Complaints Handling: Overview

Complaints may be received directly from clients or from third party representatives. In the event of any complaint the matter must be immediately referred to Sarah White. Clients will be made aware of their right to make a complaint, to whom this can be made and how by supplying them with a copy of our complaints handling procedure. It should be noted that every expression of dissatisfaction amounts to a complaint. Where any client expresses concern about the service, steps should be taken to resolve that matter and it should be treated as a complaint.

Complaints Handling Procedure

The following complaints procedure is made available to every client upon request and will be supplied upon receipt of a complaint.

We strive to ensure that there should be no time that you should have any cause for complaint in relation to the service we provide to you. In the unlikely event that you wish to raise a complaint or have any other concerns regarding any service we have provided you may submit a formal complaint.

This procedure sets out the process which should be followed.

1. Complaints may be made in writing, by e-mail, by telephone or any other form in respect of a service that we have provided.

You should address your complaint to the complaints department.

2. We will send you a written or electronic acknowledgement of a complaint within 5 business days of receipt identifying the person who will behandling the complaint for the business together with a copy of this complaints handling procedure. Wherever possible that person will not have been directly involved in the matter which is the subject of the complaint and will have authority to settle the complaint.

3. Within 8 weeks of receiving a complaint, we will send you either.

a) A final response which adequately addresses the complaint; or

b) A response which:

i) Explains why we are still not able to make a final response giving reasons for the further delay and indicating when we expect to be able to provide a final response.

4. Were we decide that redress is appropriate, we will provide you with fair compensation for any acts or omissions for which we are responsible and will comply with any offer of redress which you accept. Appropriate redress will not always involve financial redress.

The role of Sarah White will always be responsible for the investigation of complaints where necessary input will be sought from other employees.

Sarah White will retain a log of all complaints received and the outcome. A complaints file will be created for each complaint reference to the log, and which will contain all communication with complainants, the actions taken to investigate the complaint, the findings and a copy of the final response to the complainant.