Joining the PIO scheme—information for postal operators

Who can join the PIO scheme?

Anyone who provides 'a postal or similar service' (see definition) can join the scheme. If you provide other services as well as postal services, the PIO can only investigate complaints about your postal services.

General information about membership

Australia Post must be a member of the scheme. Membership will be voluntary for all other private postal operators. The PIO can only investigate the actions of private postal operators if they are registered with the Ombudsman's office to participate in the scheme. There is no joining fee. A register of all members is maintained by the PIO.

Download a brochure containing information for postal operators about the Postal Industry Ombudsman.

Postal operators may de-register from the PIO scheme at any time by writing to the PIO. However the PIO may still investigate complaints about actions that occurred when the postal operator was a member, even if the complaint is received after the postal operator has de-registered.

Why become a member of the PIO Scheme?

Membership of the scheme has many benefits for a postal operator, including:

• demonstrating to customers a genuine commitment to customer service
• access to an independent, external and fair complaints-handling scheme with experience in handling postal issues
• useful feedback from the PIO on any areas of your services and products that are causing customer dissatisfaction
• expert assistance from the PIO in establishing your own in-house complaints-handling procedures
• specialist resolution of more difficult or complex complaints.

Over time, the PIO scheme will result in increased consumer confidence in a member's service and in the postal industry as a whole. The PIO also proposes to work with industry members to develop standards that can be used as benchmarks in handling complaints.

In general, the PIO offers impartiality and integrity, fair and robust processes, and an understanding of the events that can occur in the course of service delivery. The PIO will not criticise a postal operator unless it has been given the opportunity to explain its actions or to resolve the problem itself. The PIO will encourage postal operators to develop good internal complaint-management processes that will provide transparent resolutions for complainants. Good internal processes will also help a postal operator to minimise the cost of an investigation by the PIO.

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How does a postal operator register for the scheme?

If you provide postal or courier services and you wish to join the scheme you may complete a registration form. An online registration form is provided here. If you would like us to send you a registration form, contact us by email, phone, fax or visit one of our offices. See contact details.

When you register, we will send you a confirmation package with a service agreement and a registration certificate. Your details will be entered into the register. Some of your information (business name, ABN and your nominated contact details) will be available on the PIO website.

Definition of postal or similar service

The PIO can only investigate complaints that are about a 'postal or similar service'. This includes a courier service, and a packet or parcel carrying service. It also includes:

• the acceptance of a mail item or a package or parcel for the purpose of delivery, at a cost, to a person or entity whose address is specified
• the security of that mail, package or parcel
• the allocation and transport of that mail, package or parcel
• the retention of that mail, package or parcel for collection by the addressee, or the delivery to the specified address or to another address.

The PIO does not investigate the actions of businesses or individuals engaged in providing general letterbox distribution of unaddressed advertising material if those businesses or individuals do not also provide postal or similar services.

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Fees for investigations

The PIO scheme will be self-funding, with the cost of an investigation charged to the member who is the subject of the complaint. The fee will depend on the level of complexity involved in resolving the matter.

There is no joining fee when a postal operator registers to become a member, and there is no annual fee.

At the end of each financial year, the PIO will calculate the cost of its operations. This cost will then be allocated between the members of the scheme, depending on the number of complaints and the complexity of those complaints.

This method ensures that the PIO will only collect the amount that it cost to run, and no more. If there are no finalised complaints about a member in a financial year, the member will not incur any fee. There is no fee for an enquiry, or when the PIO decides not to investigate without contacting the postal operator.

Our investigation fees are based on the five levels of complexity below. The levels reflect the amount of communication with the complainant and the private postal operator and the extent of analysis and discussion within the PIO's office. The first level will be where there is no investigation, and no fee will be incurred.

• Simple inquiry: possibly a single contact with the PPO to establish whether or not a contractor works for the PPO.
• Simple investigation: resolved through a single contact with the PPO combined with discussion with the client and internal research and analysis.
• Complex investigation: resolved at a more senior level of both PPO and PIO staff.
• Formal investigation: the direct involvement of the PIO and senior PPO staff. the possible use of Formal Powers by the Ombudsman including reporting to Parliament.

A postal operator will be given the opportunity to resolve the matter, and minimise fees, before a matter is escalated to the next level.

If the PIO decides to investigate a complaint, we will contact you to advise you of the investigation and the fees that will apply. As a general rule, unless it is obvious from the outset that a complaint will involve an extensive amount of liaison between the PIO and a postal operator, a complaint will normally be recorded initially at a lower level of complexity. Complaints may be escalated to a higher level of complexity if the matter is not resolved.

Recovery of fees

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) collects fees on behalf of the PIO. Invoices will be sent to you by ACMA. Members will only be charged fees for completed investigations.

What the PIO expects of a member

The PIO encourages PPOs who join the scheme to:

• be honest and open in dealings with the PIO, avoiding as far as possible the need for the PIO to take action to compel the provision of information or documents
• be prepared through our scheme, and more generally, to take primary responsibility to deal with their customers' complaints in the first instance
• take reasonable steps to ensure that customers are aware of the complaints scheme and of the PPO's membership of the PIO scheme
• provide the PIO with updated information relating to staff who are responsible for dealing with complaints
• create and maintain an internal complaint-handling process
• be prepared to pay the fees arising from investigations.