CFSA Procedures for Responding to a Customer Complaint

• Customer completes a CFSA Customer Complaint Form. Signed forms can be submitted by fax, e-mail, or U. S. Mail.
• If the customer submits his/her initial complaint by contacting CFSA by telephone, CFSA will provide the complainant with the form and a copy of the Industry Best Practices within three (3) business days of receipt of the complaint.
• The customer must return the completed form to CFSA within a reasonable time, but not more than thirty (30) days after receiving the Customer Complaint Form. To be considered, complaints must be in writing and signed by the customer submitting the complaint.
• CFSA reviews the customer’s written complaint to determine if the complaint raises an allegation of a violation of Best Practices and, if so, CFSA determines which Best Practice would be applicable. CFSA also determines if the company identified by complainant is a member company.
• Note: CFSA can only respond to complaints rendered against a member company. A CFSA Member Seal affixed to the store window identifies CFSA members.
• If CFSA determines that the allegation, if true, may constitute a violation of Best Practices, it will contact the accused CFSA member company about the complaint and request a response to the allegation within ten (10) business days. If CFSA, after reviewing the complaint and the member response, determines that a violation has not occurred, the Association will forward an explanation letter to the customer within three (3) business days.
• If a violation appears to have occurred, CFSA forwards a copy of the customer’s complaint and the CFSA member’s written response to CFSA’s Ethics Committee.
• The Ethics Committee reviews the case and makes a determination if a violation has occurred and, if so, determines what action should be taken against the member company. The Ethics Committee must make its determination within ten (10) business days after receiving the case.
• The CFSA member company and customer are notified of the Ethic Committee’s decision promptly.  
• Penalty for violating a CFSA Best Practice is at the discretion of the Ethics Committee or CFSA’s Board of Directors, but depending on the infraction, could lead to expulsion from CFSA membership upon review and approval by the Board of Directors.
• Both the CFSA member company and the customer have the right to appeal the Ethics Committee’s decision to the Board of Directors within thirty (30) days of receiving the decision. The appeal must be in writing.