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FQC INDIA

APPEALS & COMPLAINTS

1. Scope:

The aim of this procedure is to determine the method to be applied by FQC in the appeal and complaints oriented for the Training, System certification, inspection activities executed by FQC and appeal and complaints made regarding the certified organizations.

2. Definitions:

Complaint: They are negativities that appear regarding the activities related to the control reports that it prepares for the parties for which it provides inspection service or the activities that it realizes in the content of the document related to the firm that it certifies, all of its workers giving services in its name, its policies, procedures and performance in the issue of the inspection activities and FQC’s Training and Certification activities of the organizations or other related parties.

Appeal: It is the demand of re-scrutinizing of the FCQ’s decision by the related party regarding the decisions that FQC has made related to any organizations or persons (certification, suspension, cancellation, inspection etc.).

Appeal and Complaints Committee: It is the committee assigned to the System Certification activities by FQC General Manager for three years and composed of totally 2 persons. In the inspection operations, the appeal and complaints are evaluated by the İnspection Responsible instead of the committee and the decisions which are subjects of the appeal and/or complaint are re-evaluated.

3. Related Documents:

FQF.15 Complaint Evaluation Form

FQF.12 Corrective Preventive Action Form

Appeal and Complaints Committee Meeting Agenda and Decisions

PAS 17003

IRCA 2000

IRCA 3000

IRCA 151

4. Application:

FQC offers public access to this document describing how the received complaints and appeals will be handled in its web site www.fqc.com.tr. FQC offers public access to this document describing how the received complaints and appeals will be handled in its web site. Persons who give their opinions during the process starting from the receipt of complaints and appeals until their conclusion are obliged to act based on the principle of neutrality and should not make any discrimination towards the person bringing that complaint or inquiry. Persons who will be charged with tasks during this process should also maintain the principle of confidentiality. These persons should also be irrelevant with the subject of the complaint and appeal and apart from the persons who gave certification decision and auditors.

4.1. Complaints related to the Training, Certification and İnspection Activities

Upon receipt of a complaint, FQC confirms whether the complaint is related to certification activities for which it is responsible. If the complaint is about the certification activities, it will deal with the complaint. If the complaints is related to a certified client organization, the effectiveness of the certified management system is taken into account in the interrogation of the complaint.

The complaints in the issues of the audit reports, audit teams, content of the audit, inspection reports etc. regarding the training, system certification and inspection activities can be realized in writing or verbally by the related organizations. The related complaints are recorded to the Complaint Evaluation Form by the personnel getting the complaints and are conveyed to the Management Representative. The corrective action is started for the section which is subject to the complaint by the Management Representative.

The Management Representative meets with the manager of the department which is subject to the complaint in the Complaint Evaluation Form and corrective activity form and collects the data related to the complaint within at most (2) two working days. All data collected related to the complaint are sent to the Appeal and Complaint Committee members. The complainer is notified regarding at which stage the operation which is subject to the operation is and the following stages verbally and in writing. The consensus is reached with the committee members and ensures that the committee meets within maximum (2) two working days and examines the complaint issue in details and makes decision about it. The Head of the Certification Body is also notified regarding the issue simultaneously with the Appeal and Complaint Committee members.

During the evaluation made by the committee regarding the nature of the complaint, the committee members can make information demand from the Department Responsible, Management Representative and/or Head of the Certification Body. In the direction of the decisions made by the Committee, the Management Representative fills the “activity to be realized” section of the corrective activity form and notifies the customer regarding the decision made and application stages. The activity is resulted within maximum (1) one month as of the complaint date. The result of the complaint is notified to the complaint owner party in writing. The corrective activity started is closed by the management representative.

The complaints received in the issue of the inspection activities are evaluated by the İnspection Responsible. Whether the issue of the complaints received with the FQF.15 Complaint Evaluation Form, the Corrective Activity is started by the İnspection responsible. All operations realized during the handling of the complaint are realized under the control of the İnspection Responsible and the customer is notified regarding the result.

If the operation which is subject to the complaint requires repetition of the İnspection, the inspection operation is repeated by the İnspection Responsible and the customer is notified with the new Control Report regarding the result of the operation. After the Customer notification, the Corrective Activity is closed.

Even if the party subject to the complaint is an inspection that the İnspection responsible has realized on its own, all operations are realized under the control of the İnspection Responsible as the most competent person in the İnspection activities and/or in person.

4.2. Complaints made regarding the student getting training and certified organizations

The complaints made in writing or verbally to the FQC web site or FQC company headquarters regarding the student getting training and certified organizations are recorded to the Complaint Evaluation Form and Corrective Activity Form by the personnel getting the complaints and are conveyed to the Management Representative. The customer is notified primarily regarding the operations to be realized for the complaint by the Management representative. If there is a method that the customer demands regarding the notification, it is paid attention to make notification accordingly.

The complaints arising from the nonconformities in the quality system of the certified organization are notified to the related organization in writing by the Management Representative and it is requested from the organization that it should give written information regarding the arrangements that it has realized or will realize regarding the complaint made about it within (1) one week.

All data collected in the issue of the information coming and complaint are sent to the Appeal and Complaint committee members as preliminary information by the Management Representative. The complainer is notified regarding at which stage the operation which is subject to the operation is and the following stages verbally and in writing. The consensus is reached with the committee members and ensures that the committee meets within maximum (2) two working days and examines the complaint issue in details and makes decision about it. The Head of the Certification Body is also notified regarding the issue simultaneously with the Appeal and Complaint Committee members.

During the evaluation made by the committee, the committee members can make extra information demand from the certified organization according to the nature of the complaint. Also, it can make information demand from the department following operational operations belonging to the certified organization, inspection team members realizing the inspection of the certified organization and from the Management Representative and/or the Head of the Certification Body in the name of the examination of the compliance with the procedure in operation, legal requirement and accreditation rules.

The committee can make decision to realize inspection again in the organization by being based on the important of the compliant or it is controlled whether the records related to the complaint made are kept properly in the inspection made in the organization at the date of the normal inspection. In the light of all data, the decision taken by the committee is taken into application. The customer is notified again after the committee decision.

The complaints arising from the FQC applications made in the training process of the student getting training and/or the student are again notified to the student (1) by the Management Representative and s/he is requested to give information within (1) one week.

The coming information is conveyed to the committee by the Management Representative in accordance with the operation in the certified organizations. The evaluation is realized by the committee and the training certificate of the student can be cancelled or suspended according to the importance of the complaint.

The notifications are made definitely in writing responsible to the complainer parties regarding the results of the applied decisions by being evaluated by the committee for the certified organizations and student getting the training. The follow-up of all corrective activities started and the operations of the closure of the corrective activity when the complaint is resulted are realized by the management representative.

4.3. Appeals

In case of appeal to the decisions taken by FQC (certification, withdrawn, suspension, etc...), the Appeal Complaint Committee is run as a place of solution. For the complaints arising from management systems, the request of the objecting person is transferred to appeal and complaint committee and committee is invited for a meeting. Topics discussed at a meeting of the Appeals Complaint Committee. As a result of the decision in writing of the results are transmitted to the client or student. FQC collects all need information and verifies them,after taking disapproval ,for the appeal to be valid

Committee may apply knowledge of Management Representative and / or the General Manager in decision making in cases where deems necessary. Also still can receive technical support from the lead auditor / auditor where deems necessary. In cases where the client does not accept the results of the committee for Management Systems, related courts are addressed for legal solutions.After receiving the appeal, FQC collects all the necessary information for it to be valid and verifies it.

Examination of the objections of the inspection activities are evaluated by the Inspection Responsible. Objections regarding inspection activities in the same way with the management systems is assessed by inspection responsible within 1 day.

In their objections to the results of inspection, the client's appeal will be requested in writing. Customer's notice of objection shall be accepted by the Management Representative. After receiving the objection Quality Manager come into contact with Responsible for inspection and inspection personnel who carried out the inspection.

In the appeal to the results of inspection, all the conditions necessary to be done for re-inspection forwarded to the customer in writing by the Management Representative consultation with Inspection Officer. Customer request to be present during the inspection again declares in writing. Inspection Officer or designated representative with the customer's staff participate in Re-inspection, together. The customer is informed about the Inspection method applied and equipment used.

The Inspection objected, is carried out under the same conditions as possible. Re-inspection of the records is kept by the person performing the inspection, inspection will be noted that it is a Re-Inspection to the Report and it is associated with the inspection report created earlier. In case no changes to the result of inspection, the customer will be charged for inspection. Otherwise, no fee will be charged. As a result of repeated inspection, results of the previous inspection are valid in cases where no changes.

In the case customers objects to the results of the re-inspection then application is done to TURKAK. TURKAK shall appoint another accredited inspection body as an arbitrator and the same inspection is repeated. In case of no change in the results, all costs incurred shall be covered by the customer. In case when the customer is right and if requests then all grievances arising from this event will be covered by our organization.

By the Management Representative; In the event of different types of inspection results; Corrective and Preventive Action Procedure will be applied, to identify and eliminate non-compliance and the resulting negativity, for its impact on other inspection procedures which led to the emergence of this situation. Records associated with the application of this procedure, by the Management Representative is maintained according to the Control of Records Procedure.

In cases where the client does not accept the results of re-inspection under supervision of TURKAK which is done after re-objection for inspection activities, the related courts are addressed for legal solutions.

4.4. Notification of the related Parties

As all appeal s and complaints received by FQC are extremely confidential, the third parties are not notified in any situations in the issue of the appeal s/complaints and results. When deemed required, it is allowed to be observed only by the organization accrediting FQC. When it is at issue to give information to the legal authorities, the related customer is definitely notified.

In the following cases;

- The decision of the complaint and appeal committee is not accepted by complainant or the complainant is not satisfy with the decision,

- The Complaint and Appeal Committee's complaint resolution time is exceeded, the complainant can apply to related accreditation institution for system certification.