What's included in the free template?
The Excel workbook includes a ready-to-use Complaints Register plus a practical Quick Guide.
- Complaint number and date received
- Complainant/source and complaint category
- Complaint summary and relevant business area
- Immediate acknowledgement or action
- Risk/severity assessment
- Complaint owner
- Investigation requirement and findings
- Corrective or improvement actions
- Action due dates and status
- Outcome and resolution
- Complainant communication
- Verification and closure
What is a complaints register?
A complaints register is a central record used to track complaints from receipt through investigation, action, resolution and closure.
For a small business, keeping this information in one structured register makes it easier to see which complaints are still open, who owns the next action, whether deadlines are being met and whether the same problems are occurring repeatedly.
What should you record?
The level of detail should be proportionate to the complaint. A useful record normally identifies what happened, when the complaint was received, who is responsible for responding, what was investigated and what action was taken.
| Complaint | Issue | Owner | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMP-001 | Customer reported a missed service. | Operations Manager | Review scheduling handover and implement an additional check. | In Progress |
Acknowledge the complaint
Recording that a complaint was received is only the beginning. Businesses should also document any acknowledgement, immediate action or interim response where appropriate.
Investigate proportionately
Not every complaint requires the same level of investigation. A straightforward service issue may be resolved quickly, while a serious or repeated complaint may require evidence gathering, interviews, root-cause analysis or escalation.
Track corrective and improvement actions
Where a complaint identifies a process weakness, recording the corrective or improvement action helps turn the complaint into an opportunity to prevent recurrence.
Assigning an owner and due date also makes it easier to follow up actions rather than relying on email chains or memory.
Don't close a complaint too early
Sending a response does not necessarily mean all related work is complete. Before closure, check whether required actions have been completed, the outcome has been recorded and any necessary verification or review has occurred.
Use complaint trends to improve the business
Individual complaints can reveal immediate problems. Several complaints about the same issue can reveal something more important: a recurring weakness in a process, service, communication method or control.
Periodic review of complaint categories and causes can therefore support broader quality improvement and corrective-action decisions.
Complaints and CAPA
A significant or recurring complaint may lead to a corrective and preventive action process. If an issue needs formal root-cause analysis and follow-up, use our Free CAPA Register Template NZ.
Related free NZ compliance resources
Need more than one register?
The NZ Quality & Compliance Starter Pack brings practical registers, action tracking and compliance tools together in one system for small businesses.
See the NZ$79 Starter PackFrequently asked questions
What should a complaints register include?
A useful register can include the date received, complaint summary, category, responsible owner, investigation requirements, findings, corrective actions, due dates, outcome, communication and closure information.
Is this complaints register template free?
Yes. The Excel template on this page is provided as a free practical resource by NZ Quality & Compliance Hub.
Should complaints be reviewed for trends?
Regular review can help identify repeated issues, process weaknesses and opportunities for corrective action or improvement.
Disclaimer: This resource provides general information and a practical business template. It is not legal advice and does not determine the legal, regulatory, contractual, privacy, employment or sector-specific obligations that may apply to a particular complaint or organisation.