In the first part of this series of tips from NAIS to retailers on consumer complaints, we clarified the need for a well-described complaint procedure on your website.
In the second part, we continued with explaining the necessity the company to diversify the complaints filing channels for their customers.
In the third, we emphasized the need to negotiate directly with the complainants in order to seek a solution to the dispute with them.
In the fourth we clarified which are the ADR bodies available in Bulgaria, so that you can choose which of them to partner with in case of escalation of a dispute with a complainant.
In this next part we explain the path of a complaint in our own electronic platform for resolving disputes nais.bg.
The complaint path in Center for ADR NAIS in its own platform-nais.bg
After a complaint is received on the online platform of NAIS, nais.bg, it is checked for admissibility within 24 hours and if it meets the criteria described in the general conditions of the center, it is forwarded to the trader. He receives it on the e-mail address submitted for contact with him, examines it in the complaints screen in his profile and decides whether to continue negotiations directly with the client or go directly to an ADR procedure assisted by a third party mediator.
If the trader chooses to try to resolve his dispute with the complainant through direct negotiations, he presses the appropriate button and starts a chat between the two of them.
In the event that the direct negotiations do not bring the parties to an agreement, either party may request a switch to mediation by pressing a button on the negotiation screen.
In a situation where the trader and his client have already negotiated directly, either through the online platform of NAIS or in their own channel, it is advisable to go directly to the mediation option by clicking the appropriate button in the complaint interface.
This action is notified by a randomly or specially selected mediator who agrees to assist in resolving the dispute. The mediator gets acquainted in detail with the case and starts the procedure in the form of a three-way chat in a specially developed module.
If one of the parties does not agree with the choice of mediator, doubts his impartiality and independence, they can revoke him.
In addition to general chat, the module also allows individual communication of the mediator with each of the parties to ensure internal confidentiality, i.e. if one party is reluctant to share something with the other, it can only do so with the mediator.
The parties participate in the dispute at any time and place it is convenient for them and the other participant receives a message in their e-mails that there is a new event in the chat.
When the parties reach an agreement, the mediator describes its elements and our system automatically generates a draft agreement, informs them by e-mail and they agree with it in the general chat screen. If the parties require, it may become enforceable by notarization. In case they cannot agree, the mediation procedure is terminated.
The practice of NAIS shows that when the trader and the consumer have motivation to make an effort to reach an agreement, they respect the commitments made, without the need for such an obligation.
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 Facebook and LinkedIn. 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.