Customer complaints

What is a customer complaint?

A customer complaint involves an expression of dissatisfaction about the service or action of the department or its staff when the customer is directly affected by the service or action.

We are committed to upholding the rights of children and young people which is reflected by the National Office for Child Safety complaint handling practices. The safety and wellbeing of all customers is taken seriously; if your concern relates to an athlete, you may refer to the Athlete safeguarding guidelines (PDF, 92.1KB) for the Queensland Academy of Sport.

How do we handle customer complaints?

We will acknowledge receipt of your customer complaint however it would assist us if you could please provide clear, complete and factual information about what happened, when and where it occurred and any other supporting information. Tell us the outcome you are seeking, or the action you want the department to take.

You can make a customer complaint anonymously, although this may limit how your customer complaint can be managed and resolved.

Reasonable assistance is provided to anyone wishing to make a customer complaint. Language assistance is provided through the Translating and Interpreting Service. If you are deaf or hearing impaired, please use the National Relay Service.

Assessment and resolution

We will examine the issues raised and try to resolve the complaint, whilst considering human rights implications. Dependant on the nature of your matter, it may be necessary to refer it to a specialist area in the department. Some complaints may not relate to our department or employees and therefore may be referred to another appropriate agency. For further information about our practices, please refer to our complaints policy (PDF, 287.7KB).

We aim to respond and resolve your customer complaint as quickly as possible, taking into consideration its complexity. You can expect a final response within 30 business days, although if that timeframe is delayed we will keep you updated about the progress.

Review

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may ask for an internal review. You should make this request in writing within 20 business days of receipt of our correspondence with you. Your request should outline why you are asking for an internal review.

Your internal review request should:

• be in writing to complaints@dtis.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3516 0728
• be lodged within 20 days of receiving your complaint outcome
• explain why a review is appropriate and provide all relevant information
• detail the action you would like taken to resolve the complaint.

We aim to complete internal reviews within 20 working days of receiving your request. If the issue is complex this can take longer to resolve although we will keep you informed through the process.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your internal review, you may ask for an external review by the Queensland Ombudsman. The Queensland Ombudsman may be contacted by phone on (07) 3005 7000 during business hours, by mail at GPO Box 3314, Brisbane, QLD 4001. A request for an external review may be lodged via the online complaint form. Other external review options include the Office of the Information Commissioner, the Queensland Human Rights Commission, and other complaint handling organisations.

What are your responsibilities as a complainant?

As a complainant, it is your responsibility to:

• cooperate respectfully and understand that unreasonable, abusive or disrespectful conduct will not be tolerated
• give us a clear idea of the issue or concern and your desired solution
• provide all the relevant information when making the complaint
• understand that addressing a complaint can take time
• let us know if something changes, including if help is no longer needed.

The department may not proceed with your complaint if your conduct is unreasonable.

Information privacy statement

The Department of Tourism and Sport values your privacy. Any personal information provided to us relating to a customer complaint or for a request for review will only be used for the purpose of dealing with the matter. Your personal information will not be distributed to third parties unless authorised or required by law.