Complaints and KPIs
the complaint in six steps, cause with five whys, corrective action with effectiveness, defect tally sheet, five KPIs, customer satisfaction without a questionnaire – with templates and a practice company
- 60–85 min
- 14 modules
- Free certificate
- No account needed
- Updated November 2026
👥 Target group: Quality managers and managing directors of small companies who want to handle complaints systematically and without a flood of forms, Sales, service and workshop management who receive and process complaints
Which legal duty or standard requirement does this training cover?
About this training
Every company has complaints – the question is what it does with them. ISO 9001 requires in 8.7 the control of the nonconforming output, in 10.2 the cause analysis and corrective action with evaluation of effectiveness, in 9.1 KPIs and in 9.1.2 the evaluation of customer satisfaction. In small companies this rarely fails for lack of will but on three things: complaints are dealt with but not recorded; causes are assumed but not checked; satisfaction is felt but not evaluated.
This course shows the way without an 8D report and without a questionnaire campaign: the complaint in six steps on one sheet, the distinction between correction and corrective action, the five-whys method in ten minutes, the defect tally sheet as the source of repeaters, five KPIs every company has without a new count, customer satisfaction from complaints, repeat orders and the talk after delivery – and how all of it flows into the management review. At the practice company Nordlicht IT Service (9 employees, fictitious) you process three complaints up to the evaluation of effectiveness and build the KPI sheet. 14 modules, final test, certificate of participation with a verifiable number.
What this course covers — and what it does not: The course covers clauses 8.7, 9.1.1, 9.1.2, 9.1.3, 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 of ISO 9001:2015 for companies with 1 to 50 employees. Not covered: 8D methodology and problem-solving tools of the automotive industry (IATF 16949), statistical process control, warranty law in detail, customer surveys with market research methods. Internal audit, management review and the action plan as a whole have courses of their own. The practice company is fictitious; KPI guide values are empirical values. This is a translation of the German course for readers worldwide — in case of doubt the German edition applies.
Contents at a glance
- Why complaints are the best thing that can happen to a QMSThe three clauses (8.7, 10.2, 9.1.2) and their chain; why “no complaints” is implausible in the audit; the three errors of small companies (not recorded, cause assumed, satisfaction felt); the way: one sheet, one list, five numbers
- The complaint in six steps on one sheetIntake (who, what, when, order, photo) · immediate action and customer information within 24 hours · correction (rework, replacement, credit note) with re-verification · cause · corrective action (where appropriate) · effectiveness after three months; the complaint sheet; responsibility and escalation; internal nonconformities on the same sheet
- Correction or corrective action: the difference auditors checkCorrection = remove the nonconformity; corrective action = remove the cause; when a corrective action is appropriate (repetition, damage, safety, customer) and when not; typical corrective actions in a small company; what is not a corrective action (admonish, remind, pay attention); link to the action plan
- Finding the cause: five whys in ten minutes — without a culpritThe five-whys method with example; rules (on site, with those involved, without blame, down to the system cause, not down to the theory of everything); the five cause fields of a small company (information, inspection, qualification, material, process); Ishikawa only for repeaters; checking similar cases (10.2.1 b 3)
- The defect tally sheet: source of repeaters and of the cost of poor qualityOne list for all nonconformities (internal, supplier, customer) with no., date, order, origin, type, cause field, costs, status; quarterly evaluation: top 3 types, repeaters, costs; who enters; link to complaint sheet, KPI, management review; cost of poor quality as an argument
- Evaluating effectiveness: the step everyone forgets (10.2.1 d)What effectiveness means (nonconformity no longer occurs — measurably); when (three months after implementation; for rare nonconformities: next comparable order); with what (defect tally sheet, sample, KPI); three outcomes (effective, partly, not effective → new cause); record; update risks and system (10.2.1 e, f)
- Five KPIs every company has — without a new count (9.1.1)What 9.1.1 requires (what, how, when to measure and evaluate; record); the five standard KPIs (on-time delivery, complaints/rate, quotation hit rate, customer satisfaction, supplier evaluation) with source, formula, frequency, guide value; sector-specific additions; KPI sheet; what is not a KPI
- Customer satisfaction without a questionnaire: four sources and one table (9.1.2)What 9.1.2 requires (monitor customers' perception; determine the method); the four sources of a small company (complaints, repeat orders/terminations, talk after delivery with grade, online reviews); the rating table on a grade scale (flexibility, reliability, delivery performance) for main customers; when a survey makes sense; negative feedback as a complaint
- Complaints in six sectors: typical types, response time, correctionManufacturing, trades/construction, retail, IT, services, consulting: the three most frequent complaint types, appropriate response time, typical correction and corrective action; notice of defects and warranty as the framework; passing the complaint on to your own supplier
- Continual improvement (10.1, 10.3): three sources, one plan, no suggestion schemeWhat 10.1 and 10.3 require; the three sources of improvement in a small company (defect tally sheet, KPIs, employees in the meeting); improvement ≠ corrective action; how improvements get into the action plan (source “improvement”); evidence for the auditor; kaizen and suggestion schemes are not required
- What the auditor asks about complaints, KPIs and satisfactionThe audit chain: last complaint → sheet → cause → action → effectiveness → defect tally sheet → KPI → management review; 25 audit questions from real audits with evidence; the five most frequent nonconformities on 8.7, 9.1, 10.2; answer in five minutes
- Case study: Nordlicht IT Service — three complaints, one KPI sheetPractice company Nordlicht IT Service (9 employees, fictitious): process three complaints (disruption after update, hotline not reachable, data loss after migration) with the complaint sheet — correction, five whys, corrective action or not, effectiveness; defect tally sheet with repeater; build the KPI sheet; customer satisfaction for five main customers; model solution
- Records: the complaints folder, the list, the sheet — and what goes into the management reviewThe five documents of this course and their clauses; annual calendar (monthly KPIs, quarterly defect list, annually customer satisfaction); inputs to the management review (9.3.2 c 1, c 3, c 4); retention; checklist
- Procedure in our companyProcedure in our company: contact person for quality questions, location of the manual, templates and records, approvals, fixed dates and next steps in the company
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an 8D report?
No. 8D is a format of the automotive industry; ISO 9001 requires reaction, cause, action, effectiveness and record (10.2). The complaint sheet of this course meets that on one page – and anyone who owes an automotive customer an 8D fills it in from the same content.
What is the difference between correction and corrective action?
The correction removes the nonconformity (rework, replacement, credit note). The corrective action removes the cause so that it does not recur (check point added, briefing, supplier changed). The standard requires both – the corrective action, however, only where it is appropriate: not every complaint needs one.
Do I have to survey my customers?
No. 9.1.2 requires customers' perception to be monitored – you determine the method. Complaint rate, repeat orders, terminations, the talk after delivery and a rating table on a grade scale are enough for a small company; a survey is an option, not an obligation.
How many KPIs does a small company need?
Five to eight: on-time delivery, complaints, quotation hit rate, customer satisfaction, supplier evaluation – plus one to three sector-specific ones. All must come from data the company has anyway. A KPI nobody collects is a nonconformity against 9.1.1.
What is a defect tally sheet?
A list of all nonconformities – internal, supplier, customer – with date, type, cause, costs. After three months it shows which nonconformities repeat themselves; exactly those get a corrective action. That is the answer to the requirement of the standard to check similar nonconformities (10.2.1 b 3).
Is the course free?
Yes, like all courses of the QM-Guru Academy. No registration; the e-mail address is used only to deliver the certificate.
Which edition is this?
The English-language edition of our German course "Reklamationen, Kennzahlen, Kundenzufriedenheit", written for readers worldwide; legal details (notice of defects, data protection reporting deadlines) are given in general terms – check the law of your country. The downloadable templates are currently in German; English versions will follow. In case of doubt the German edition applies.