AI is already changing the complaint lifecycle. Stakeholders are using AI to find where to complain, draft submissions, prepare legal arguments, summarise documents, translate information and suggest outcomes. For public sector, Ombudsman, tribunal, commission and dispute resolution teams, the challenge is no longer whether AI will appear in complaint processes. It already has. The challenge is how to respond in a way that protects fairness, accessibility, privacy, evidence integrity and human judgement.
At Shiv Martin Consulting, we help complaint handling, public sector and dispute resolution teams navigate this changing landscape with practical, fair and human-centred support.
AI is changing every stage of the complaint lifecycle
AI may now be used before a person even contacts your organisation. It can help stakeholders find where to raise a dispute, prepare legal or procedural arguments, draft complaints, summarise responses, identify cases, prepare submissions, suggest outcomes and even draft proposed agreements.
For complaint handling and dispute resolution teams, this means AI is not just a technology issue.
It is a process issue, a fairness issue and a trust issue.
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Finding where to raise a dispute using AI
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Using AI to seek advice or identify legal and procedural arguments
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Drafting complaints, submissions and chronologies
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Summarising responses and identifying next steps
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Supporting parties to draft agreements or suggest outcomes
Why this matters now more than ever
AI is already part of the complaints process. Complainants, representatives and organisations may use it to draft complaints, summarise documents, translate information, prepare legal arguments or suggest outcomes.
For complaint handling and dispute resolution teams, this adds a new layer of complexity. A complaint may look polished and legally sophisticated while still containing inaccurate facts, irrelevant arguments, fabricated references or unrealistic expectations.
The challenge is to respond wisely, not reactively
AI can create risks, but it can also improve access. For some people, it helps them organise their thoughts, explain concerns clearly or engage with a formal process more confidently.
That is why complaint systems need practical guidance, staff capability and clear process design. Through training, policy advice and case management support, organisations can build the confidence to recognise AI-assisted material, ask better clarification questions, manage over-expanded submissions, protect procedural fairness and preserve human judgement across the complaint lifecycle.
Understand AI: Staff need a working understanding of how AI tools are being used, what they can do well, and where they create risks around accuracy, privacy, confidentiality and evidence.
Understand stakeholder use: Teams need to understand why complainants, respondents, representatives or regulated entities may be using AI, and how that use affects communication, expectations and participation.
Lead the process: Complaint handlers, conciliators, review officers and decision-makers still have a process leadership role. They need to clarify issues, set expectations, check information, protect fairness and preserve human judgement.
How we help
We support public sector, regulatory, Ombudsman, tribunal, commission and dispute resolution teams to respond to AI in a practical, fair and human-centred way.
AI in complaints training
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Recognise and respond to AI-assisted complaints, submissions and stakeholder communications.
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Manage lengthy, over-legalised or unclear material while preserving procedural fairness.
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Build practical staff confidence in clarification, verification, privacy and evidence integrity.
This is not technical AI training. It is practical training for the real work of complaint handling, dispute resolution, conciliation, review and case management.
Policy and guidance development
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Develop internal staff guidance, public-facing AI use guidance and disclosure prompts.
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Create practical risk guides, intake wording, portal questions and escalation criteria.
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Prepare templates, FAQs and case management tools that are clear, defensible and easy to apply.
Our aim is to create guidance that is legally sensible, operationally useful and easy for staff to apply.
System design and process improvement
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Review intake pathways, complaint forms, triage models and escalation points.
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Improve public guidance, staff scripts, case conferencing processes and quality assurance tools.
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Reduce unnecessary friction so AI-influenced complaints can be managed earlier, more clearly and more fairly.
The goal is to reduce unnecessary friction, improve clarity at the front door and help teams manage AI-influenced complaints before they become more complex than they need to be.
Case management support
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Support teams managing high-volume, unclear or over-expanded AI-assisted submissions.
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Assist with complex matters involving fabricated references, unrealistic expectations or privacy concerns.
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Help teams decide when to clarify, narrow, redirect, verify or escalate a matter.
This support is particularly useful where teams are dealing with complex, sensitive or high-risk complaints and need an independent practitioner to help think through the process.
We work with complaint handling and dispute resolution leaders who understand that AI-ready systems are now essential to fairness, accessibility and public trust.
AI in Complaints In-House Training Options
Practical, customised training for complaint handling, dispute resolution and public sector teams navigating AI-assisted complaints, complex casework and changing stakeholder expectations.
Option 1: Half-day workshop
4 hours (in person or online)
A practical introductory workshop for complaint handling, early resolution, conciliation and review teams who are starting to see AI-assisted complaints, submissions or stakeholder communications.
This session can be customised to focus on skills development, live case challenges, group discussion and practical activities.
Recommended group size:
6–14 participants per group
Option 2: Full day workshop
8 hours (in person)
or full day content delivered over 2 x 4 hour sessions (online)
A more comprehensive workshop for teams that need deeper capability, shared practice standards and practical tools for managing AI-influenced complaints and disputes.
This option covers the half-day content, with additional time for case studies, group activities, policy discussion and tailored problem-solving based on the organisation’s own complaint environment.
Recommended group size:
6–14 participants per group
We are proud to support teams from the following organisations
Why Shiv Martin Consulting?
Shiv Martin Consulting is a founder-led dispute resolution consulting team supporting organisations to manage conflict, complaints and complex conversations with clarity and care.
Our team brings deep expertise in law, mediation, conciliation, complaint handling, administrative decision-making, public sector fairness, procedural fairness, workplace conflict and dispute system design.
We understand the pressures facing complaint handling and dispute resolution teams because this is the work we do every day. We work across public sector, regulatory, workplace and dispute resolution environments, helping teams design processes, build capability and respond to complexity in a way that is fair, defensible and human.
AI has added a new layer to this work. Our role is to help your team respond with confidence.
Our AI in Complaints Team
Shiv Martin
Founder, mediator, lawyer, conciliator and dispute resolution consultant
Shiv Martin is the founder of Shiv Martin Consulting and an experienced mediator, lawyer, conciliator, trainer and public sector dispute resolution consultant. She works with government agencies, Ombudsman offices, commissions, tribunals, regulators and workplace teams to improve complaint handling, dispute resolution, communication and early resolution processes. Shiv brings deep experience in law, mediation, conciliation, administrative decision-making, procedural fairness and public service. She has held senior decision-making roles in the Queensland public sector and has worked with a wide range of public sector and dispute resolution organisations across Australia. Her work focuses on helping teams manage complex complaints, difficult conversations and emotionally charged disputes in a way that is practical, fair, trauma-informed and human-centred. In the context of AI in complaints, Shiv supports organisations with training, policy advice, case management support and process design so teams can respond to AI use with clarity, confidence and care.
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Dr John Southalan
Mediator, lawyer and academic
Dr John Southalan is an experienced dispute resolution professional with extensive work in Australia and internationally, particularly in business-community disputes, responsible business conduct and extractives regulation. John has conciliated many matters for the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, including matters involving both mediation and decision-making. He also conducts a private practice in commercial mediation and as a barrister, and is an adjunct academic with universities in Australia and Scotland. John brings strong expertise in mediation, online dispute resolution, legal analysis, human rights, mining regulation, agreement-making and responsible business conduct. His experience is particularly valuable where complaints involve complex stakeholder relationships, public interest considerations, procedural fairness, institutional accountability and the need for credible, independent dispute resolution processes.
How is AI being used by complainants and institutions, what are the risks it creates for fairness and evidence integrity, and the practical steps complaint handling and dispute resolution teams can take now?
For a deeper discussion of the risks, benefits and practical responses, read our article: AI in Complaints and Disputes: The New Reality.
Trusted by Teams Across Australia
40+ 5 Star Google Reviews
Client feedback from workplaces, government agencies and communities across Brisbane, Australia and New Zealand. Whether online or in person, from facilitated conversations to workplace team training, Shiv Martin Consulting has your conflict resolution covered.
Ready to build an AI-ready complaints process?
If your team is managing AI-generated complaints, over-expanded submissions, privacy concerns, unrealistic expectations or uncertainty about how to guide stakeholders, we can help you develop a practical response.
Through Shiv Martin Consulting, you can access a founder-led dispute resolution consulting team with deep expertise in law, mediation, conciliation, public service and complex complaint handling.
We offer training, policy advice, case management support and system design for organisations working in complaints, conciliation, regulation and dispute resolution.
Call or Text: 0433904303