xx/xx/xxxx and determined feedback to the staff member is not required’

Note: when a staff member’s details are recorded in the Business Reference tab the feedback will link to SmartCoach. If the feedback is inappropriate, a request can be made to have the Business Reference field updated to de-identify the staff member.

  • Send a Complaint Action required email to Level 2 Complaints requesting the staff member's details be removed from the Business reference tab. Request action by the relevant program and ask for the entry to be removed from reporting:
    • Email subject line: De-identify Staff Member - CFT ID <80xxxxxxxxx>
    • Email body of text: This feedback has been reviewed and determined <incorrect/inappropriate>. Please remove the staff member’s name from the Business Reference details tab. Notes have been added to the CFT entry

Correctly attributing feedback - Managers and Team Leaders only

Table 3: how to attribute feedback to the correct staff member where the feedback has been incorrectly attributed.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Open Feedback
  • Open the feedback item from the link in the notification email or by searching via ID
  • Select Edit

2

Business Reference field

The Staff Member field must be updated to record the staff member the feedback is about. If the staff member:

3

Staff member is known

If the staff member is known:

  • Go to the Business Reference tab in the CFT
  • Select Search on the Staff line
  • Enter the correct staff member’s logon in the User field
  • Select Search (all fields populate information about the specific staff member)
  • Select Save
  • Go to the External Channel Email and forward the feedback. For help sending the email, see the Manage table in the Staff Member (Individual) index item in the Complaints and feedback index
  • Select Edit
  • Go to the Notes tab
  • Select Escalation and Management Text Type
  • Document the CFT with ‘The Business Reference field has been updated and the feedback reassigned to <LOGON>. The feedback has been forwarded to the service officer’s <Manager> <positional mailbox> for action.’ Note: if a Service Delivery Partner (SDP) staff member, forward the feedback to the SDP positional mailbox only

Procedure ends here.

4

Staff member is unknown but location is known

If the staff member is unknown but their location is known:

  • Go to the Business Reference tab in the CFT
  • Update the Subject of the Complaint to 'Service Centre' or 'Smart Centre'
  • Select Search on the Office/Team line
  • Enter the name of the service centre. Use the wildcard search if needed
  • Select Save
  • Go to the External Channel Email and forward the feedback. For help sending the email, see the Manage table in the Staff Member (Individual) index item in the Complaints and feedback index
  • Select Edit
  • Go to the Notes tab
  • Select Escalation and Management Text Type
  • Document the CFT with ‘The Business Reference field has been updated. The staff member this feedback relates too is unable to be identified, however their location is known. The feedback has been forwarded to the <positional mailbox> for action.’

Procedure ends here.

5

Staff member and their location is unknown

If the staff member and their location is unknown:

  • Go to the Business Reference tab in the CFT
  • Update the Subject of the Complaint to 'Services Australia'
  • Select Save
  • Select Edit
  • Go to the Notes tab
  • Select Escalation and Management Text Type
  • Document the CFT with ‘The Business Reference field has been updated. The staff member and their location this feedback relates to is not identified. The feedback has been finalised without further action’

Procedure ends here


Search for a Feedback ID in Customer First

Table 4

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Item

How to search

1

Search for feedback from Centrelink customers
  • From the left-hand menu, select Search Service Request
  • In Service Request ID, enter the Customer Feedback ID
  • In User Status ID, use the dropdown to open the list of menu options
  • Select the status of the feedback:
    • For example, if the customer says they have just lodged the feedback online, select Feedback received (Feedback)
    • Two statuses with the same name may appear. Select the first line
  • Select Search
  • The Feedback ID will show in the Service ID column:
    • If the Feedback ID does not show, the incorrect feedback status may have been selected
    • Select another status and search again
  • Select the Feedback ID to open the feedback

2

Search for feedback from Medicare customers
  • From the left-hand menu, select Agent Inbox
  • In the Feedback ID field, enter the Feedback ID
  • Select Search
  • The Feedback ID will show under the Feedback ID column. Select it to open the feedback

Medicare only: Search for a Consumer ID and add a Consumer ID to a CFT entry

Table 5

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Step

Consumer ID

1

Search for a Consumer ID

Complete a search in CDMS, see Register a customer for Medicare in the Consumer Directory Maintenance System (CDMS).

Can a Consumer ID be found and is there enough information to confirm the customer lodged the feedback?

  • Yes, it can be added to the CFT entry. Go to Step 2
  • No, the feedback will not be linked to the customer's record

2

Add a Consumer ID to a CFT entry

To link the Consumer ID to the CFT entry:

  • Go to the Parties Involved tab
  • Select Edit
  • Select the box on the right-hand side of the Feedback Customer line. This opens Search Criteria
  • Enter the Consumer ID into the ID number field and select Search
  • Select the ID that appears in the Results List
  • Select Save

3

Unable to link a Consumer ID to a CFT entry

If there are any issues when trying to link a Consumer ID to a CFT entry, email the Level 2 Complaint mailbox with the following details:

  • Consumer ID
  • Feedback ID
  • Details of the error or issue

Wait for a response before proceeding.


Customer Comments mailbox access

Table 6: how to request mailbox access to respond to feedback. For bulk requests, email a list of names and log on IDs to Level 2 Complaints.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Request access to the Customer Comments mailbox

Centrelink only

The Customer Comments mailbox is used to send approved template emails to customers.

Before requesting access check the ICT Security Portal:

  • Go to ICT Security Portal (ISP)
  • Select the Copy or View Access tile
  • User To View displays the service officer’s regular access
  • Scroll through the list. If SM.U.CUSTOMER.COMMENTS.#.SENDAS is not displaying, request access

To request access:

  • Go to ICT Security Portal (ISP)
  • Select Request Resource tile
  • Reason field - ‘Required to send emails from the CUSTOMER.COMMENTS mailbox. The ICT Security Portal has been reviewed and NO current mailbox access displays’
  • Select magnifying glass next to the Category field, then select:
    • Active Directory
    • Internal Domain
    • Messaging
    • Shared Mailboxes
  • Containing field - CUSTOMER.COMMENTS
  • Select Search
  • Select the mailbox assigned (staff only need to do this when an email is received advising that access is expiring), for example, SM.U.CUSTOMER.COMMENTS.SENDAS, SM.U.CUSTOMER.COMMENTS.2.SENDAS

Note:

  • staff only need access to one mailbox
  • the FULLACCESS resource is not needed for staff to send emails from the Customer Comments mailbox. Specialist boutique team staff are still able to access these mailboxes if needed
  • staff need to reapply for access if their position number changes

Medicare only

Follow the ICT Security Portal steps above, then select the mailbox SM.U.MEDICARE.CUSTOMER.COMMENTS.SENDAS

2

Add the mailbox to FROM in Outlook
  • Open a new email
  • Go to the Options tab
  • Select From. A From box shows the personal email address
  • Select the dropdown option on the From box
  • Select other email address
  • A pop-up box will display. For:
    • Centrelink, key 'CUSTOMER.COMMENTS'
    • Medicare, key ‘MEDICARE.CUSTOMER.COMMENTS’
  • Select OK
  • Select the mailbox assigned, for example CUSTOMER.COMMENTS, CUSTOMER.COMMENTS.2

Note: all customer emails must be sent from the mailbox assigned using the approved email templates.


Sending letters and emails to complainants

Table 7: how Centrelink and Medicare staff send letters and emails to complainants and attach them to the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT).

Note: a document cannot be attached to a CFT entry if the feedback is not linked to a customer’s CRN, or where the feedback is linked to an Organisation. However, a document can be uploaded to an Organisation CRN via Document Tools in Customer First, see Attaching electronic documents to a Centrelink customer's record.

Expand table

Item

Details

1

Generic email or letter

To prepare and send a generic email or letter to the complainant:

  • Go to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback and select the right email or letter template
  • Follow the instructions in 'A Guide to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback templates'
  • Change the template only where the instructions say
  • If sending:
    • an email, send from the Customer Comments mailbox assigned to the service officer with a classification of ‘OFFICIAL’, then go to Item 4
    • a letter, print and post the letter, then go to Item 5

2

Email only

To prepare and send an email to the complainant:

  • Go to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback and select the right email template
  • Follow the instructions in 'A Guide to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback templates'
  • Change the template only where the instructions say
  • Send the email from the Customer Comments mailbox assigned to the service officer with a classification of ‘OFFICIAL'
  • Go to Item 4

3

Letter only

To prepare and send a letter to the complainant:

  • Go to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback and select the right letter template
  • Follow the instructions in 'A Guide to Level 1 Complaints and Feedback templates'
  • Change the template only where the instructions say
  • Print and post the letter
  • Go to Item 5

4

Attach an email to the CFT

To attach the email to the feedback entry:

  • From the personal mailbox sent items folder, select and drag the email to the desktop
  • Select Document Attachment tab in the CFT entry
  • Select Upload Document
  • Enter the Date of Receipt (date the email was sent)
  • Select the white box at the end of the Form Type line
  • Select CMMACKLS (Feedback Letter to Customer)
  • Leave default as No on the Hand Off for Further Action line
  • Select Browse
  • Select the customer email saved to the desktop and select Open
  • Select Upload
  • Delete the saved email from the desktop once uploaded

5

Attach a letter to the CFT

To attach the letter to the feedback entry:

  • Save the letter as a PDF to the desktop
  • Select Document Attachment tab in the CFT entry
  • Select Upload Document
  • Enter the Date of Receipt (date the letter was sent)
  • Select the white box at the end of the Form Type line
  • Select CMMACKLS (Feedback Letter to Customer)
  • Leave default as No on the Hand Off for Further Action line
  • Select Browse
  • Select the letter saved to the desktop and select Open
  • Select Upload
  • Delete the saved letter from the desktop once uploaded

Sending Complaint Action required emails and Complaint FYI emails

Table 8: how staff send internal emails to other business areas or staff via the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT).

Expand table

Item

Details

1

Complaint Action required email

To send a Complaint Action required email:

  • Select External Channel - Email in the CFT entry
  • In the To field, add the email address of the business area/service centre/Manager
    • The From line will correctly show as the service officer’s Services Australia email address. This email is for internal use only
  • Delete the Response Required by line
  • Add details of actions required in the Action required line
  • Select Send

2

Complaint FYI email

To send a Complaint FYI email:

  • Select External Channel - Email in the CFT entry
  • Under the References section, select the Complaint dropdown and choose 'Complaint FYI'
  • In the To field, add the email address of the business area/service centre/Manager
    • The From line will correctly show as the service officer’s Services Australia email address. This email is for internal use only
  • Select Send