The problem isn’t your complaint, it’s the system.
Whether a food delivery doesn’t arrive, a service falls short, or a workplace issue isn’t addressed, the problems may be different, but the next step is often the same: working out where a complaint should go.
The pathway isn’t always clear and many people find themselves redirected between organisations, unsure what to do next.
It’s why every month thousands of Australians search for terms like “who do I complain to?”, “how to make a complaint” and “ombudsman complaint”.
Hear Me Out was created to provide a clearer place to start.
Who helps with complaints?
Australia doesn’t have one complaints pathway, instead there are more than 300 bodies across the country. Some deal with councils, others with police, consumer issues, workplaces, health care, discrimination or public infrastructure.
While many overlap, it’s never clear how they fit together. For example:
- A noise complaint could go to local council, police, or a state regulator depending on the time, location, and circumstances.
- A workplace issue could fall under Fair Work, a union process, an ombudsman, or a discrimination body, or a combination.
- A complaint about a business might involve Fair Trading, the ACCC, an ombudsman, or a tribunal.
Responsibility for complaints can sit across different agencies, industries, and levels of government. This system can create uncertainty and can be overwhelming when people are already dealing with stress or harm.
Where does Hear Me Out come in?
Hear me out was created to make the first step clearer. It is a free online tool that helps people work out where their complaint belongs.
It asks you a few clear questions about what happened and who was involved. From there, it points you towards the possible complaint body or organisations best placed to deal with it.
You can access detailed information prepared by lawyers outlining what you need to know about each complaint body.
If you want to proceed and need support writing your complaint, Hear Me Out has a tool that helps to generate a clear and effective complaint.
Hear Me Out doesn’t give legal advice, but it does remove the first barrier of confusion which could be the difference between being heard and being locked out.
When Hear Me Out is most useful
You don’t know if your issue counts as a complaint
Many people aren’t sure whether a bad experience or decision is serious enough to complain about. Hear Me Out helps clarify how an issue can be taken further.
You’ve been sent to the wrong place before
If you’ve already contacted an organisation and been blocked or redirected elsewhere, Hear Me Out can help work out which body is actually responsible.
Your complaint with a store or service provider has been ignored or gone nowhere
When emails aren’t answered or responses are vague, it can be hard to know whether escalation is possible. Hear Me Out helps identify whether another complaints pathway exists.
You’re dealing with more than one issue at once
Some complaints don’t fit neatly into one category, for example, workplace issues that also involve discrimination, or housing problems tied to health or safety concerns. Hear Me Out helps navigate intersecting issues and confusing and overlapping systems.
You’re worried about saying the wrong thing
Many people delay complaining because they’re unsure how to explain what happened or what outcome to ask for. The Complaint Writing Tool helps structure your complaint clearly and confidently.
You’re overwhelmed by the system
When time or past experiences make it hard to complain, Hear Me Out provides a clearer starting point, without requiring legal knowledge.
A fair system shouldn’t require legal knowledge
If making a complaint needs legal training and hours of spare time, then the system is failing.
Hear Me Out exists because people deserve a clear path forward, especially when something has gone wrong, and they’re already carrying the burden.
If you’re unsure where to take your complaint, Hear Me Out can point you in the right direction.
Change doesn’t just happen, it starts with people speaking up.