Complainants prefer face-to-face - not electronic interface

Australians still prefer to make complaints about goods or services face-to-face, not electronically, a new survey has found.

"Despite the massive growth of information technology and the speed and ease of the complaints service it could provide, most people don't seem to want to use it," ACCC Deputy Chairman, Mr Allan Asher, said today. "This is despite many companies including such an avenue on their websites.

"Only 4 per cent prefer to use the Internet or use e-mail. This is a slight increase from last year but it still remains the least preferred method of complaining.

"A preference for complaining by e-mail is highest with young men".

Mr Asher will launch the Customer Service Institute of Australia's National Complaints Culture Survey 2000 tomorrow at 8 a.m., Victoria Room, Millennium Hotel, top of William Street, Kings Cross, Sydney. The survey included the communications, health, government, food manufacturing, utilities, financial, hospitality and leisure industries.

"In particular concerned customers may have problems regarding privacy, given the nature of a particular complaint, and not want to put the information out electronically.

"Another issue may be getting assurance that their complaint is being heard and addressed.

"Or it may be just as simple as consumers not knowing that this avenue for making complaints exists.

"Australians are good complainers with this year's survey showing that 65 per cent of Australians do complain most of the time.

"This provides evidence that service expectations have grown significantly".