8D Gate

Free template · Word + PDF

Customer complaint log template

A one-page log that follows each customer complaint from receipt to closure, a page on how to fill and review it, and a filled example with fictional complaints. Free, no card.

Get the free customer complaint log template

We store your email, sign-up time, your updates choice and the page or campaign link you came from. We use them only to record your sign-up and, if you tick the box, to tell you about new 8D tools. We never sell them. To delete them, email 8dgate@agent.mailboxkit.com.

What is in the log

  • ID and customer reference: Your own number for each complaint, with the customer's reference in its own column.
  • Received: The date the complaint reached you. Due dates count from here unless your customer says otherwise.
  • Part, lot and problem as reported: The customer's words first; your own analysis goes into the 8D or CAPA.
  • Quantity and containment date: How many parts are affected and the date containment was in place or is due.
  • 8D or CAPA number: The number, or "none" with the reason, for example a one-off transport damage.
  • Owner, due date and status: Open, Containment done, Cause found, Action done or Closed.
  • Closed and proof: The closing date and what shows the action worked. A line counts as closed only when this column is filled.

This is our own generic layout, not a customer or industry form. If your customer asks you to record complaints in their portal or format, do that as well.

A monthly review

The template suggests four questions for a monthly look at the log:

  • Which lines are past their due date, and was the customer told?
  • Does the same part or the same problem appear on 2 or more lines within 6 months? This cut-off is our own, not from a standard; set the one that fits your volume. If it does, consider one joint root cause instead of separate fixes.
  • Which closed lines have an empty proof column?
  • For lines with "none" in the 8D or CAPA column, is the reason still true?

The filled example

Page 3 shows four fictional complaints, CC-EX-101 to CC-EX-104; three of them are on the same housing used in our NCR and FAI examples. A loose bushing is reported, an 8D is closed after four weeks without a repeat, and the same problem comes back one day later. In the review on Friday 2026-10-23 the 8D is reopened instead of starting a new one. All companies, people and data are invented.

Complaint log, CAPA log or 8D?

The complaint log lists what customers reported and where each case stands. Each complaint that needs a cause and an action gets an 8D or CAPA, and its number goes in the log. A CAPA log tracks those actions, which can also come from audits or internal findings; see what to check in your CAPA log.

Related

Advisory template, in English. Not a customer decision.