How It Works

Accountability, step by step

ZCV is Zimbabwe's independent consumer accountability platform. Here's exactly how the process works — for consumers, businesses, and regulators.

For Consumers

Your complaint, step by step

From submitting a complaint to getting it resolved — here's the full journey.

1

File Your Complaint

Submit a complaint in minutes — no account needed. Describe the issue, name the company, attach evidence, and state your desired outcome. Complaints are posted publicly by default, creating a transparent accountability record.

Works for guests or registered users Supports file & image attachments Public by default — companies can see it immediately
2

Company is Notified

The moment your complaint is submitted, the named company receives an automated email notification with a direct link to respond. A 14-day response window begins immediately.

Instant email notification to the company 14-day mandatory response window Complaint appears on their public profile
3

Company Responds

Track the company's response in real time from your dashboard or the complaint page. You'll receive an email the moment they reply. All responses are logged permanently and visible to the public.

Email notification when company responds Full response history permanently recorded All responses publicly visible
4

Resolution Achieved

Once your issue is resolved, leave a star rating and written review. Your feedback directly influences the company's trust score — rewarding businesses that resolve complaints and flagging those that don't.

Leave a star rating and written review Your review updates the company's trust score Earn ZCV points for participating
Escalation Process

What happens if a company doesn't respond?

Silence is not an option. Our automated escalation system ensures every complaint gets attention.

Step 1

14 Days, No Response

If a company fails to respond within 14 days, ZCV's automated escalation system triggers.

Step 2

Auto-Escalated

The complaint status changes to Escalated and becomes visible to registered regulators on the platform.

Step 3

Regulatory Visibility

Government bodies and consumer protection agencies monitoring ZCV can see all escalated complaints in real time.

Step 4

Trust Score Impact

Unresolved complaints permanently reduce a company's trust score, affecting their public reputation.

Dispute a Resolution

Not satisfied with how a complaint was resolved? File a dispute. The complaint re-opens, is flagged for admin review, and the company must respond again.

Escalated ≠ Ignored

Escalated complaints appear on a company's public profile permanently, are visible to government regulators, and significantly lower the company's trust score.

For Businesses

Turn complaints into trust

Businesses that respond quickly and resolve issues build the highest trust scores — and the strongest customer relationships.

Step 01

Register Your Company

Create a corporate account and set up your company profile. Pending admin verification, your profile goes live in the ZCV directory.

Step 02

Receive Complaint Alerts

Get notified immediately when a consumer files a complaint against your company. See the full complaint detail in your dashboard.

Step 03

Draft a Response with AI

Use the built-in Claude AI assistant to draft a professional, empathetic response in seconds. Review and edit before sending.

Step 04

Build Your Trust Score

Every resolved complaint and positive review improves your ZCV Trust Score — your public reputation metric, visible to all consumers.

AI-Powered Response Drafting

SME and Corporate plan subscribers can use the built-in Claude AI assistant to draft professional, empathetic responses in seconds. The AI analyses the complaint and produces a ready-to-edit reply — cutting response time from hours to minutes.

View Plans
Trust Score

How the Trust Score works

Every company on ZCV has a public trust score out of 5.0, calculated automatically from real behavioural data — not self-reported.

Resolution Rate40%

% of complaints reaching Resolved status

Response Rate30%

% of complaints receiving at least one reply

Response Speed20%

How quickly the first response arrives

Review Score10%

Average star rating from consumer reviews

4.8

Example company trust score

Resolution Rate96%
Response Rate100%
Avg. ResponseSame day
Review Score4.6 / 5

Scores update in real time with every complaint and review.

Excellent4.0 – 5.0

Companies consistently resolving issues quickly.

Fair2.5 – 3.9

Room for improvement — inconsistent responses.

Poor0 – 2.4

Significant unresolved complaints and non-responses.

Platform Roles

Who uses ZCV?

ZCV is a four-sided platform. Each role has tailored tools and access levels.

Consumers

  • File complaints (with or without an account)
  • Track case status in real time
  • Dispute unsatisfactory resolutions
  • Leave reviews and earn ZCV points

Businesses

  • Receive instant complaint notifications
  • Respond via dashboard with AI assistance
  • Track your public trust score
  • Subscribe for premium features & verified badge

Regulators

  • Monitor escalated complaints in real time
  • Access sector-wide trend data
  • Read-only dashboard — no interference
  • Use ZCV data to inform policy decisions

ZCV Administrators

The ZCV team has a full admin dashboard to manage users, verify companies, update complaint statuses, flag content, and monitor platform health — with complete audit trails for every action.

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need an account to file a complaint?

No. You can file a complaint as a guest by providing your name and email. Creating an account lets you track your complaint status, receive updates, and leave reviews.

Are complaints publicly visible?

Yes, by default all complaints are public. This is what creates accountability — companies know their response (or lack of one) is visible to everyone. You can mark a complaint private when filing if needed.

What happens if a company ignores my complaint?

If a company doesn't respond within 14 days, your complaint is automatically escalated. It becomes visible to registered regulators, the company's trust score drops, and you receive a notification. Escalated complaints are flagged prominently on the company's public profile.

Can I dispute a resolution I'm not happy with?

Yes. If a complaint is marked resolved but you're unsatisfied, you can file a dispute. This re-opens the complaint for review, flags it for admin attention, and the company is expected to respond again.

How is the trust score calculated?

The trust score is calculated out of 5.0 using four weighted signals: resolution rate (40%), response rate (30%), response speed (20%), and average review rating (10%). It updates in real time whenever a complaint is responded to or resolved.

Is ZCV affiliated with the government?

ZCV is an independent consumer protection platform. We provide regulators and government agencies with read-only access to platform data to support policy and enforcement decisions, but we are not a government body.

Ready to hold businesses accountable?

Join thousands of Zimbabwean consumers driving real change — one complaint at a time.