Definition

A customer complaint will be defined as any written or oral statement of a customer or any person acting on behalf of a customer alleging a grievance involving the activities of persons under the control of Core Planning in connection with providing investment advice or placing orders on behalf of customers.

Handling of complaints

The firm’s CCO shall be responsible for handling complaint reviews. Complaints should be immediately forwarded to the CCO for appropriate handling. No supervisory personnel should attempt to resolve a complaint without the involvement of the CCO.

CCO’s Compliance Requirements:

• Review complaints and the facts surrounding the complaints immediately as they are made by customers or reported by supervisory personnel;
• Communicate with customers via telephone, mail, face-to-face meetings, and/or email to resolve complaints and customer issues;
• Maintain a complaint log of complaints. The log will at a minimum contain the following information: customer’s name, date complaint received, type of complaint (oral versus written), brief description of complaint, date review started, supervisory personnel involved, date complaint resolved, and a brief description of the resolution;
• Maintain a complete complaint file. This file will contain each customer complaint, including, but not limited to: any letter, email, or document from a customer who has filed a complaint; any letter, email, or document from any agency regarding the complaint; any communication sent from Core Planning to any customer, agent, agency, or third party regarding each complaint; and documentation of how each complaint was resolved;
• Assure that complaints are settled or resolved and that no complaints are left “dangling” or incomplete. No complaint should be left unresolved and the date the complaint is “closed” should be noted on the complaint log and in the complaint file; and
• Examine the cause of the complaint and determine if changes are needed in policies and procedures or any disciplinary action is warranted to prevent future complaints; and Ensure that relevant disclosure forms and documents are updated, filed and delivered where and when appropriate.