...in fact, they can be valuable opportunities for improvement.
The Draft RTO Standards emphasise a commitment to continuous improvement and responsiveness to learner feedback, viewing complaints as a key source of information.
But let’s be honest, it’s not just about formal complaints, is it?
Think about all feedback – from a quick chat after a session, a suggestion box, or even those student surveys everyone fills out. It’s all gold!
Instead of seeing any feedback, especially the critical stuff, as negative or a personal attack, try shifting your perspective. It’s actually free consulting, pointing out areas you might not even realise need attention. By actively listening to learners and staff, and acting on what you hear, you’re actively building a better RTO, one that’s constantly evolving and improving to truly meet the needs of its students.
Training and assessment services are competitive services, RTOs need every advantage they can get. Seeing complaints as a chance to improve, rather than a burden, is a huge step in the right direction.
Neglecting your students’ needs and ignoring their feedback is a surefire way to see enrollments dwindle, your reputation suffer, and the overall quality of your training decline. Focusing solely on ticking compliance boxes at the expense of student satisfaction is a recipe for long-term problems. Prioritising your customers – listening to their concerns, addressing their needs, and actively seeking their feedback – is the only way to build a sustainable RTO.
While compliance with regulatory requirements and legislative obligations is important to maintain your ability to operate, the goal of your RTO should be to provide high-quality training and education to your students.
In doing so, you will easily meet compliance requirements.
Think of a complaint as feedback from another person’s perspective – a perspective you desperately need! It’s often highlighting an issue that needs addressing. While complaints are often seen as negative experiences, in reality, they serve as invaluable feedback for your RTO. Addressing complaints effectively can lead to improvements that enhance the overall quality of your training programs and boost student satisfaction.
Consider you complaints as an opportunity to put things right and learn for the future too. It is the way you look at them that counts. You can choose to stress about the negativity, or use it to your advantage. If you treat them as an indicator, showing you the direction you next need to take, they can become a great guide.
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft says: “complaining customers are our biggest source of learning”
So, complaints are not the worst thing that can happen in your RTO; in fact, they can be valuable opportunities for improvement.
Feedback
You should be looking out for feedback and ways to improve your service. So often we are caught in the depths of compliance, and mechanisms of running our RTO that we miss some simple facts.
The customer, your students, and your team should be at the heart of everything you do, so listen to them.
As an Registered Training Organisation you are required to implement a transparent complaints and appeals policy. In the policy show how you will manage customer complaints in a constructive and timely manner. You show how you enable learners and clients to understand their rights and the RTO’s responsibilities under the Standards.
To show how you handle complaints and appeals it is advisable to have a policy and procedure that covers the processes. These do not need to be separated and can be combined into the one policy and procedure. Whichever way you choose, it is important that the policies are broadly applicable to anyone. Think about who else is likely to voice their opinion. It is not just about the student making a complaint or appeal. It could be an employer, a staff member who wishes to make a complaint about a learner or RTO, or someone else connected to the training.
Handling complaints
As you probably have worked out by now, handling any complaint is a very important skill to learn. This, along with providing exceptional customer service is, in fact, critical to your RTOs success. Being effective in handling customer complaints requires patience, strong listening skills, and the ability to identify valid complaints (as opposed to irrational grievances). Effectively dealing with even the most difficult customer is good customer service.
In this process the customer, your team member, student should not be viewed as an interruption, nuisance, problem, or “necessary evil.” Remember the customer is the whole reason the business exists in the first place. Consider anyone who is willing to provide you feedback as someone valued. The voices you hear are providing you with information about what can be improved. Lets be honest you could always learn something new.
Place a high value on your customers, do all you can to convey a sense of importance and appreciation to each of them. This doesn’t mean that the customer is always right, but it does mean that it’s a “win-win” when the customer is satisfied, and a “lose-lose” when the customer is not.
Here are some ways to transform any complaints received into constructive feedback so that you can improve your RTO:
- Create a Feedback-Friendly Culture:
- Encourage students to voice their concerns and suggestions openly.
- Train staff to view complaints as opportunities for improvement rather than as personal criticisms.
- Be open to listening to your students as you walk around the office and the training rooms.
- Keep lines of communication open between students and staff, encouraging ongoing dialogue about their experiences.
- Implement a Complaints Management System:
- Ensure that there is a clear process for students to submit complaints and that it’s easily accessible.
- Respond promptly and fairly to all complaints, ensuring students feel heard and valued.
- Integrate complaint management into your continuous improvement processes.
- Use insights gained from complaints to drive strategic planning and operational adjustments.
- Analyse Complaints for Trends:
- Regularly review complaints to identify common themes or recurring issues.
- Bring the data to the regular RTO meetings so that everyone can discuss and provide insights.
- Use this data to inform changes in training delivery, support services, or operational processes.
- Engage with Students:
- Actively seek feedback from students through surveys or focus groups.
- Use technology to support your students, and to gather feedback.
- Use this feedback to enhance training programs and support services.
- Regularly update students on how their feedback has been used to make improvements
- Train Staff on Customer Service:
- Provide training for staff on effective communication and conflict resolution.
- Regulary communicate to staff the value in receiving the feedback, so that when it does happen they see it as a positive, not a negative to hide away from.
- Empower staff to resolve issues on the spot when possible, enhancing the student experience.
- When a complaint leads to a positive change, share that success with students and staff. This reinforces the idea that feedback is valued and can lead to meaningful improvements.
By viewing complaints as a valuable source of feedback, RTOs can enhance their training programs and also build stronger relationships with their students.
Remember, addressing concerns effectively can turn dissatisfied customers into loyal advocates for your RTO. Embrace complaints as opportunities for growth using the tips offered above.
Merinda
