Across every industry, one universal truth exists: Customers may experience dissatisfaction and need to return products or request credits. Therefore, effective complaints management is non-negotiable in every sector. Understanding the intricate dynamics of SAP's Complaints Management within each sector is a critical component for operative success throughout diverse industries.
The Retail sector often encounters challenges such as customer overcharges or double charges. The credit/debit request process within SAP serves as an effective tool to rectify these issues. Furthermore, whenever a customer wishes to return a purchase, SAP's customer return document processing assures an efficient provision of refunds, credit, or replacements, in line with company policies.
Navigating to the Automotive industry, dealing with complaints frequently revolves around defective parts or services. Leveraging customer returns documents, companies can systematically track returned parts and instigate subsequent processes, such as credit, debit, or replacements.
The Financial Services industry showcases the utility of SAP's credit/debit request process when faced with inaccuracies in interest calculations or incorrect service charges.
In the Telecommunications sector, managing complaints regarding billing errors, service disruptions, or equipment-related issues hinges on two critical tools - customer returns documents and credit/debit requests.
Across all these industries, mastering the practical application of the key SAP document types, Credit/Debit Request and Customer Returns, is fundamental. These enable businesses to manage complaints effectively while maintaining a seamless and comprehensive document flow, thus accelerating the complaints processing time. This content also sheds light on the value of referencing existing process documents and the specialized SAP tools such as advanced returns management, particularly beneficial where the customer deals with high volume returns.
Mastering these SAP document types along with understanding the practical application of SAP's complaint management processes throughout different industries can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and drive efficient operations.
Complaints Processing
Companies often differ in the degree to which they want to track complaints process. During the many steps involved in the sales and distribution processes, things can go wrong. For example, the delivered material may be damaged during transportation, or you may have incorrect prices on your invoice. There are a variety of methods to process complaints, as illustrated below:
- The customer returns the goods. Create a return order in this scenario. If the customer wants a refund for the amount, enter a credit memo with reference to the return. If the customer wants a replacement product, enter a free-of-charge subsequent delivery with reference to the return.
Example: The customer returns 30 out of 100 units bought, due to transport damages. A return for 30 units is created, followed by either a credit memo or free-of-charge delivery incorporating the return details.
- The customer does not send the goods back. If the customer wants a refund, you enter a credit memo request with reference to the sales order or the invoice. If the customer wants a replacement product, you create a free of charge subsequent delivery with reference to the sales order.
Example: The client discloses that an additional 10 units were discarded due to severe damages. Either a credit memo request or a free-of-charge subsequent delivery relating to the sales order or invoice is created.
- The price is wrong. For example, the discount was forgotten or the scaled prices were miscalculated. You then enter an invoice correction request with reference to the invoice.
Example: A batch of 100 units was mistakenly billed at $10 instead of $9 per unit. An invoice correction request using the original invoice is entered, setting the unit price at $9
Complaints Management Processes
The following processes are available in complaints processing:
- Returns: If the customer complains, for instance, that the goods were faulty, you take the goods back. To process customer returns, you can choose between the following two solution variants:
Advanced Customer Returns: This solution variant allows you to handle the end-to-end process for customer returns including performing product inspections, specifying logistical follow-up activities for returned goods, and determining the refund.
Lean Customer Returns: This solution variant allows you to handle the core activities associated with a customer return process, including creating a returns order, posting the goods receipt, and creating a credit memo.
- Credit memo Request: If the customer complains that the price was miscalculated (for example, too high) you request a credit memo for the appropriate sum, and you do not take the goods back.
- Debit memo Request : If prices were calculated as too low, you request a debit memo.
- Free-of-Charge Subsequent Deliveries: If the customer complains (for example, that they received the wrong quantity) you can send them the extra material later free of charge. This free-of-charge subsequent delivery always refers to a sales order.
- Free-of-Charge Deliveries: A free-of-charge delivery is used to send a customer a free sample of your products.
- Invoice Correction Requests: The invoice correction request works in the same way as credit and debit memo requests, but here you enter the price or quantity that should have been calculated. The system then calculates the difference and creates either a debit or a credit memo, depending on whether the difference is negative or positive.
Each box in the flowchart contains an icon of a document with colored lines at the bottom, symbolizing different types of documents in the process.
In many cases, you create the particular documents with reference to an existing process. In this way, you always have a complete document flow of the process, including all the relevant complaint documents. A large part of the relevant information can also be copied from the reference document, which can accelerate complaints processing.
The figure "Complaints Processing" illustrates various options for referencing existing documents.
All complaints can be approved or rejected. Once a complaint has been approved, you create either a credit or debit memo, depending on the type of complaint. If you reject a complaint, you can specify a reason for the rejection and this can be used as selection criteria for listing complaints.