General Information on the Appeal and Complaint Procedure
Our appeal and complaint procedure is open to all interested parties who wish to appeal a certification decision or file a complaint. The aim of this process is the systematic handling and analysis of individual appeals and complaints. By implementing appropriate measures and statistically evaluating incoming concerns, the procedure actively contributes to the improvement of PIAQ's management system. This strengthens confidence in our certification body as well as in the services and management systems we certify.
The PIAQ certification body has a documented and transparent procedure for accepting, evaluating, and deciding on appeals and complaints. The following principles are taken into account:
- Appeals and complaints are processed in close coordination with the certificate holder, both in writing and, if necessary, through personal discussions. After hearing all parties, a well-founded decision is formulated and communicated to those affected.
- All information related to appeals and complaints is treated strictly confidentially and is not published.
Appeals Against Certification Decisions
An appeal represents a customer's request to have a certification decision reviewed by the certification body. Appeals may be relevant in the following cases:
- Rejection of a certification application
- Composition of the audit team
- Decision not to continue a certification audit
- Requirement to implement specific measures
- Adoption of an audit report
- Certification decisions (including suspension, restriction, or revocation of certificates)
- Changes to the requested scope
- Ordered special audits
- Responses to complaints
Appeals can only be directed against certification decisions of the PIAQ certification body.
Within 14 days of receipt of an appeal, it will be acknowledged in writing by a responsible employee.
Complaints
Complaints are expressions of dissatisfaction expressed by a person or organization (complainant) towards the certification body and require a response. They differ from appeals and include, for example:
- Indications of dissatisfaction or errors in the handling of procedures
- Criticism of other activities of the certification body
- Complaints about customers of the certification body
The submission of complaints is open to any interested party.
The same strict standards apply to the handling of complaints as to appeals. In particular, personnel separation ensures independent processing to avoid conflicts of interest.
We ask you to submit complaints and appeals in writing via our contact form.
Documents
The complete complaint and appeal procedure is comprehensively documented and can be viewed or downloaded directly from our website if required.
