Complaints Handling Policy

Why complaints handling matters

Complaints about an invoice or a collection contact are inevitable, and how you handle them shapes both the outcome of the account and your reputation. A written policy means every complaint is acknowledged, investigated and answered the same way — fairly and on the record — rather than depending on the mood of whoever picks up the phone. A documented, even-handed process is also your best protection if a matter ever escalates to an ombudsman or court. This template suits commercial accounts; adapt and review it before you rely on it.

The complaints policy

1. Channels

Complaints may be made by phone, email or letter to [contact]. All are treated seriously regardless of channel.

2. Acknowledge

Acknowledge every complaint within [1–2 business days], confirming what we understand the issue to be.

3. Investigate

Review the relevant invoices, records and contact history fairly and without assuming fault.

4. Collections hold

Where the complaint concerns the debt itself, routine collections pause until the dispute is resolved.

5. Respond

Provide a clear written outcome within [10 business days], explaining the decision and any next step.

6. Escalation

If the customer is unsatisfied, explain how to escalate internally and any external avenue available.

7. Records

Log every complaint, its cause and its outcome to spot recurring issues.

How to use it

Make the complaint channel easy to find and brief your team to treat the first contact calmly — acknowledging an issue quickly defuses most of the heat. While a genuine dispute over the debt is open, pause routine reminders so you are not chasing money that is legitimately in question; that single step prevents many complaints from escalating. Keep the investigation grounded in records rather than personalities, and put the outcome in writing. Log every complaint and its cause so you can fix the source — a recurring invoicing error is cheaper to fix than to keep apologising for. Pair this with your hardship policy template so distress and disputes are routed correctly.

Learn from the pattern

Individual complaints are noise; the pattern is signal. Review your complaints log periodically and look for the common thread — a confusing invoice line, a reminder that lands too hard, a product issue surfacing as a payment dispute. Fixing the upstream cause removes whole categories of future complaints and the time they consume. Track how long resolutions take, too, so the policy's timeframes stay realistic and customers are not left waiting.