Investigation
Step 2: Investigation
- Get to know the service or product you are reviewing. What policies, processes, codes of practice and service charters are relevant?
- Inform and circulate details to people who need to know
- Get files, letters, statements, incident notes and any meeting or telephone call notes
- Allocate time to investigate fully
- Decide the chronology of events
- Identify areas of dispute
- Target any areas for further investigation
Comments
- If you need to request comments from a product team, service team or contractor - set a deadline date
- Collaborate statements - you may need another one from a second witness
- Identify areas for further questioning or interview
- Request further action from service if necessary
- Input information on to your complaint management database
Interviews
Interviews can carried out by phone or in person. When interviewing:
- Establish who you need to interview, where and when
- Think about what information you need
- Take notes
- Be sensitive to equalities issues
- Make sure the customer knows who you are and how to contact you
- Listen carefully
- Do not promise the unachievable
- Ask relevant questions and guide the conversation
- Summarise and agree the next course of action before ending the interview
