Website complaints visibility and accessibility

An organisation’s website is an important channel in the complaints management process - for making complaint processes visible and accessible to the public, customers and staff.

The Australian Standard, Guidelines for complaint management in organizations (AS 10002:2022) provides that information about an organization’s complaints process should be readily available.

Queensland Public Service Customer Complaint Management Guideline and Framework

The Framework provides a consistent approach for managing customer complaints for all public service agencies.

The Framework is supported by the Customer Complaint Management Guideline (the Guideline) which provides more detail on the specific components of the Framework.

The Guideline provides agencies and their employees with detailed information about customer complaints management. The Guideline also outlines key agency responsibilities relating to record keeping, training and managing unreasonable conduct. The Guideline and Framework apply to public sector entities defined under s.264 of the Public Sector Act 2022.

Under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, public universities must have appropriate internal complaints handling and appeals processes, including having a process in place for lodging a formal complaint or appeal if the matter cannot be resolved informally.

The Local Government Act 2009 requires each council to adopt a process for resolving administrative action complaints.   The Local Government Regulation 2012 requires councils to ensure the public can inspect the complaints process including related policy and procedures on their websites.

To ensure good complaints visibility and accessibility, a website should include the following features on their ‘Home page’ and ‘Complaints page’.

Home page:  

• An easily identifiable link from the home page to a complaints page.
• The complaints page and complaints management policy and/or procedures should be easily found through the home page search function, using the word ‘complaint/s’.

Complaints page:

• General complaints information including how a complaint can be made
  (e.g. telephone, in person at a public office, email, mail, fax, online form, printable form).
• Information on how complaints are managed, expected timeframes, and how customers will be informed of progress and the outcome.
• A statement outlining the agency’s commitment to effective complaints management.
• A statement to the effect that the agency welcomes feedback and complaints to continually improve its processes and service delivery.
• Clear advice that anonymous and representative complaints are accepted and how such complaints may be made.
• Reasonable assistance available to make complaints, including translating and interpreter services and services for people with hearing or speech impairments.
• Reference to the handling of personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009, with a link to the organisation’s privacy plan.
• Complainant’s internal and external review options.
• Link to the Queensland Ombudsman website: www.ombudsman.qld.gov.au

Getting started

We have designed a guide to help agencies develop effective policies.

We can offer free advice about effective complaint management, managing unreasonable complainant conduct and developing effective complaint management systems. Email for more information about this service.  

Learn more about complaints management.