In the first part of a series of tips from NAIS to traders on consumer complaints, we clarified the need for a well-described complaint procedure on your website.

We now turn to the question of why customer complaint channels need to be diversified.

Tip 2: Diversify your complaint channels

You need to provide information about the channels through which you receive customer complaints. Complaints can be oral or written, submitted to your or an external channel. In order not to miss the opportunity to receive a complaint, we recommend that you use both your own and external channels.

Own channels

Own voice channel of the company - telephone, call center, voice connection, voice application via the Internet, present in the store. It is suitable for easier cases that have a quick solution.

Own written channel - can be in the form of a chat, a complaint on paper, by e-mail, in the contact form on the merchant's website or electronic platform. It is suitable for more complex cases, especially those to which documentation is attached.

Practice shows that a well-developed electronic form or a well-organized chat bot helps the complainants in the initial phase of clarifying the problem to quickly and easily formulate their complaint, request and basic information on the case.

The simple contact form on the site or the availability of only an e-mail address does not make it easier for customers to formulate a complaint and written communication may take longer to clarify the details, even orally.

Important! Although you may have a very well-developed own channel for filing complaints, NAIS recommends that you indicate on your website that your customers can also file complaints on the online platform of NAIS, nais.bg, to prevent losing customers or filing on appeal to the CPC.

External channels

Bulgarian traders can use as an external channel for receiving complaints two electronic platforms, developed specifically for this purpose, in a way that is convenient and easy for both parties. These are the NAIS platform and the EU ODR platform.

The online platform of NAIS has an electronic form that is intuitive and at the same time elaborates all the information needed to solve the case. Within a day, the application is considered eligible and forwarded to the company at the email address provided by the client.

The electronic form of the European Union's ODR platform, to which all online stores are required to link on their websites, is also convenient and provides detailed explanations of consumer rights.

Both platforms are extremely convenient because they perform 3-in-1 functions. In addition to providing opportunities for initial complaints, they also allow direct negotiations between the trader and the complainant in the form of a chat. In case the parties do not understand each other, in the very interface of the platforms they can ask the ADR body to help them find a solution, which also happens in the platform itself.

Another important advantage of external channels is that they prevent leakage of customer base or public damage to the image of customers who do not want or fail to express their dissatisfaction in the communication channel of the company. Such customers simply stop buying from it, express their dissatisfaction on forums and social networks or file a complaint directly to the CPC, which is followed by inspections by the body at the company. They have more confidence in an external, company-independent channel and are more likely to share their problem in it.

Follow the next publications from this series, dedicated to the best practices in dealing with complaints, from the section "Trade Leaders' Guide" on the NEWS page of nais.bg, as well as in the profiles of NAIS on LinkedIn and Facebook. In the next publication we will look at the problems related to technical systems, process management and the delegation of rights and responsibilities, or in short, problems related to the internal organization.