Advice on false customer complaint

[john-boy]

Hi just looking for some advice regarding this please.

Today i went into work and found that a customer had Emailed head office, who then emailed my area manager, who then emailed my boss, claiming i had given them terrible customer service on the shop floor, they said they asked for something and i told them "havent got a clue" and walked away, i would never say that to a customer, i have looked at CCTV footage of the person and cant remember speaking to him, im not saying i never, but as i must get asked 30 -40 questions per day by customers looking for something, and we have 1500 customers per day in store, theres no way i can remember (they havent even stated what they asked for) a question asked a few days ago.
Our standard response is to tell the customer which aisle the product is in unless they are looking for something specific, in which case i would take the customer to the section to look, they asked the person on till who i was and they gave my name and position.

I spoke to that colleague who stated the customer claimed i "sent them round the shop" to find the item they wanted, so that in itself doesnt match up to what the complaint letter stated.

what im wondering though, if this goes to an investigation/disciplinary, how can i possibly defend myself against a person emailing, we have technical issue with cctv at the moment so only a few cameras are working, there is no footage of us interacting, im guessing if it did happen it happenned on an aisle with a camera problem.

Would an employer simply believe a customer complaint? and discipline me, i cant see how i could easily defend myself.

At the moment im actually in and out of hospital dealing with a type of lung cancer i have been diagnosed with, i thought i was doing all right balancing work and dealing with my treatment, but today reading that Email has set me back, and am now thinking is it affecting me more than i thought, but i just cant imagine myself saying that to a customer, so with my diagnosis im worried the company may say its a strellsfull time for me and maybe i had a bad day and beleive the customer.

Any advice would be great thank you.

[john-boy]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

No one?
Went to work today and a message was passed to the manager saying "we know hes going through a lot at the moment, but he cant be allowed to speak to customers like that", so i guess im guilty in their eyes, they also apparently Emailed the customer apologising for my behavior.

Not sure whats happening next, an investigation probably.

Really pissed off now, if i wasnt in the middle of cancer treatment, id be looking for another job.

[dogtired]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

Bump

[EXC]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

I'll ask [MENTION=26290]mariefab[/MENTION] to take a look at this.

[charitynjw]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

Hi john-boy

While you are waiting for @mariefab, I believe that before considering disciplinary action, your employer should consider other alternatives (ie an informal approach, etc)

At the very least, a thorough investigation of the (possibly spurious) complaint should be made by management, to see whether it has any merit.

See http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/b/l...Acas-guide.pdf

[mariefab]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

While it's still fresh in her/his mind, you could ask the coleague at the till to write down what the customer said ("sent them round the shop")
Because, you're right, that conflicts with the customer's allegation.
"sent" implies a direction.
It would be consistent with you saying something like, "It's in aisle 5." or "It's 2 aisles along (pointing) thataway."
If you'd said, "havent got a clue" you wouldn't have "sent" the customer anywhere.

Make a note of who the message: "we know hes going through a lot at the moment, but he cant be allowed to speak to customers like that" came from.
Also, note the date and time that your manager informed you of it and the names of anyone else was present when he told you.
(Keep the information safe, ready to use in case this gets as far as a disciplinary hearing.)
It's a completely inappropriate statement to make before an investigation has even started.

Otherwise, all you can do is tell the truth. Unless or until you are given more information that might help you to remember that particular customer; all you can do is give examples of how you usually respond to customer queries. If you can remember a few from the relevant day, write them down.

P.S. If they ask you to apologise to the customer, don't let them put words in your mouth. Stick to something non-committal like, 'I'm sorry if you didn't feel that I was helpful.' (Make it about the customer's alleged perception.)

[Openlaw15]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

Hi just looking for some advice regarding this please.

Today i went into work and found that a customer had Emailed head office, who then emailed my area manager, who then emailed my boss, claiming i had given them terrible customer service on the shop floor, they said they asked for something and i told them "havent got a clue" and walked away, i would never say that to a customer, i have looked at CCTV footage of the person and cant remember speaking to him, im not saying i never, but as i must get asked 30 -40 questions per day by customers looking for something, and we have 1500 customers per day in store, theres no way i can remember (they havent even stated what they asked for) a question asked a few days ago.
Our standard response is to tell the customer which aisle the product is in unless they are looking for something specific, in which case i would take the customer to the section to look, they asked the person on till who i was and they gave my name and position.

I spoke to that colleague who stated the customer claimed i "sent them round the shop" to find the item they wanted, so that in itself doesnt match up to what the complaint letter stated.

what im wondering though, if this goes to an investigation/disciplinary, how can i possibly defend myself against a person emailing, we have technical issue with cctv at the moment so only a few cameras are working, there is no footage of us interacting, im guessing if it did happen it happenned on an aisle with a camera problem.

Would an employer simply believe a customer complaint? and discipline me, i cant see how i could easily defend myself.

At the moment im actually in and out of hospital dealing with a type of lung cancer i have been diagnosed with, i thought i was doing all right balancing work and dealing with my treatment, but today reading that Email has set me back, and am now thinking is it affecting me more than i thought, but i just cant imagine myself saying that to a customer, so with my diagnosis im worried the company may say its a strellsfull time for me and maybe i had a bad day and beleive the customer.

Any advice would be great thank you.

In short, it's very unlikely this would be a disciplinary matter. Even if it were it would have to be serious enough to warrant either misconduct or gross misconduct. If this were the case you would want this in writing, with examples of these types of misconduct. If it came to it, you could call your colleague as a witness. You have enough problems of your own to worry about something like this. My advice would be to cross the proverbial bridge when you come to it. The employer is not going to sack someone with cancer for a trivial matter.

[john-boy]

Re: Advice on false customer complaint

Thank you all for the replies.

I have already spoken to the other staff member and she has written me a statement containing what the customer said, i told her to make sure it was the truth as she may get asked again if an investigation happens, i dont want her inventing stuff thinking she is helping.

I'm more upset that they seem to be believing the woman, and i think it unlikely they will start asking the woman for more info, her Email stated she just thought i should receive further training, and i would doubt the company would risk the customer thinking they didnt beleive her by phoning up asking more info.

If it does come to a disciplinary, i will just tell the truth, thats all i can do.

If push came to shove i could say that perhaps the additional stress of my cancer treatment was taking its toll, and that had my request to have my hours reduced ( i do between 45-50 (some times over 60) per week some weeks) been approved, then perhaps i would be in a better frame of mind to deal with work.
However i was fobbed off, as i am salaried i get the same pay no matter how many hours i do, but my contract says at least 40.

Im back in hospital this week, so i am needing o put a weeks sick in from sunday, so as im only working 4 days, they have rota'd me in to do 44 hours over 4 days this week and the manager is finishing early every day as he doesnt want to work more hours than me.