Business makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay 103-25111801

If the person is a customer, nominee or a third party organisation acting on behalf of a customer, this process does not apply. See Customer makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay.

Where a business makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay, request the business Customer Reference Number (CRN). If they are unable to provide this, see:

• Business and organisation search tools
• Searching for an approved Centrepay business

Staff must:

• Identify and locate the business CRN, where available. If they do not have a CRN, get relevant contact details should feedback be required to be recorded in the CFT
• Listen and ask questions to understand the concerns being raised
• Apply First Contact Resolution - Complaints handling principles
• Identify if the complaint or feedback is general in nature or if it relates to a contract or agency decision

For general enquiries, Centrepay for Businesses team provide ongoing support for organisations that are registered to participate in the Centrepay Program. See Table 2 in National Business Gateway for contact details.

Staff not in the Centrepay for Businesses team who identify the complaint or feedback is about a contract or agency decision, are to refer the business to the 'more information' section on their decision notice. Where a business advises they no longer have the decision notice, staff can locate the document on the business's record in document tools.

If the business has a general complaint, go to Step 3.

If staff in the Centrepay for Businesses team receive the complaint or feedback, go to Step 2.

If Centrepay Complaints team receive the complaint, see Table 2.

For National Business Gateway (NBG) - Centrepay for Businesses staff

If the complaint is about:

• the Business’s Centrepay Contract, including contract termination, suspension, decisions regarding conditions or compliance audit outcomes and required remedial action, see Table 3 > Step 1
• a current or rejected Business Application or additional condition variations for which they are approved to use Centrepay, do not record in the Customer Feedback Tool. See Table 3 > Step 2
• a general complaint, go to Step 3

Where the business has a general complaint or feedback about Centrepay, staff must record this in the Customer Feedback Tool.

Does the business want to record a general complaint or feedback about Centrepay?

• Yes, refer to Complaints and feedback index > C > Centrepay - Business makes a complaint about Centrepay. Follow the steps to record a complaint and refer to the Centrepay Complaints Team. Procedure ends here
• No, procedure ends here

Within 2 business days, open the Feedback Item. Staff must have access to the Customer Feedback Tool.

For complaints:

• received by email, select the Feedback ID link in the email
• allocated through Workload Manager, select the work item

For Level 1 complaints only:

The Centrepay Complaints Officer must take ownership of the complaint.

Update the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT):

• select the Parties involved tab and update Employee responsible
• select the Notes tab and record receipt of the email and to confirm Centrepay Complaints team will action the investigation
• select the Details tab and update the feedback status to Investigation in progress
• add an on hold expiry date for expected timeframe

Note: staff must update the notes in the CFT as the complaint progresses, or earlier where required. If a complaint escalation reason is met as the complaint progresses, escalate to Level 2.

For all complaints:

• update Feedback Register which is stored locally with complaint details

Select from the below:

For complaints that are:

• general complaint or feedback about Centrepay, go to Step 3
• about another Centrepay business, go to Step 4
• about Incorrect Payments or Excess Credits, go to Step 5

For complaints:

• about a current or rejected Business Application or additional condition variations for which they are approved to use Centrepay, go to Step 7
• about a Business’s Centrepay contract, including suspending or terminating the contract, decisions regarding audit outcomes and remedial actions, go to Step 6

Businesses may record a general complaint or feedback about the Centrepay deduction service. This may include, but not limited to:

• the Centrepay deduction service, in general
• the requirements the business must undertake to adhere to the:
• Centrepay: Terms of Use, and
• Centrepay: Policy for Businesses
• information available about Centrepay on the Services Australia website
• suggestions on how Centrepay can be improved for businesses and customers
• the actions or conduct of a customer who is using Centrepay

Where a general complaint or feedback has been received about Centrepay, specialist complaints staff must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone.

• Listen and ask questions to understand the complaint or feedback
• Attempt to resolve the complaint or feedback using First Contact Resolution - Complaints handling
• Where required, seek input from SMEs/stakeholders to assist in resolving the complaint
• If the complaint relates to business online services, see Complaints and feedback index > C > Centrepay - Business makes a complaint about Centrepay
• refer the complainant to National Business Gateway - Centrepay for Businesses
• Go to Step 8

Specialist staff must follow:

• Level 1 - Online feedback, and
• Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback

Procedure ends here.

Where a complaint or feedback has been received about another Centrepay approved business, specialist complaints staff must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone.

• Listen and ask questions to gather sufficient information to investigate the complaint
• Tell them the matter will be investigated, details of any investigation outcomes are unable to be provided
• Feedback will be finalised
• Where appropriate and sufficient information is available, create a Fast Note on the business record the complaint relates to. Make sure no personal details of the business recording the complaint are included:
• Heading: Centrepay Complaint Received
• Text:
  Feedback ID: XXXXXX
  Date Received: DDMMYYYY
  Feedback will be investigated by the Centrepay Business Complaints Team (CBCT). Upon finalisation, CBCT will annotate this DOC
  
• Go to Step 8

Specialist staff must follow:

• Level 1 - Online feedback. and
• Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback

Procedure ends here.

Where the business contacts with a complaint or feedback about incorrect payments being held by the business, specialist complaints staff must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone.

Staff may refer to:

• Centrepay overpayments
• Centrepay overpayment recovery

Where the business has provided customer details, specialist staff may contact the customer directly to understand if the matter has been resolved. If the customer would like to record a complaint or feedback, specialist staff must follow Customer makes a complaint or provides feedback about Centrepay.

• Listen and ask questions to understand what actions the business has taken to return the funds to the customer
• Refer the complainant to National Business Gateway - Centrepay for Businesses and provide the business with steps on how to return the funds to the customer
• Tell them they must adhere to the:
• Centrepay: Terms of Use
• Centrepay: Policy for Businesses
• Feedback will be finalised
• Send an email to National Business Gateway - Recoveries with as much detail as possible
• Go to Step 8

• Specialist staff must follow Level 1 - Online feedback and Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback to finalise the complaint
• Send an email to National Business Gateway - Recoveries with as much detail as possible
• Procedure ends here

Do not record these complaints in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT).

Complaints about a Business’s Centrepay contract may include:

• contract termination or suspension
• decisions about conditions
• compliance outcomes and required remedial action

Where a complaint received relates to a Business’s Centrepay contract, specialist complaints staff must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone.

Tell the business:

• to lodge a written complaint within 10 business days, to the address as directed in their decision notice
• the agency will take reasonable steps to investigate and provide an outcome within 20 business days after receiving the complaint, or the business provides further requested information (whichever is later)
• feedback will be finalised

Go to Step 8.

Specialist staff must follow:

• Level 1 - Online feedback and
• Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback

Procedure ends here.

Do not record these complaints in the Customer Feedback Tool (CFT).

Businesses may complain or provide feedback about agency decisions regarding Business Applications or additional conditions.

This can include the following:

• new Business Applications, including those to request an additional service reason
• additional conditions applied:
• by Centrepay Program Team
• at the request of the business
  such as Billing at Source and Billing in Arrears for Centrepay businesses and this has not been approved

Where the complaint relates to a Business Application or additional conditions, specialist complaints staff must make 2 genuine attempts to contact by phone.

Tell the business:

• to lodge a written complaint within 10 business days, to the address as directed in their decision notice
• the agency will take reasonable steps to investigate and provide an outcome within 20 business days after receiving the complaint, or the business provides further requested information (whichever is later)
• feedback will be finalised

Go to Step 8.

Specialist staff must follow:

• Level 1 - Online feedback and
• Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback

Procedure ends here.

Can the complaint be resolved?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, if the business does not accept the outcome, or another escalation reason is met:
• escalate the complaint to Level 2
• follow - Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback. Make sure the CFT includes reason for escalation and detailed information about the investigation
• Procedure ends here

Have compliance concerns been identified or did the complaint raise regulatory concerns?

• Yes, action a General Activity Review (GND) on the business record the complaint relates to noting any issues found. Send an additional referral email to Centrepay Compliance team. Include:
• Complaint Feedback ID
• Details of the complaint and compliance concerns identified
• Actions required
• Resolution required
• Go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 10

Business complaints are considered closed when the issue has been resolved. The complaint does not need to remain open while any compliance issues are being investigated.

Do not record business compliance outcomes in the CFT.

The employee responsible for the complaint will finalise the complaint with the business and within the CFT.

Centrepay Complaints staff:

• Record details of the outcome in the Customer Feedback Register, which is stored locally
• Update notes to the complaint record in the CFT. Notes must be clear. The outcome that has been provided to the business must be recorded. See Managing complaints and feedback for documenting customer feedback standards
• Level 1 complaints - finalise the CFT entry, see Level 1 – Manage complaints and feedback
• Level 2 complaints - respond to the employee responsible for the management of the complaint and provide outcome details
• If the complaint relates to another Centrepay business and a Fast Note was placed on the business Document List (DL) screen, annotate the Fast Note confirming finalisation of complaint

Note: if the Business asks for a written response, see Level 1 - Manage complaints and feedback.

For National Business Gateway (NBG) - Centrepay for Businesses staff.

• Centrepay for Businesses staff must refer the complaint to Centrepay MDT for review, use the Level 3 Helpdesk Referral webform
• Centrepay MDT will review the complaint and provide the outcome to Centrepay for Businesses team
• If the complaint cannot be resolved during initial contact, commit to maintaining regular contact, at least every 5 business days, unless otherwise negotiated. See Level 1 Manage complaints and feedback
• Centrepay for Businesses staff must send a Resolution Notice to the business within 20 business days. See Resources for letter template

For National Business Gateway (NBG) - BA Processing staff.

BA Processing staff must action the complaint.

• If, based on the information provided, Centrepay for Businesses team do not change the decision, the complaint must be referred to Centrepay Program for review. Use the Level 3 Helpdesk Referral webform
• If Centrepay for Businesses team decide to change the decision at first contact, they will need to send a recommendation to Centrepay Program for the decision to be affirmed
• If the complaint cannot be resolved during initial contact, commit to maintaining regular contact, at least every 5 business days, unless otherwise negotiated. See Level 1 Manage complaints and feedback
• Once Centrepay Program have reviewed the complaint and provide the outcome to Centrepay for Businesses team, Centrepay for Businesses staff must send a Resolution Notice to the business within 20 business days. See Resources for letter template

For compliance staff in the Centrepay Compliance and Complaints (CCC) team.

Note: if Centrepay for Businesses staff receive one of these complaints, refer it to Centrepay Compliance (CCC) team for review. Use the Level 3 Helpdesk Referral webform.

Centrepay Compliance staff must:

• review and contact the business
• consider any new information or evidence provided by the business. The decision can be reviewed by the SME or a staff member with the appropriate delegation
• manage contact with the business