BS EN 14012:2019 - Postal Services: Quality of Service and Complaints Handling Principles

In the ever-evolving world of postal services, maintaining a high standard of quality and ensuring customer satisfaction is paramount. The BS EN 14012:2019 standard is a comprehensive guide that sets out the principles for handling complaints effectively within postal services. Released on October 4, 2019, this standard is an essential tool for any organization looking to enhance its service quality and customer relations.

Overview of BS EN 14012:2019

The BS EN 14012:2019 standard, titled "Postal services. Quality of service. Complaints handling principles," provides a structured approach to managing customer complaints. It is designed to help postal service providers improve their service quality by establishing clear guidelines for complaint handling. This standard is crucial for ensuring that customer feedback is addressed promptly and effectively, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Key Features of the Standard

• Standard Number: BS EN 14012:2019
• Pages: 60
• Release Date: October 4, 2019
• ISBN: 978 0 539 00968 2
• Status: Standard

This standard is a must-have for postal service providers who are committed to delivering exceptional service quality. It outlines the principles and practices that should be adopted to handle complaints efficiently, ensuring that customers feel heard and valued.

Why Choose BS EN 14012:2019?

Implementing the BS EN 14012:2019 standard offers numerous benefits to postal service providers:

• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: By following the guidelines set out in this standard, organizations can ensure that customer complaints are handled in a timely and effective manner, leading to increased customer satisfaction.
• Improved Service Quality: The standard provides a framework for continuous improvement, helping organizations to identify areas for enhancement and implement changes that lead to better service quality.
• Increased Customer Loyalty: When customers see that their feedback is valued and acted upon, they are more likely to remain loyal to the service provider.
• Compliance with Industry Standards: Adhering to the BS EN 14012:2019 standard ensures that organizations are compliant with industry best practices, enhancing their reputation and credibility.

Detailed Insights into the Standard

The BS EN 14012:2019 standard is divided into several sections, each focusing on different aspects of complaints handling. These sections provide detailed guidance on how to establish a robust complaints handling process, including:

• Complaint Reception: Guidelines on how to receive and acknowledge complaints from customers, ensuring that they feel heard and understood.
• Complaint Investigation: Steps to thoroughly investigate complaints, identify root causes, and determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Resolution and Feedback: Best practices for resolving complaints and providing feedback to customers, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Continuous Improvement: Strategies for using complaint data to drive continuous improvement in service quality and customer satisfaction.

Who Should Use This Standard?

The BS EN 14012:2019 standard is designed for a wide range of stakeholders within the postal services industry, including:

• Postal Service Providers: Organizations that deliver postal services and are committed to enhancing their service quality and customer satisfaction.
• Customer Service Managers: Professionals responsible for managing customer interactions and ensuring that complaints are handled effectively.
• Quality Assurance Teams: Teams focused on maintaining high standards of service quality and implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Regulatory Bodies: Organizations responsible for overseeing the postal services industry and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Conclusion

In today's competitive postal services market, maintaining high standards of service quality and effectively handling customer complaints is more important than ever. The BS EN 14012:2019 standard provides a comprehensive framework for achieving these goals, helping organizations to enhance customer satisfaction, improve service quality, and build lasting customer loyalty.

By implementing the principles outlined in this standard, postal service providers can ensure that they are meeting the needs of their customers and staying ahead of the competition. Whether you are a postal service provider, a customer service manager, or a quality assurance professional, the BS EN 14012:2019 standard is an invaluable resource for achieving excellence in complaints handling and service quality.

BS EN 14012:2019

This standard BS EN 14012:2019 Postal services. Quality of service. Complaints handling principles is classified in these ICS categories:

• 03.240 Postal services

This document specifies complaints-handling principles related to domestic and international postal services. It applies to both national and cross border services. Attention is given to how to handle complaints in multiple operator situations. The standard also gives guidance for compensation and redress procedures.

This document can be applied to all types of postal service, both universal service and non-universal service, and by all types of postal organizations. It defines various types of complaints and establishes a methodology for handling complaints in order to improve the service given to postal users including persons with disabilities and older persons. It also gives guidance for complaints-handling processes to be set up by postal service providers in order to improve quality of service.

This document is applicable to the processes of the organization and consequently the quality management principles on which it is based can be deployed throughout the organization. The focus of this document is the achievement of ongoing improvement, measured through the satisfaction of customers and other interested parties.

It is important to note that the number of complaints received might not be related to the level of service given. A large number of complaints on the contrary could reflect the effectiveness of the postal operator's complaint handling process.

This document consists of guidance and recommendations and is neither intended for certification, regulatory or contractual use, nor as a guide to the implementation of EN ISO 9001.