Customer Support Policy

KS4PharmaNet is committed to providing responsive, empathetic, and legally compliant customer support. The objectives of this policy are:

• To ensure every customer query, complaint, or request is acknowledged, tracked, and resolved within defined timelines.
• To comply with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• To uphold the highest standards of patient safety in all support interactions involving pharmaceutical products.
• To maintain transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the support process.
• To protect customer data during all support interactions as per the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• To continuously improve service quality through feedback, audits, and training.

This policy applies to:

• All registered and guest users of the KS4PharmaNet website and mobile application.
• All customer-facing support staff including agents, pharmacists, team leads, and the Grievance Officer.
• All third-party outsourced support or delivery partners acting on behalf of KS4PharmaNet.

This policy covers support related to:

• Order placement, tracking, and delivery.
• Prescription upload and verification queries.
• Payments, refunds, and billing.
• Returns and cancellations.
• Product and medicine-related queries.
• Account management and technical issues.
• Complaints, adverse event reporting, and grievances.

KS4PharmaNet provides omnichannel support through the following contact points. Customers may choose the channel most convenient for their query:

📌 For all matters involving prescription medicines, adverse drug reactions, or medical emergencies, customers must call the dedicated Phone Support line or use In-App Chat and request escalation to a pharmacist immediately.

📱 In-App Chat: Available 24×7 via the KS4PharmaNet mobile application. Preferred channel for all order-related support.

📞 Phone: +91-XXXXXXXXXX — Available Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM IST.

📧 Email: ks4pharmanet@gmail.com— For complaints, documentation, and formal communications.

💬 WhatsApp: +91-9005606607 — For prescription uploads and order status updates.

🌐 Website Chat: www.simbabiotech.in — Available Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM IST.

📲 Social Media: @ks4pharmanet on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter) — For general feedback only; not for medical or order queries.

KS4PharmaNet commits to the following response and resolution timelines by issue category. These SLAs are operative on business days (Monday to Saturday, excluding national public holidays) unless stated otherwise.

⚠️ SLA timelines commence from the moment a ticket/complaint is formally registered with a unique Ticket ID. KS4PharmaNet will endeavour to resolve all issues within these timelines but shall not be held liable for delays caused by third parties, force majeure, or incomplete information from the customer.

All customer support interactions are handled through a structured five-tier escalation model to ensure appropriate expertise and authority at each level.

5.1 Tier 1 — Frontline Support Agents

• Handle all inbound contacts via chat, phone, email, and WhatsApp.
• Resolve routine queries including order status, basic returns, prescription upload guidance, and payment confirmations.
• Authorised to issue standard refunds up to ₹500 and initiate return pickups.
• Must escalate to Tier 2 if the issue is unresolved within 30 minutes of contact or if the customer explicitly requests escalation.

5.2 Tier 2 — Senior Support / Team Lead

• Handle escalated complaints, refund disputes above ₹500, and delivery partner failures.
• Authorised to issue full order refunds, waive delivery charges, and provide goodwill credits.
• Responsible for complaint acknowledgement letters and formal written responses.
• Must escalate medical, regulatory, or adverse event issues to Tier 3 immediately.

5.3 Tier 3 — Pharmacist / Medical Support Team

• Handle all queries involving prescription validity, drug substitution, drug interactions, dosage guidance, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
• All members must be registered pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
• Responsible for reporting suspected ADRs to the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) as mandated by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
• May liaise with the prescribing doctor if required for patient safety purposes.

5.4 Tier 4 — Grievance Officer

• Handles all unresolved complaints from Tier 2/3, formal legal notices, and regulatory complaints.
• Appointed pursuant to Rule 3(1) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021 and Section 38 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• Must acknowledge all complaints within 48 hours and resolve within 30 calendar days.
• All responses from the Grievance Officer are in writing and constitute formal company communications.

5.5 Tier 5 — External Regulatory / Legal Escalation

If the Grievance Officer is unable to resolve a complaint to the customer's satisfaction within 30 days, customers may approach:

• Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (District / State / National) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• The State Drug Controller or CDSCO for drug quality and safety complaints.
• The National Consumer Helpline: 1800-11-4000 / 1915 (toll-free).
• The Cyber Crime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) for online fraud or data misuse.

6.1 Ticket Creation

• Every customer support interaction (inbound or outbound) shall be logged as a support ticket with a unique Ticket ID.
• The Ticket ID is communicated to the customer via SMS and/or email within 30 minutes of contact.
• Walk-in or phone contacts are also logged and the customer is provided the Ticket ID for future reference.

6.2 Ticket Lifecycle

• New — Ticket raised, pending assignment.
• Assigned — Allocated to an agent or tier.
• In Progress — Actively being worked on.
• Pending Customer — Awaiting customer information or action.
• Escalated — Moved to a higher tier.
• Resolved — Issue resolved; customer informed.
• Closed — Confirmed resolved after 48-hour customer response window.

6.3 Ticket Closure

• A resolved ticket is auto-closed after 48 hours if the customer does not respond with further issues.
• Customers may reopen a closed ticket within 7 days by referencing the Ticket ID.
• A satisfaction survey (CSAT) is sent upon ticket closure.

6.4 Record Retention

All support tickets, communications, and resolution records shall be retained for a minimum of 3 years in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the IT Act, 2000. Medical and prescription-related records shall be retained for 5 years in compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

In line with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, every customer has the following rights during a support interaction:

• Right to be informed: receive clear, accurate, and complete information about their complaint status, resolution options, and applicable policies.
• Right to be heard: have their complaint acknowledged and taken seriously at every tier.
• Right to redressal: receive a fair and timely resolution or escalation path if the issue cannot be resolved.
• Right to choose: opt for a refund, replacement, or credit note as their preferred resolution where eligible.
• Right to privacy: have their personal and medical data handled confidentially during the support process.
• Right to appeal: escalate to the Grievance Officer or external forums if unsatisfied with the resolution.

To ensure efficient and accurate support, customers are expected to:

• Provide accurate and complete information (Order ID, contact details, description of issue) when raising a complaint.
• Cooperate with verification steps required to protect account security and prevent fraud.
• Treat support staff with respect. KS4PharmaNet has a zero-tolerance policy for abusive, threatening, or harassing behaviour directed at support agents.
• Not misuse the support channel to make false claims, obtain unwarranted refunds, or submit fraudulent return requests.
• Submit genuine photographic evidence when required for return/refund claims.

⚠️ Customers found to be misusing the support system, making fraudulent claims, or engaging in abusive conduct may have their account suspended, claims rejected, and may be reported to law enforcement authorities under the Indian Penal Code / Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

🚨 Patient safety is paramount. Any report of an adverse drug reaction, medication error, or suspected product quality defect received through any support channel must be treated as Priority Critical and handled by the Pharmacist team (Tier 3) immediately.

9.1 ADR Reporting Procedure

• The support agent receiving the ADR report must immediately escalate to a registered pharmacist (Tier 3) and flag the ticket as 'Priority Critical'.
• The pharmacist must contact the customer within 30 minutes to gather complete clinical information.
• If a medical emergency is indicated, the customer must be directed to call 112 or the nearest hospital immediately.
• The ADR must be documented in detail: product name, batch number, symptoms, severity, and customer details (with consent).
• The report must be submitted to the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) via VigiFlow or the national ADR reporting form within 15 calendar days (7 days for serious/unexpected reactions), as mandated by CDSCO.
• The product batch (if implicated) must be flagged internally for quality review and potential recall.

9.2 Product Quality Complaints

• Any complaint regarding suspected spurious, adulterated, or substandard medicine must be escalated to the Tier 3 pharmacist team immediately.
• The complaint shall be reported to the concerned State Drug Controller and the manufacturer within 72 hours.
• The implicated product batch shall be placed under immediate hold pending investigation.

All customer support interactions involve handling personal and potentially sensitive health data. KS4PharmaNet processes this data in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the IT Act, 2000.

10.1 Data Collected During Support

• Identity and contact information for verification purposes.
• Order details, transaction IDs, and payment information.
• Prescription images and health-related disclosures (with explicit consent).
• Call recordings and chat transcripts for quality and compliance purposes.

10.2 Data Usage

• Support data is used solely for resolving the customer's complaint and improving service quality.
• Health data shared during support is treated as sensitive personal data and accessed only by authorised staff on a need-to-know basis.
• Support calls may be recorded for quality monitoring and training. Customers are informed at the start of each call.

10.3 Data Sharing

Support data shall not be shared with third parties except where required to resolve the complaint (e.g., delivery partner for logistics issues) or as mandated by law (e.g., CDSCO for ADR reporting).

10.4 Customer Data Rights

• Customers may request access to their support history at any time.
• Requests for data correction or deletion may be submitted to privacy@simbabiotech.in.

11.1 Customer Satisfaction Measurement

• A CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) survey is sent after every resolved ticket.
• An NPS (Net Promoter Score) survey is sent monthly to active customers.
• Target CSAT: ≥ 85%. Target First Contact Resolution (FCR): ≥ 70%.

11.2 Quality Audits

• A random sample of 10% of all support interactions is reviewed monthly by the Quality team.
• Calls and chats are evaluated on accuracy, empathy, compliance, and resolution speed.
• Audit results feed into monthly training programmes for support staff.

11.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• First Response Time (FRT) — target: within SLA for each channel.
• Average Handling Time (AHT) — target: ≤ 6 minutes for Tier 1 chats/calls.
• Escalation Rate — target: ≤ 15% of tickets escalated to Tier 2+.
• SLA Breach Rate — target: ≤ 5% of tickets breach resolution SLA.
• Ticket Reopen Rate — target: ≤ 8%.
• ADR Reporting Compliance Rate — target: 100%.

11.4 Staff Training

• All frontline support agents undergo mandatory induction training covering product knowledge, support tools, consumer protection law, and escalation procedures.
• Tier 3 pharmacist staff are required to complete annual CPD (Continuing Professional Development) as per the Pharmacy Council of India guidelines.
• Refresher training is conducted quarterly; ad-hoc training is triggered by recurring complaint patterns or regulatory updates.

In compliance with Rule 3(1)(c) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, KS4PharmaNet has designated a Grievance Officer.

Designation: Grievance Officer — KS4PharmaNet

Name: Sanjay Kumar Singh
Address: Shop No. 18, UGF Paramount, Cross Gate, Money Mounta, Plot 94 & 98, Saraswati Puram, Raebareli Road, Lucknow – 226014.
Email: ks4pharmanet@gmail.com
Phone: 9005606607

Response Timeline: Acknowledgement within 48 hours; Resolution within 30 calendar days.

📌 If the Grievance Officer is unable to resolve your complaint within 30 days, you may approach the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in your district or the National Consumer Helpline at 1800-11-4000 (toll-free).

All customer support personnel of KS4PharmaNet are bound by the following conduct standards:

• Treat every customer with dignity, respect, and patience, regardless of the nature or tone of the complaint.
• Never provide incorrect or misleading information about products, policies, or timelines.
• Never access or disclose customer data beyond what is required to resolve the complaint.
• Always identify themselves by their first name and agent ID at the start of every interaction.
• Escalate immediately rather than providing inaccurate information to close a ticket.
• Never solicit gifts, payments, or favours from customers.
• Report any suspected fraud, counterfeit product claim, or patient safety issue immediately via internal protocols.

Violations of this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and, where applicable, reporting to professional regulatory bodies.

This Customer Support Policy is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of India, including:

• Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.
• Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021.
• Pharmacy Act, 1948 and the Code of Ethics of the Pharmacy Council of India.
• Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Indian Penal Code, 1860).

KS4PharmaNet reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. Changes will be published on the platform with an updated effective date. Material changes will be communicated to registered users via email or in-app notification. Continued use of the support services after such notification constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

KS4PHARMANET — COMMITTED TO YOUR HEALTH AND SATISFACTION

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