1. Complaints, appeals and other opinions under consideration
(1) Complaints and other opinions (hereinafter called complaints)
a) complaints to JQA’s operations such as management systems audit, certification and registration activities
b) complaints to the organizations certified by JQA
Note:
- Complaint shall only be accepted within the scope certified by JQA. JQA may not accept complaints beyond the scope.
- Complaint for the organization must be lodged with the organization itself at the outset.
- JQA may not be allowed to disclose specific information due to the confidential agreement with the certified organization.
(2) Appeals
Organizations audited and/or certified by JQA can call on JQA to reconsider the judgment in regard to management systems audit and certification. Other parties are not in a position to file an appeal.
2. How to claim complaints, appeals and other opinions
Appellants or complainers (hereinafter called complainers) are required to send a letter or e-mail in Japanese or in English to our complaint window specifying the items below within 45 days after the correspondent events occur.
a. Contact name and address of complainers
b. Organization’s name and occurrence time and place
c. Contents of complaints
Note:
- Contact point must be correct and detailed.
- JQA shall accept the complaint officially in case that all the items be clarified and that JQA find them justifiable.
- Personal information of complainers will not be disclosed without their consent. That may be suspected however by the parties involved through our investigation process.
3. Handling process of complaints, appeals and other opinions
(1) Handling of complaints
- JQA shall accept the complaint officially in case that all the items be clarified and that JQA find them justifiable.
- JQA shall provide the answer in a sincere manner.
- If the complainer should disagree with the decision by JQA and request to reconsider the matter, JQA shall investigate again the same subject only if they provide new information with objective evidence.
- The complaint handling process will be completed when the complainer agrees with the result or he or she dose not request to reconsider the matter within 30 days after replying date.
(2) Handling of appeals
- After receiving the appeal from certified organizations, JQA immediately calls a task force. In case the appeal has not been accepted, JQA will give notice to the appellant the reason.
- When the task force accepts the appeal, the task force will notify the result by studying all the angles of the appeal.
- In case the appellant should be dissatisfied with the result, the appellant can request the investigation again within 30 days after the notifying date. JQA will hold adjudicative proceeding and the result will be notified in writing.
(3) Handling of complaints and appeals in dispute
- JQA shall suspend the acceptance of complaints and appeals in case they have been filed to the court or submitted to arbitration.
- JQA shall suspend the handling of complaints and appeals in case JQA finds that they are filed to the court or submitted to arbitration while handling them.
- When the trial is concluded or arbitration is settled, JQA shall cancel the suspension of acceptance or handling of complaints and appeals if the complainer or the appellant requests it.
