Features | Complaint handling in small andlargeagencies | Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2007-08

All agencies that deal with the public are expected to have an internal system for handling complaints, but the appropriate type of system can vary from agency to agency.

Ms Julia Neville of the Australian Taxation Office spoke of their central complaint-handling unit, ATO Complaints, which has responsibility for ensuring the internal complaints system is working properly. Ms Neville pointed out that ‘in an organisation as large and complex as the ATO, it is often more efficient to deal with complaints in the area that gives rise to them’. This is only effective if the operational areas are committed to effective complaint resolution and procedures are in place to facilitate good complaint handling and management.

Ms Neville pointed to other features of the ATO complaints system. These included a consistent complaint-recording system, Executive involvement in complaint management, a complaint quality assurance scheme, staff alerts on potential complaint issues, and close cooperation between ATO call centre operatives and a dedicated support team in ATO Complaints.

Mr Brett Phillips, Executive Director of the ACT Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) (pictured), explained that ORS had established separate advice and complaint procedures in its different business areas because of the different types of complaints received. These included complaints about workplace safety, sale of fireworks, retirement village fees, illegal parking, and consumer complaints.

The method for dealing with a complaint could vary. Some could be dealt with by phone discussion, while others may need mediation or the exercise of formal powers of investigation, discipline or civil action.

The ORS experience pointed to the importance of reducing the number of entry points for consumers, developing a common complaint-handling policy, and better information sharing and systems interaction.