Risk Management articles for surveyors
Complaints - FAQs
by Olivia Burren, Senior Risk Management Consultant
What’s the difference between a complaint and a claim?
Generally, a claim is about what you did, rather than how you did it, and is likely to involve a demand for compensation or restitution. A complaint is likely to be about the quality of service received. However, the same set of facts can give rise to both a claim and a complaint – consider all client complaints carefully, and if in doubt, notify your insurer.
If it’s just a complaint, why do I need to bother?
Client complaints can cost you money. Apart from the time spent dealing with them, and the risk of being reported to your professional body, complaints can damage your reputation. You won’t be able to count the cost of this, because you will never know exactly how many prospective clients were put off because they heard about you from a dissatisfied customer.
But some clients are just trouble – they’d complain no matter how good a job I did.
Before accepting instructions from a client, you should consider whether they are going to be good for the practice, whether they are going to pay your bill, and whether or not you have the time, skill and resources to do the work that they need to a good standard. Don’t just take on new matters because you think they will pay well – if you have a sense that the client is going to be difficult, or has unrealistic expectations, then think twice before you agree to accept their instructions.
I don’t think we did anything wrong – this client is unreasonable.
Face facts - if the client has complained, then something went wrong. Is this a client that you should never have taken on in the first place? Look at your client vetting procedures, as mentioned above. Perhaps it’s a communication issue – even though you believe that you explained your fee structure, or the work that you would be doing, if the client didn’t understand it then the communication didn’t work. There is a lesson to be learned in every complaint. Was it worth it? Have they paid your bill, or are you still waiting for payment? Have they cost you more in the additional time and attention than you have received in fees? Use the information you get from complaints to improve your procedures.
Why should we back down, if we think we are right?
If you genuinely believe that the client’s complaint is ill-founded, or even malicious, then of course you should stand your ground. Don’t forget that every complaint costs you money – you will have to spend time corresponding with the client, and perhaps with the RICS Professional Conduct Team, if it cannot be resolved, and this is time for which you will not be paid. The longer the complaint goes on, the more it costs and the more likely that complainant is to become embittered and entrenched in their position. It is almost always cheaper and more practical to settle a complaint, even if you don’t believe that you are at fault. Learn from the experience, and adjust your procedures to prevent this arising again.
What’s the best way to manage complaints?
Refer to the RICS Rules of Conduct for detailed advice on how to set up a complaints procedure. Make sure that one person in the organisation takes overall responsibility for complaints, and that staff know who to refer matters to, and how to recognise a complaint. Keep an open mind, and don’t be too critical of staff when a complaint is made – you may discourage further reporting. Make a comparison at intervals between your register of complaints and claims, to see if there are any common themes. Above all, use the information that you can get from both, to inform your risk management procedures.
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Surveyors
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Travelers Insurance Company Ltd.