Effective date: 26.11.2025
CUSTOMER SERVICE & COMPLAINTS POLICY
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Customer Service and Complaints Policy is to establish a fair, timely and consistent approach to customer enquiries, service issues, complaints, delivery incidents, returns, refunds, replacements and feedback.
This policy supports a professional customer experience and compliance with Australian Consumer Law, privacy requirements, liquor licensing obligations and Malt Donkey service standards.
POLICY STATEMENT
Malt Donkey Pty Ltd is committed to providing customers with thoughtful, respectful and responsive service that reflects the quality and care behind our Fine Ales.
We will communicate clearly, listen carefully and work promptly and fairly to resolve genuine customer concerns. Complaints will be recorded and reviewed so that recurring issues can be identified, service can be improved and appropriate corrective action can be taken.
Customers who raise concerns honestly and in good faith will be treated respectfully and will not be disadvantaged for doing so.
POLICY REQUIREMENTS | PROCEDURE
Application of this Policy
This policy applies to customer enquiries, online orders, wholesale orders, deliveries, products, events, tastings, sales interactions, refunds, replacements, privacy concerns and complaints received through email, telephone, website, social media, sales staff, carriers or other channels.
Customer Service Standards
Customers must be treated with the same care, honesty and attention that Malt Donkey brings to its Fine Ales.
Information provided to customers must be accurate, clear and consistent with approved product information, company policies and legal requirements. Staff must not promise a delivery date, refund, replacement, discount or other remedy unless they have the authority to do so.
When a customer raises an issue, the response should acknowledge the concern, explain what will happen next and provide a realistic timeframe for follow-up or resolution. Communication should remain respectful, practical and focused on resolving the matter fairly.
Receiving and Recording Complaints
Complaints may be received verbally or in writing. Where a complaint cannot be resolved immediately, it must be recorded in the approved complaint or incident register.
The record should include the customer name and contact details, order number, date received, issue description, products and quantities involved, delivery or batch details, evidence supplied, actions taken, responsible person and outcome.
Sensitive personal information must only be recorded where necessary and must be handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.
Acknowledgement and Response Time
Complaints should be acknowledged as soon as reasonably practicable, preferably within one business day.
Straightforward matters should be resolved promptly. Where investigation is required, the customer should be advised of the expected timeframe and updated if there is a material delay.
Assessment and Investigation
The responsible person must review the relevant order, payment, inventory, packing, dispatch, tracking, delivery, product and communication records.
For damaged, leaking, broken, incorrect or quality-related products, photographs and relevant batch information may be requested where reasonable.
The investigation must identify what occurred, whether the issue is substantiated, the appropriate remedy, any carrier or supplier claim and whether corrective action is required.
Product and Delivery Complaints
Lost, delayed, damaged, incomplete, incorrectly supplied, misdirected or returned orders must be managed with the Logistics and Fulfilment Policy.
Where carrier action is required, Malt Donkey remains responsible for communicating with the customer and must not simply direct the customer to resolve the matter with the carrier.
Delivery and packaging incidents must be linked to the relevant carrier, consignment, order and stock record.
Returns, Refunds and Replacements
Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts or modifies rights or remedies that cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law.
Where a product is faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied, unsafe or does not meet an applicable consumer guarantee, the customer may be entitled to a refund, replacement, repair or other remedy depending on the circumstances.
Change-of-mind returns are not automatically available and may only be accepted where approved. Alcohol that has been opened, improperly stored or otherwise affected after delivery may not be eligible for a change-of-mind return.
Refunds, credits, replacements and goodwill gestures must be approved within the relevant financial authority and recorded against the order or complaint.
Alcohol and Age-Related Matters
Malt Donkey will not sell or deliver alcohol to a person under 18 years of age.
Complaints relating to age verification, refused delivery, Authority to Leave, intoxication, unattended delivery or carrier conduct must be escalated promptly and assessed against applicable liquor licensing and carrier requirements.
Escalation
A complaint must be escalated where it involves safety, alleged legal or regulatory non-compliance, serious product quality concerns, privacy, threatened legal action, media contact, repeated service failure, significant financial exposure or potential reputational harm.
Escalated matters must be referred to the appropriate manager, Founder, legal adviser, insurer, regulator or other authorised party as required.
Complaints About Staff or Conduct
Complaints concerning staff behaviour must be handled sensitively and referred to the responsible manager. The staff member should be given a fair opportunity to provide relevant information.
Bullying, harassment, discrimination, threats or abusive conduct by any party must be managed in accordance with applicable workplace and conduct requirements.
Unreasonable or Abusive Conduct
Malt Donkey may set reasonable communication boundaries where a person is threatening, abusive, discriminatory, repeatedly contacts the business without new information or makes demands that are unlawful or disproportionate.
Any limitation on communication must be approved and must not prevent a legitimate consumer matter from being fairly assessed.
Closing the Complaint
The customer must be advised of the outcome, the remedy or action taken and any relevant next steps.
The complaint record must be closed only after the outcome, approval, communication and any required inventory, financial or carrier adjustment has been completed.
Monitoring and Continual Improvement
Complaint trends must be reviewed to identify recurring product, packing, delivery, carrier, system, communication or training issues.
Measures may include complaint volume, complaint rate, first-response time, average resolution time, repeat complaints, refund or replacement value and recurring causes.
Corrective and preventive actions must be assigned, monitored and verified where significant or repeated issues are identified.
Records and Review
Complaint and customer-service records must be retained in accordance with legal, financial, privacy and operational requirements.
This policy will be reviewed at least annually or earlier where legislation, products, systems, delivery arrangements or customer-service requirements change.
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