United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

Directive 9010.1 February 25, 1999

Distribution: FGIS, OSP, Industry Originating Office: FMD PPMAB

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited 

bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and 

TDD).

To file a complaint, write to the USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity 

employer.

RESOLVING CUSTOMER CONCERNS

Contents

RESOLVING CUSTOMER CONCERNS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������1

1. PURPOSE����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

3. POLICY ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

4. PROCEDURES ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

ATTACHMENT��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5

Information To Gather When Receiving and Reporting Customer Concerns ������������������������5
FGIS Directive 9010.1 February 25, 1999

Page 2

1. PURPOSE

This directive establishes the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain 

Inspection Service (FGIS) policies and procedures for resolving customer concerns 

regarding inspection or weighing and service received. Customers are defined as those 

persons who receive official services, other interested parties in transactions involving 

official services, and persons that inquire about any official service or program.

For purposes of this directive, a request for a reinspection, retest, review of weighing, 

appeal or Board appeal inspection service, or formal foreign complaint, will not be 

considered as a concern. All apparent violations of the United States Grain Standards

Act (USGSA), as amended, or the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA), as 

amended, must be reported to the Compliance Division in accordance with FGIS 

Directive 9070.6, rather than with the procedures outlined in this directive. Additionally, 

all official agency concerns regarding other official agencies should be directed to the 

Compliance Division

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This directive supersedes FGIS Directive 9010.1, dated 5-1-97. This directive is update

to reflect FGIS’s policy of resolving customer concerns at the local level by the service 

provider, and to simplify the response and reporting requirements.

3. POLICY

It is FGIS’s policy to empower service providers at the lowest organizational level to 

resolve customer concerns. Solving customer concerns at this level reduces the time

a customer must wait for a response to their concerns, and allows the persons most 

knowledgeable about the situation to respond, which should ensure that the best 

resolution results. FGIS’s goal is to maximize customer satisfaction through efficient and 

judicious answers to their concerns

4. PROCEDURES

The directors of the Field Management Division and Technical Services Division are

responsible for administering this program and ensuring that customer concerns are

adequately addressed.

Customer concerns can vary, such as written and oral, and the range of issues are 

broad, from individual inspection and weighing results to intermarket differences, 

service, and costs

a. Gathering Informatio

When a customer registers a concern, the person receiving the concern should

obtain as much factual information as possible. The attachment provide

information that may be appropriate when discussing a complaint with a customer

and subsequently reporting the concern if necessary.
FGIS Directive 9010.1 February 25, 1999

Page 3

If the concern is being presented to someone above the original service provider,

the customer should be asked whether they have expressed their concerns to the 

original service provider. If they have not, they should be asked to do so. When 

concerns cannot be addressed at the local level because they are outside of the 

local manager’s control, they should be reported further up the organizational 

structure for resolution

b. Reporting Concern

(1) FGIS expects complaints to be addressed at the level where the service is

provided, and there is no reporting requirement for concerns addressed to

and resolved by the service provider. That is, if the official agency

manager, field office manager, the Assistant Chairman of the Board of

Appeals and Review, or Analytical Services Group lab manager providing

inspection service receives and resolves the complaint, no further reporting

is required.

(2) Reporting of concerns to the Director, Field Management Division is

required only when:

(a) The concern involves an intermarket dispute that crosses agency

and field office boundaries.

(b) The original service provider’s response does not satisfy the customer, 

and the customer raises the issue to the next higher organizational level, 

that is the field office for official agencies, and headquarters for a field 

office.

(c) Reoccurring concerns that, even though initially resolved, continually 

reappear

(d) The concern is not at the discretion of the original service provider, such 

as an inspection or weighing requirement imposed by instructions or 

regulations, and the customer is not satisfied with the local explanation 

of the need for such a requirement.

(3) Reporting of concerns to the Director, Technical Services Division is required 

only when:

(a) The original service provider’s response does not satisfy the customer, 

and the customer raises the issue to the appropriate Branch Chief within 

the Technical Services Division

(b) Reoccurring concerns that, even though initially resolved, continually 

reappear
FGIS Directive 9010.1 February 25, 1999

Page 4

(c) The concern is not at the discretion of the service provider, such as 

an inspection or testing requirement imposed by instructions or 

regulations, and the customer is not satisfied with the explanation of the 

need for such a requirement.

(4) Reports can be sent in writing or verbally reported to the Director, Field

Management Division or the Director, Technical Services Division, as

appropriate. The director’s office may request additional information, if

necessary, and may request that oral reports be placed in writing.

c. Responses to Concern

Responses to customer concerns may be made verbally or in writing and may be

provided by the director or the field office manager. The director will designate

the appropriate party to research and prepare the response.

d. Recording Concerns and Response

(1) Original service providers are not required to record customer concerns

and responses when the concern is resolved at the local level

(2) Field Management Division will database all reported concerns and actions

taken to resolve these concerns, including those generated with the

Technical Services Division. Report and database specifications are

developed and maintained by the Field Management Division.

(3) Field Management Division and Technical Services Division will provide

other offices the findings of complaints that could affect those offices, so as

to prevent them from researching previously addressed issues.

Attachment
FGIS Directive 9010.1 February 25, 1999

Page 5

ATTACHMENT

Information To Gather When Receiving and Reporting Customer Concerns

Customer’s name, position, and phone number.

Names, positions, and phone numbers of other parties involved

Description of the nature of the complaint. Include as many facts as possible, such as 

locations, dates, times, carrier identifications, and certificate numbers.