Govt seeks to induct more firms into its grievance redressal mechanism
- Under the convergence programme, companies partner with the National Consumer Helpline to help in resolving their customer grievances expeditiously. Consumers can register their grievances on NCH, which then forwards the complaints to these firms on a 'real-time' basis to be resolved in 30 days.
New Delhi: With the rise in consumer grievances, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has stepped up its efforts to resolve issues more efficiently. The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has expanded its convergence programme, partnering with over 1,000 companies across sectors like e-commerce, travel, banking, FMCG, and automobiles to speed up the resolution of consumer complaints, the department said in a statement on Sunday.
Under the convergence programme, companies partner with NCH voluntarily to help in resolving their customer grievances expeditiously. Consumers can register their grievances on NCH, which then forwards the complaints to these companies on a 'real-time' basis to be resolved within 30 days.
Since the programme started in 2017, the number of participating companies has grown from 263 to 1,009, highlighting its success in improving the grievance redressal process, the statement added.
However, DoCA has identified the top ten non-convergence companies that have received the most consumer complaints during the current fiscal year (2024-25). These companies include Delhivery Ltd, Electronicscomp.com, Domino’s Pizza, Haier Appliances India Pvt. Ltd, FirstCry.com, Thomson India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Rapido, Orient Electric Ltd, and Symphony Ltd, it said.
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A meeting with these companies is scheduled for next week to discuss the ongoing complaints and consider bringing them into the NCH convergence programme, the government said.
Complaints related to these companies are now directly forwarded to them for online resolution, ensuring quicker resolutions and fostering greater consumer trust. Also, when the grievances remain unresolved, consumers are encouraged to approach the appropriate Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The expansion of partnerships is reflected in the rising use of the helpline. In January 2024, NCH received 1,41,817 calls, a dramatic increase from 14,795 calls in January 2015. The number of complaints registered per month has surged from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,12,468 in 2024, indicating growing confidence among consumers in using the helpline for dispute resolution.
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Technological upgrades
To further enhance the grievance redressal process, NCH is introducing several technological upgrades such as AI-based speech recognition, a translation system, and a multilingual chatbot, it said.
The AI-powered speech recognition system will allow consumers to file complaints via voice input in their local languages, minimising manual intervention and making the process more user-friendly and the multilingual chatbot will provide real-time assistance, reducing data entry and improving the overall experience for consumers.
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Business NewsEconomyGovt seeks to induct more firms into its grievance redressal mechanism
First Published:24 Nov 2024, 04:18 PM IST
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