Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures
As a responsible travel agent we seek to maintain and enhance our
reputation of providing you with high quality products and services.
We value complaints as they assist us to improve our products,
services and customer service.
We are committed to being responsive to the needs and concerns of our
customers or potential customers and to resolving your complaint as
quickly as possible.
This policy has been designed to provide guidance to both our
customers and staff on the manner in which we receive and manage your
complaint. We are committed to being consistent, fair and impartial
when handling your complaint.
The objective of this policy is to ensure:
-
You are aware of our complaint lodgement and handling processes,
-
Both you and our staff understand our complaints handling process,
-
Your complaint is investigated impartially with a balanced view of
all information and evidence,
-
We take reasonable steps to actively protect your personal
information,
-
Your complaint is considered on its merits taking into account
individual circumstances and needs.
In this policy a complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction by a
customer relating to a travel service provided by us.
If you are dissatisfied with a travel service provided by us, you
should in the first instance consider speaking directly with the staff
member/s you have been dealing with. If you are uncomfortable with
this or consider the relevant staff member is unable to address your
concerns you can lodge a complaint with us in one of the following
ways:
-
By emailing your feedback to
[email protected]
- By telephoning us on 1800 867 126
-
By writing to us at AmaWaterways, Suite 30.04, Level 30, 25 Bligh
Street, Sydney NSW 2000
If we receive your complaint verbally and we consider it appropriate,
we may ask you to put your complaint in writing.
Our complaints handling process is free of charge.
When we are investigating your complaint we will be relying on
information provided by you and information we may already be holding.
We may need to contact you to clarify details or request additional
information where necessary. To help us investigate your complaint
quickly and efficiently we will ask you for the following information:
- Your name and contact details,
-
The name of the person you have been dealing with about your travel
service,
- The nature of the complaint,
-
Details of any steps you have already taken to resolve the
complaint,
-
Details of conversations you may have had with us that may be
relevant to your complaint,
- Copies of any documentation which supports your complaint.
The person receiving or managing your complaint should provide you
with any assistance you may need to make your complaint. However if
you consider you need further assistance please inform us of this at
the time you are lodging your complaint.
When taking a complaint, we will record your name and contact details.
We will also record all details of your complaint including the facts
and the cause/s of your complaint, the outcome and any actions taken
following the investigation of your complaint. We will also record all
dates and times relating to actions taken to resolve the complaint and
communications between us.
As part of our on-going improvement plan, complaints will be monitored
for any identifying trends by management and rectification/remedial
action taken to mitigate any identified issues.
If you lodge a complaint we will record your personal information
solely for the purposes of addressing your complaint. Your personal
details will actively be protected from disclosure, unless you
expressly consent to its disclosure.
Where a third party travel supplier such as a tour operator, was
involved in your travel services, we may be required to speak with
them to fully investigate your complaint.
We are committed to resolving your issues at the first point of
contact, however, this will not be possible in all circumstances, in
which case a more formal complaints process will be followed.
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three (3)
business days, and keep you informed of the progress of your complaint
throughout our complaint resolution process.
We are committed to resolving your complaint within 10 business days
of you lodging your complaint, however, this may not always be
possible on every occasion. Where we have been unable to resolve your
complaint within 10 business days, we will inform you of the reason
for the delay and specify a date when we will be in a position to
finalise your complaint.
During the investigation of your complaint we may need to seek further
clarification or documentation from you to assist us in resolving your
complaint.
If we have sought clarification or documentation from you and we are
waiting on you to provide this information, we may not be able to meet
our 10 business day finalisation commitment. In such circumstances
upon receipt of your clarification or documentation we will indicate
to you when we expect to finalise your complaint.
Once we have finalised your complaint, we will advise you of our
findings and any action we have taken. We will do this in writing,
unless it has been mutually agreed that we can provide it to you
verbally.
You have the right to make enquiries about the current status of your
complaint at any time by contacting us.
-
We acknowledge – within three business days of receiving your
complaint we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint.
-
We review – we undertake an initial review of your complaint and
determine what if any additional information or documentation may be
required to complete an investigation. We may need to contact you to
clarify details or request additional information where necessary.
-
We investigate – within 10 business days of receiving your complaint
we will investigate your complaint objectively and impartially, by
considering the information you have provided us, our actions in
relation to your dealings with us and any other information that
could assist us in investigating your complaint.
-
We respond – Following our investigation we will notify you of our
findings and any actions we may have taken in regards to your
complaint.
-
We take action – where appropriate we amend our business practices
or policies.
-
We record - we will record your complaint for continuous improvement
process and monitoring through regular review, your personal
information will be recorded in accordance with relevant privacy
legislation.
If you complain about a member of our staff, we will treat your
complaint confidentially, impartially and equally (giving equal
treatment to all people). We will investigate your complaint
thoroughly by finding out the relevant facts, speaking with the
relevant people and verifying explanations where possible.
We will also treat our staff member objectively by:
- informing them of any complaint about their performance,
-
providing them with an opportunity to explain the circumstances,
- providing them with appropriate support,
- Updating them on the complaint investigation and the result.
If your complaint is currently being investigated by a relevant
federal, state or territory consumer protection regulator or law
enforcement agency we may cease to take further action in relation to
your complaint pending finalisation of their investigation.
We will assist any agency with their investigations.
Where possible, we will attempt to resolve your complaint at the first
point of contact. If we are unable to resolve your complaint at the
first point of contact, we will undertake an investigation of your
complaint and provide you with our findings.
If you are satisfied with our proposed decision or actions, we will
close your complaint and record the findings for our continuous
improvement program.
However, if you are not satisfied with our proposed decision or
actions, we will record this, and provide you with information on how
to escalate your complaint, to the Australian Travel Industry
Association (ATIA), for external review under their Australian Travel
Accreditation Scheme (ATAS).
ATAS is an industry accreditation scheme that sets the benchmark of
quality for the travel industry. ATAS is also responsible for
monitoring our compliance with the ATAS Code of Conduct (the Code) and
assisting in the resolution of complaints.
The Code sets the standards of good practice that ATAS participants
must follow when dealing with their customers. As an ATAS participant
we have agreed to be bound by the Code. If you would like to know more
about the Code you can visit the ATAS website
www.atas.com.au.
Should you wish to speak to ATAS about your complaint you can contact
them in the following ways:
-
By completing a feedback form on their website
www.atas.com.au
- By telephoning them on 9287 9900
- By writing to them at level 31, 31 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000
-
By emailing them at
[email protected]
You reserve the right to refer your complaint to your relevant
federal, state or territory consumer protection agency at any time.