How to properly design a buyer's corner in a store: choosing a location, necessary documents at the stand, fines

• November 6, 2018
• Legislation
• Natalia Kalinichenko

The whole world is stuck in trade relations. Someone is a consumer, and someone sells goods. The current legislation for the last category provides a number of requirements. One of the main ones is the requirement for the presence of a consumer corner. What should such a corner contain and what might it look like? The answer to this question is very important for all store and salon owners, especially beginners.

Legislative framework

Regulatory acts quite clearly regulate the relationship between the seller and the buyer, the person providing services and their consumers. However, at the legislative level there is no such thing as a “consumer corner”. Nevertheless, the legislation requires the seller to provide complete information about consumer rights by setting up a special information stand, and for its absence there is even administrative liability. Simply put, all information should be provided to the consumer in a free and accessible form.

Where can the consumer corner be placed?

Before you design a consumer corner, you need to decide on its location. After all, the size and shape of the information stand should fit beautifully into the available free space of the retail outlet.

The main principle of placing a consumer corner is its accessibility. The visitor should be able, without asking permission from store personnel, to approach the consumer stand and read the information posted there. Therefore, the consumer’s corner should not be located behind the counter, behind a screen or glass.

It will be comfortable for visitors if you place the stand at the entrance to the room. In this case, when reading the information, a person will not be embarrassed by the views of the staff. It would also be convenient to place it on the wall in the checkout area or anywhere in the sales area. The main thing is that a person can approach the stand at a close distance and read the information unhindered.

Why is it needed and what is it?

Since there is no clear description of the stand in the regulations, each entrepreneur can make it at his own discretion.

The stand must contain information about the enterprise or individual entrepreneur itself, licenses and title documents. The consumer must have the right to become familiar with regulations in the field of protecting their rights. The corner may contain information about ongoing promotions, warnings regarding taking medications if we are talking about a pharmacy, a menu if this is a catering establishment, and so on.

The stand should provide information about where to go with a complaint, and of course, there should be a book of complaints and suggestions.

Who is required to set up the stand?

According to the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor, all enterprises, regardless of their form of ownership, must have a consumer corner, individual entrepreneurs whose activities are related to direct contact with consumers. These are cafes, restaurants, shops, enterprises that provide all kinds of services to the population (clothing repair, dry cleaning, and so on).

Minimum Required

What requirements does Rospotrebnadzor put forward for the consumer corner? At the moment, this institution will check the availability of the following documents:

• certificate (extract) from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities on registration of an enterprise, individual entrepreneur;
• a certified copy of the license (if available);
• telephone numbers and full names of regulatory authorities;
• audit log;
• Law No. 2300-1, which cannot be downloaded from websites, it must be purchased in a store or copied from an official publication;
• rules regarding the sales process and service requirements;
• operating mode.

This is exactly the minimum package of documents that should be on the information stand.

In the consumer corner, what should an individual entrepreneur have in a store? In addition to the above list, the following information should be present at the stand of an individual entrepreneur:

• conclusion of the SES, giving the right to begin work;
• evacuation plan;
• Code of Administrative Offences;
• price list for goods and/or services.

In addition, it is recommended to place at the stand a book of complaints and suggestions, promotions that are currently being held, and discounts for certain categories of consumers. If we are talking about retail trade, it is recommended to post information about the ban on the free sale of a certain category of goods (alcohol and tobacco products to minors).

Also, in addition to contacts of regulatory authorities, information about the nearest branch of Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Emergency Situations should be posted.

Where should the buyer's corner be located? Requirements for it

First of all, the buyer's corner is not just a beautiful stand and a design element of the store, it is an important part in any store, because in this corner the buyer can familiarize himself with his rights in case of their violation. Also, according to the current legislation, each enterprise at the time of opening must have a corner for the consumer, this is necessary so that when citizens come to a particular establishment they understand who provides them with services or sells goods and what types of goods or services can be obtained in a particular place. Having a buyer's corner is the responsibility of every organization providing services to the public. The wording “Consumer Corner” is not required to be observed; your corner can be called differently, for example, “Information stand” or “Information for the buyer”, everything is at your discretion, the main thing is that the name reflects the very essence of this stand or corner. The following documents and information material are usually located in the buyer's corner:

• The Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, it is best to keep it in printed form, do not take excerpts from the Internet, because they are not always up to date, buy this law in the store and make sure that at the time of purchase you purchased the latest version, with all additions and changes;
• Addresses and telephone numbers of supervisory organizations and regulatory authorities;
• Trading rules, they must be relevant as of the date they are found;
• Also necessary documents confirming the right of a store or company to sell certain goods and provide certain types of services;
• Also a copy of documents on state registration of the seller;
• Also in the buyer’s corner there should be a copy of the license and information about the government agency that issued it;
• And most importantly, in the buyer’s corner there must be a book of complaints and suggestions, just this book will reflect how the consumer feels about this store or company;
• Fire safety rules, including evacuation plan;
• If this is an organization providing food or entertainment services (for example, a restaurant or nightclub), then such an establishment must have permission to carry out such activities;
• The consumer is also provided with information about the license number, as well as the number of the certificate of state accreditation, as well as about the periods until which the license or certificate is valid, as well as information about the body that issued this license;

This information stand should be placed in the store as conveniently as possible for the buyer. Also, Articles 8 and 9 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” talk about the obligation to convey to the buyer all necessary, reliable and up-to-date information about the manufacturer of goods, as well as about the seller or performer himself, and the stand must also have a legal address, location, mode the work of the organization and about the goods sold (sold), also, as already mentioned, information on state registration and the name of the registering authority must be provided at the stand.

The rules for the sale of certain types of goods must be communicated to the buyer; this information must be communicated in an open form to any buyer. This information can be placed in places that are most convenient for the buyer to review. In case of an inconvenient or incorrect location of the consumer's corner, the seller will be subject to sanctions provided for in Article 14.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, because such actions are recognized as an administrative offense and entail administrative liability. And liability is imposed in this case for violation of the sale of certain types of goods and is punishable by a fine of 300 to 1,500 rubles for citizens, from 1,000 to 3,000 rubles for officials and from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles for legal entities.

If you left a complaint in the book of reviews and suggestions and want to check whether this complaint has reached the store management, then first of all pay attention to whether the book is bound, it must be bound and each page must be numbered, and the book must also be registered in the prescribed manner and have a number (the book is registered with the local government). The manager must respond to all complaints and suggestions in the following way: he must read this book every day and check for new complaints or suggestions, be sure to contact everyone who left complaints within 3 days (to resolve conflict situations), and also within these three days for a complaint a response must be given, and if the consumer requests a response in writing, then such a response is given within 10 calendar days.

This is not a complete list of all possible nuances in the location of the buyer’s corner, but we have highlighted the main and most important points, and if you follow all these simple rules, then you will not be found to have any violations. It also happens that the local government body, for example, in your region, sets its own rules regarding the availability of certain documents in the consumer’s corner; you need to clarify this so as not to get into an unpleasant situation. I wish you good luck and know your rights!

Stand appearance

If it is more or less clear what the consumer corner should contain, then it is not clear what size, color and design it should be? Therefore, most entrepreneurs are guided by the recommendations of the manufacturers of such stands. They recommend making a stand measuring 500 x 700 cm. This is the minimum size that will make it possible to familiarize the consumer with information as conveniently as possible. It is best to conditionally divide the stand into blocks and place transparent pockets in them, where information will be inserted for review.

It is possible to make a stand taking into account the corporate style of the enterprise; for example, an entrepreneur’s corporate color may be green, and the logo may be made in yellow shades. Therefore, the stand can be made in these colors.

The main thing is to follow the following rules:

• availability;
• visibility;
• convenience for studying information;
• constantly updated information.

If in the process of providing services or selling goods it is assumed that the client will wait, then the consumer’s corner can be placed in the waiting area, where there will be comfortable chairs or a sofa. Manufacturers recommend dividing the stand into several blocks.

Buyer's corner or consumer's corner

While analyzing the Internet, I came across such an ambiguous situation. While doing business in my own and adjacent cities, the consumer protection department always required me to place a buyer’s corner in the store, and not a consumer’s corner.

And to be honest, I never thought about the name, since everything is very logical - you are engaged in trade and work with customers, which means there should be a buyer’s corner.

Then I decided to study this topic in more detail, how is it correct: a buyer’s corner or a consumer’s corner, then everything fell into place.

The law simply does not approve any name, so you can call it a buyer’s corner, a consumer’s corner, or just a stand with information - this is at the discretion of the seller himself.

First block - main documents

This is where it is recommended to place all the documents for the consumer corner, which are checked by regulatory authorities. These include:

• Law No. 2300-1;
• copies of title documents;
• information about the actual and legal address of the enterprise;
• information about who belongs to preferential categories of persons;
• Important phone numbers for consumers.

Information stand

Information intended for the buyer is located in a place accessible to him and in a form convenient for review. There are no clear requirements for it, but by the way the buyer’s rights protection area is designed, one can judge the company itself.

Most often, organizations and individual entrepreneurs purchase separate stands with transparent plastic pockets containing information included in the list of documents for the consumer corner.

Requirements for stand placement:

• accessible, visible place;
• booklets should be easily removed from the cells;
• relevance of the information posted.

https://youtu.be/MxlR1jOA2TQ

The second block – documents regulating certain types of activities

In this part of the stand it is recommended to place information that relates to certain business activities. Simply put, if an activity is subject to licensing, then this is where it is necessary to place a copy of the permit, regulations regarding doing business in this area. Also here you can place a list of goods and services, information about which categories of goods there is a ban on sale. If the activity profile involves obtaining a conclusion from the SES, then it is in this block that a copy of such a document must be placed.

Third block - feedback

What documents should be in the consumer's corner in the third block? Here it is recommended to post information on where a dissatisfied consumer can turn, a book of complaints and suggestions.

It is in this part of the stand that information with contact details of Rospotrebnadzor and other regulatory authorities is posted. Here you can indicate the telephone numbers of emergency services, a public reception, or a higher organization, if we are talking about a branch or representative office.

Additional documentation for the stand

Despite the fact that the list of additional documentation is not regulated by law, regulatory authorities require their availability.

1. Book of complaints and suggestions. Provided after the client has requested it (clause 8 of the Sales Rules). For retail trade and public catering enterprises, Order of the Ministry of Trade of the RSFSR No. 346 of September 28, 1973 “On approval of instructions on the book of complaints and suggestions in retail trade and public catering enterprises” is still in force.

For the service sector, the requirement to have a book of complaints and suggestions is established by industry Rules. For example, for the sphere of consumer services, the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1025 dated August 15, 1997, as amended on October 4, 2012, “On approval of the Rules for consumer services for the population in the Russian Federation,” is in effect.

2. Evacuation plan and fire safety instructions. SanPiNs (developed as separate standards for catering and trade in food products).

3. Rules for the provision of household services (used by enterprises in this area) and a price list for the services offered.

4. Benefits and conditions defined by law for serving certain categories of the population.

5. Information related to the sale of certain product categories. For example, the prohibition and responsibility for the sale of alcohol and tobacco products to children.

6. Telephone numbers of emergency services (Ministry of Emergency Situations and others), departments that monitor sellers, and services where customers can contact with a complaint.

7. Addresses and telephone numbers of your local consumer protection office.

8. Audit log.

Fourth block - additional information

What should be in the consumer's corner in this particular part? Here it is recommended to place all additional information that the entrepreneur wants to convey to his consumer. In particular, these may be:

• features of the goods sold or services provided;
• operational information: when scheduled repairs will be carried out, when is the sanitary day, dates of special events;
• promotional offers.

Here you can place any important information, for example, if an entrepreneur started using cash register equipment or purchased a terminal that allows contactless payments.

Who checks the availability and information at the stand?

Who will check what is included in the consumer's corner - documents and information? The main inspector is Rospotrebnadzor. This is a special supervisory body that is designed to protect the rights of consumers and monitor the quality of service and the legality of the activities of entrepreneurs.

If a store or salon is just opening, then the entrepreneur must notify the Rospotrebnadzor authorities about the upcoming inspection. If the organization has been operating for a long time, then the regulatory body may appear suddenly. In cases where Rospotrebnadzor employees identify shortcomings, the businessman receives an order to eliminate the violations; if the latter ignores the requirements, then administrative measures may be applied to him.

List of regulatory authorities and their telephone numbers (Rospotrebnadzor and others)

Let's look at what should be in the consumer's corner. This includes the following list of documents:

1. Certificate of state registration (certified photocopy, not the original). Often the entity is known by one name, but its legal name is completely different. To write him any official paper, you must have information about state registration.
2. Licenses, certificates certifying the right of a person to engage in the specified type of business (if required by law).
3. A list of all responsible bodies whose competence includes control over this LLC, individual entrepreneur, etc., as well as a log of the relevant inspections. Visitors should see what verification activities were carried out and what their verdict was. This way they will be sure that they have come to a serious and reliable place.
4. Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”. In case anyone wants to check their rights. Sometimes it may be required by representatives of the business entity itself.
5. Rules for the sale of certain types of goods or the provision of public catering services (based on the type of activity of the person).

We suggest you read: How to write a petition to the tax office to reduce the fine{q}

The basics contained in the consumer corner 2019 are mentioned; what information should still be there is not regulated by generally established standards, but during inspection activities it will most likely be requested by authorities with regulatory functions.

The information corner is checked by the following government services:

• Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare;
• sanitary and fire control units.

The results of control activities cannot be hidden; they should be kept open to the public.

Inspections by Rospotrebnadzor regarding compliance of a corner with certain standards can be scheduled or unscheduled. It is as a result of such visits that the case often ends in fines. Employees of the sanitary and fire services ensure that the stand contains data related to their competence.

Filling the corner with certain materials largely depends on the field of activity of the business entity. For example, points selling alcoholic beverages must indicate that their sale to minors is prohibited. Any inspector, before coming to the site, will become familiar with its specifics of work and will know what needs to be requested for inspection.

1. Rospotrebnadzor. You can contact representatives of the structure by calling 8-800-100-00-04.
2. Sanitary and epidemiological station. All-Russian telephone number 8-800-707-99-18.
3. FAS – Federal Antimonopoly Service. Phone 8-499-755-23-23.
4. FTS – Federal Tax Service. All-Russian telephone number 8-800-222-22-22.

Responsibility

Many entrepreneurs are quite skeptical about the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor for the consumer corner, but in vain. After all, this is part of the consumer rights protection system, and the entrepreneur himself in his life tries on not only the role of a seller, but also a buyer. After all, the stand must contain relevant and useful information, so it is not enough to just include a copy of the license and title documents.

Penalties for missing a consumer corner:

• a fine of 1.5-2 thousand rubles may be imposed on individual entrepreneurs;
• for a legal entity - from 30 to 40 thousand rubles.

The responsible official may also be fined in the amount of 3 to 4 thousand rubles. In case of failure to comply with the instructions of Rospotrebnadzor, penalties may be increased significantly.

However, no service will be able to impose a fine if there is a stand in the store, but it is located in an inconvenient place, in the opinion of Rospotrebnadzor. On the other hand, why hide the consumer’s corner if it can be designed quite attractively and once again confirm the legality of the activity and the desire of the entrepreneur to provide quality services?

Features of the stand for some types of activities

There should be a consumer rights protection corner in any organization, including a bar, cafe, pharmacy and others. Due to the fact that these forms of activity have their own characteristics. For example, a buyer’s corner in a pharmacy, in addition to those listed above, contains the following documents:

• license (pharmacy activities are subject to mandatory licensing);
• information about the shelf life of manufactured drugs;
• Rules for dispensing medicines;
• Rules for maintaining a register of selling prices for medicines;
• Federal Law “On the Circulation of Medicines”.

In cafes, bars and other public catering establishments, the consumer corner contains an expanded list of documents: in addition to basic information, a copy of the license for the sale of alcohol, certified by the seal of the organization, is placed on the stand.

If the case goes to court

By the way, the most common complaint about missing documents in the consumer corner is the lack of Law No. 2300-1. Consumers can even take this document with them; this happens quite often in practice, so if it is not possible to independently monitor the fullness of the stand, appoint a specific employee who will monitor the entire process and add or change information as necessary.

Even if the entrepreneur is completely right, judicial practice still suggests that the court almost always takes the side of the consumer. But it is still not recommended to retreat if the entrepreneur does not agree with the conclusions of Rospotrebnadzor. To be honest, the specialists of this service take a rather formal approach to performing their duties, so the entrepreneur still has a chance to prove that he is right.

Some businessmen even go to extreme measures. They take a receipt from their clients stating that they have no complaints about the information on the consumer's corner. But this can only be organized where there are a lot of clients and they have been waiting for some time. Naturally, it will not be possible to obtain such receipts in a retail network.

Finally

Even if a businessman studied at a foreign university, when he returns home, he will have to comply with Russian regulations. It is a well-known fact: the concept of a “consumer corner” does not exist in Western countries. Therefore, before setting up a stand, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the current legislation and recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor.

So, when a consumer corner is being designed, what must be required for individual entrepreneurs and legal entities? This is the following information:

• legal documents for conducting business activities and permission to carry out a certain type of activity;
• current version of Law No. 2300-1;
• operating mode;
• book of complaints and suggestions;
• contact details and names of regulatory authorities, Ministry of Emergency Situations, ambulance;
• evacuation plan and conclusion of the SES;
• price list for services and goods.

You should not ignore the recommendations of the inspectors, but simply supplement the stand with the recommended materials to avoid fines.

Responsibility for the absence of a stand or necessary information on it

The Code of Administrative Offenses provides for a fine for serious violations in the design or absence of a consumer corner. According to Article 14.5, paragraph 1, the amount of a monetary penalty may be:

• for an individual entrepreneur from 1.5 to 2 thousand rubles;
• for officials from 3 thousand rubles. up to 4 thousand rubles;
• for legal entities from 30 thousand rubles. up to 40 thousand rubles

If there is a consumer corner, but it lacks any information or the data is not up to date, then the inspecting party can limit itself to an order, determining the period within which the violation must be eliminated. You should not ignore such instructions, since a fine will be issued if the order is not followed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch{q}v=sI3DLE4MY3s

The consumer corner has long become a familiar design for the client and a necessary part of the interior of the premises for the entrepreneur. Monitoring changes in legislation and informing the client in a timely manner using the consumer corner is the responsibility that lies with the business owner. Accessibility, readability and timely addition or change of information are the key to good relationships with both consumers and regulatory authorities.