New NCA research on customer complaints in Ireland. Read more about the study at the NCA website: http://corporate.nca.ie/eng/Media_Zone/Press%20Releases/market-research-complaints-process.html

1. National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Making Complaints - Consumer Behaviour and
Experiences
September 2012
Research Conducted by

2. Table of Contents
2
 Key Findings
 Making Complaints - Consumer Behaviour and Experiences
 Research Background and Methodology
Making Complaints
 Profile of Sample
www.nca.ie

3. 3
Key Findings
Making Complaints
www.nca.ie

4. Key Findings – I
4
Complaints:
• 83% of consumers state that they are willing to complain if they were
dissatisfied with a good or service they had purchased
• Almost 1 in 4 (23%) have had reason to complain about a product/service
in the past 12 months
Making Complaints
• 82% of those who had cause to complain actually complained
• Faulty product/service was the main reason for making a complaint as cited
by 57% of respondents
• There has been a significant decrease of 20% points to 58%, in those who
found the complaints process easy in comparison to a year ago
www.nca.ie

5. Key Findings - II
5
Complaints:
• 3 in 4 (75%) consumers have had their complaint completely resolved and
of those 86% were satisfied with the way their complaint was handled
• The method of purchase was found to be a factor in terms of whether a
consumer is likely to complain, with consumers most likely to complain in
relation to in-store purchases
Making Complaints
Seeking Redress:
• In relation to seeking redress for unresolved complaints; almost a third
(31%) of consumers are unaware of the options which may be available to
them; awareness of the small claims court is the best known option, cited
by 28% of consumers
• 56% stated that they are unaware of any out of court methods available for
consumer disputes
www.nca.ie

6. 6
Making Complaints - Consumer
Making and Experiences
Behaviour Complaints
www.nca.ie

7. Complaining Nation?
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
7
As a consumer would you be prepared to complain if a problem had occurred
or you are dissatisfied with a good or service you have purchased?
Nov/Dec 2010 May/June 2011 June 2012
‘Yes’ Response highest amongst …..
% % %
June 2012
%
Female 88
Yes 77
Making Complaints
83 35-44 89
85
Knowledgeable of 91
consumer rights
Confident of consumer 90
rights
No 23 Protected with regards 90
14 17 consumer rights
A significant proportion of consumers (83%) continue to claim to be willing to
complain if they were dissatisfied with a good or service they had purchased.
www.nca.ie

8. Have you Experienced a Reason to Complain/Make
a Return Over Last 12 Months?
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
8
May/June 2011 June 2012
% %
‘Yes’ Response highest amongst:
Yes 22 23  Female – 26%
 45-54 – 29%
 Dublin – 30%
Making Complaints
No 78 77
Almost 1 in 4 (23%) have had reason to complain about a product/service in
the past 12 months.
www.nca.ie

9. Whether Complaint/Return Made When had
Reason to Do So
(Base: All who had cause to complain/return
9 an item in past 12 months)
Nov/Dec 2010 June 2012
% %
Yes
Making Complaints
80%
82%
No 18% Yes
17%
No 3%
Not stated
A significant proportion of those who had reason to complain about a product/service
actually did so in the past 12 months.
www.nca.ie

10. Reason for Complaint/Return
(Base: All who had cause to complain/return item in past 12 months)
10
Nov/Dec 2010 June 2012
% %
Faulty product/service 41 57
Product/service didn't do what it said it would 14 29
Wrong size/colour/specification 11 19
Making Complaints7
Product/services were not as described by salesperson 15
Change of mind 9 8
Overcharged 10 6
Unwanted gift 1 3
Other reason 6 4
Complaints/returns tend to be made when there is a specific
problem/fault rather than at the whim of the consumer.
www.nca.ie

11. Assessment of the Complaints/Returns Process
(Base: All those who made a complaint/return )
11
Level of Difficulty Experienced Status of Problem
Nov/Dec May/Jun Jun ‘12 Nov/Dec May/Jun Jun ‘12
‘10 ‘11 ‘10 ‘11
% % % % % %
20
Very easy (5) 38 32
Making Complaints
38 75
Completely 86 84
resolved
Somewhat easy (4) 37 46
13
Neither/Nor (3) 6 2 24 16
Somewhat difficult (2) 14 14 Partly resolved 6 9
Very difficult (1) 5 4 5 Not resolved at all 7 6 9
Don’t know * 1 –
Mean 3.9 3.9 3.4
The proportion finding the complaints process easy has declined
with 1 in 4 still to achieve complaint resolution in 2012.
www.nca.ie

12. Satisfaction with Handling of Complaint
(Base: All whose complaint was resolved)
12
Nov/Dec ‘10 June ‘12
% %
Completely/Very Satisfied 71 68
Making Complaints
86%
17 18
Fairly Satisfied
1
Neither/Nor 5 5
Fairly Dissatisfied 2 13%
Completely/Very Dissatisfied 5 8
The majority of consumers are satisfied with the way their complaint was handled
www.nca.ie

13. Influence of Shopping Channel on Making
a Complaint/Return
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
13
In Store Catalogue/Mail Telephone Doorstep Online
Purchase Purchase Purchase Purchase Purchase
% % % % %
19 14 14
19
More inclined to 43
complain
32 35
Making Complaints
34 33
14
13 10 16
No effect 45
37 40 35
35
Less inclined to
complain 9
Don’t know 3
The purchasing channel is a factor in terms of whether a consumer is likely to complain.
However significant proportions didn’t have an opinion in relation to online/catalogue/doorstep
and telephone purchases.
www.nca.ie

14. Awareness of Options for Unresolved Complaints
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
14 %
Go to small claims court 28
Contact the NCA 15
Attempt Mediation 10
Call the Guards 6
Making Complaints
Go to the District Court 5
Enter formal Attribution 1
Other 6
Nothing/Wouldn’t do anything 12
Don’t know 31
The small claims court is the first port of call for unresolved complaints dispute resolution.
4 in 10 consumers are unaware of options available or would not do anything if they were
unable to resolve their complaint with provider.
www.nca.ie

15. Claimed Awareness of Out of Court Methods for
Consumer Dispute Settlement
15 (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
Are you aware of any out of court methods for settling consumer disputes?
“No” responses “Yes” responses
highest amongst:
Making Complaints
No 56% 44% Yes
highest amongst:
– 15-34 = 65% – 35-54 = 55%
– C2DEF50- = 63% – ABC1F50+ = 52%
– Student = 70%
Over half 56% are unaware of out of court methods for
settling consumer disputes
www.nca.ie

16. 16
Research Background
Making Complaints
and Methodology
www.nca.ie

17. A. Research Background and Methodology
17
Nov/Dec Nov/Dec May/June
Aug 2008
2007 2008 2009
Benchmark Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3
Nov/December
Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010 May/June 2011
2010
Wave 4 Making Complaints
Wave 5 Wave 6 Wave 7
Nov 2011 June 2012
Wave 8 Wave 9
• The research was conducted by way of face-to-face interviewing of 1,002 people
between the ages of 15-74.
• To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on the basis
of age, gender and social class.
• Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in June 2012.
www.nca.ie

18. B. Profile of Sample
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)
18
Sex Age Region Social Class
% % % %
15-24 17
Dublin 28
Male ABC1 48
49 F50+
25-34 22
Making Complaints Rest of
Leinster 26
35-44 19
45-54 16 Munster 28
Female 51 C2DE 52
F50-
55+ 26 Conn/
Ulster 18
Quotas were set on age, gender, region and social class to ensure
that the sample was representative of the population.
www.nca.ie